Putting Off Flesh

"This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised ... And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (Genesis 17:10,14 NKJV)

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith. (Colossians 2:11-12 NKJV)

Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:24 NKJV)

Judaism has variations as extreme as Christianity’s, yet one defining act unites Jews: circumcision. False Christians may hide among the diversity of people within the church, but those who are Christ’s are united by the defining act of crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires. Christ’s covenant with us is that He willingly sacrificed His flesh to give us His life, and we willingly sacrifice our flesh—Self, which cannot satisfy us—and give Him our lives. In His life we find pleasure and fullness of joy.

Father, thank You for identifying us in Your Son Jesus. Give us strength to daily take up the cross and crucify our desires. Let us have no will but Yours, no delight but in You.

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