This evening, Lord willing, I'm
going to be attempting to bring a message on humility out of
Acts chapter 20, where Paul said, serving the Lord with all humility. If you would have looked 3,000 years ago at one who was called
a Jew or a Hebrew and a an Amalekite and a Jebusite and a Philistine
and any of the other different kinds of people in that region,
you would not really have seen a physical difference between
them. You wouldn't have said, well, that looks like a Jew and
that looks like an Amalekite. There was not some kind of distinction
that distinguished one from the other. They pretty much looked
the same. But what was the distinction
between the Jew and everybody else? Circumcision. That was the difference. Now, if there's anybody here
that doesn't know what circumcision means, ask your parents after
the service when you're driving home. Circumcision. That was the difference between
the Jew and everybody else, circumcision. Now, if you had
never heard of circumcision, and you heard about it, you would
think, wow, that's strange. That's painful. Why would anybody
do that? You know, I think it is amazing
that circumcision is used to prove infant baptism. They say infant baptism has taken
the place of circumcision. Well, the Bible never says that.
That's just plumb-dumb. That's all I know how to describe
that. That's just plumb-dumb. If you
baptize a baby, you think that has something to do with their
salvation. You say, no, I don't. You wouldn't do it if you didn't. You have to do some amazing mental
gymnastics to come up with infant baptism from this, but it did
take place circumcision. That's the mark of the true Jew,
and this is how important it was. Turn with me for a moment
to Exodus chapter four. Verse 24. And this is after God
had already commissioned Moses to go to Egypt. He'd already
appeared to him in the burning bush. But look what happens here
in verse 24. And it came to pass by the way
in the end. This is when Moses was on his
way to Egypt. And it came to pass by the way
in the end that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. The Lord was going to kill Moses. Then Zipporah, that's his wife,
took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son at circumcision
and cast at his feet saying, surely you're a bloody husband,
art thou to me? So he, God let him go, Moses. Moses was evidently so ill he
couldn't perform this rite. The woman had to do it, his wife. So he let him go, then she said,
a bloody husband thou art because of the circumcision. Now, evidently,
he didn't circumcise his son to keep his wife happy. And the
Lord's going to kill him for it. And she saw that. So we see
the importance of this thing of circumcision. The true mark
of the Jew is circumcision. I've entitled this message The
True Jew. The true Jew. Now, there are three circumcisions
spoken of in the scripture. Number one, what we just read
about, physical circumcision. Do you know the Lord Jesus was
physically circumcised on the eighth day of his physical life? It was the distinction between
the Jew and everybody else. Physical circumcision. And then we also read in Colossians
2.11 of the circumcision of Christ. Now listen to the scripture very
carefully. In physical circumcision, before I read it, remember, in
physical circumcision there is something cut off and removed. When Christ was crucified, bearing
the sins of the elect, it was called the circumcision made
without hands. Now, listen to this scripture in Colossians
chapter 2 verse 11, the circumcision made without hands in the putting
off of the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ. Now, when he was crucified on
Calvary's tree. It was called the circumcision
of Christ. Just like in physical circumcision, something was cut
off and done away with in spiritual circumcision. The sins of God's
people were cut off and done away with, and they are no more. It's called the circumcision
of Christ. And then there is the circumcision
of the heart. God said, in Deuteronomy 10,
16, circumcise the foreskin of your heart and be no more stiff-necked,
obstinate, unrepentant, is what the word means. In Deuteronomy
30, verse 6, the Lord God will circumcise thy heart. You see,
this is a circumcision that can't be made with hands. The Lord
God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed, to
love the Lord God with all thy heart and all thy soul. Now we
see from these two scriptures that a circumcised heart is a
repentant heart that loves God. This is what all of God's people
have, a repentant heart that loves God as He is. An uncircumcised heart is an
unrepentant heart that has no love for God. Now, the physical mark of the
true Jew was not some kind of caricature that we create saying,
well, the Jews look like this, and we'll make physical. No,
no. The physical mark of a true Jew
was circumcision. That's what separated him from
everyone else. And the mark of the true Jew,
the spiritual Jew, is circumcision as well. A circumcised heart. Now the physical Jew took pride
in their circumcision. Remember what Paul said? Circumcised
the eighth day of the tribe of Benjamin? A Hebrew of the Hebrews,
he was proud of that. He thought it counted for something.
I had the proper day, the proper mode of circumcision. I was circumcised
the eighth day. And you know, the Gentile world
was known as the uncircumcised. And this was a way of speaking
of them with contempt. Do you remember what David said
with regard to Goliath? He said, who is this uncircumcised
Philistine that he would defy the armies of the living God?
The ultimate name of contempt from the physical Jew to the
non-Jew is their uncircumcised. In the New Testament, Circumcision
is used as a synonym for salvation by works. Do you remember when
the Judaizers came in Acts chapter 15 verse 6 and said, except you
be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. It represents any form of salvation
by works, except you be circumcised. Yes, you need to believe. but
there's something else you need. Anytime there's something else
you need other than Christ only, it can be represented by this
thing of circumcision. And I love what Paul said in
Galatians chapter five. He said, if you be circumcised,
Christ shall profit you nothing. If you go that road of thinking
salvation is in any way to any degree dependent upon what you
do, Forget Christ. He will profit you nothing. You're
on your own. You stand before God in your
own works, and that's a place you do not want to be. Let me repeat that. That's something
me and you do not want, is to stand before God on the footing
of anything in us. Now, in Romans chapter one, and
the first part of Romans chapter two, Paul spoke of the uncircumcised
Gentile world. Would you turn with me to Romans
chapter one? Now this is people without a
Bible that he is describing. People who have no revelation
from God. They don't have scripture. These people are uncircumcised.
These are the heathen. Beginning in verse 18, Romans
chapter 1, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against
all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth or
hold down the truth in unrighteousness, because that which may be known
of God is manifest in them. For God has showed it unto them
for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen. being understood by the things
that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they
are without excuse, even though they don't have a revelation
from God, there's enough light from the creation that leaves
them without excuse. They can see that God made all
this and nobody made Him, His eternal power and Godhead. Verse 21, because that when they
knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful,
but became vain in their imaginations. And their foolish heart was darkened,
professing themselves to be wise. And this is talking about the
Greek philosophers, professing themselves to be wise. They became
fools and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an
image made like to corruptible man and to birds and four footed
beasts and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave them
up to uncleanness. through the lusts of their own
hearts to dishonor their own bodies between themselves, who
changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served
the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Amen. For this cause God gave him up
unto vile affections, for even their women did change their
natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their
lust one toward another, men with men working that which is
unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error,
which was meat. And even as they did not like
to retain God in their knowledge, the Gentile world, the uncircumcised
world, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those
things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness,
fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy,
murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whispers, backbiters. Haters of God, despiteful, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without
understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable,
unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit
such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have
pleasure in them that do them. What do you think about people
like that? They're bad people, aren't they? They're wicked people. There's nothing good you can
say about them. Now look what Paul says next. Therefore thou
art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For when
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest
doest the same things. You're seeing the moral reprobacy
of these people, the moral bankruptcy, the wickedness. You say, that's
wrong. Yeah it is, and you're guilty
of doing the exact same thing. Not you used to, right now. That word doest is in the present
active voice. You stand in judgment on anybody
for anything, and all you do is condemn yourself because you're
doing the same stuff. It's remarkable hypocrisy. So
we see the uncircumcised world, how bad they were, And if we
judge them in the sense of moral superiority, all we do is expose
ourselves. Look in verse 17 of chapter 2. Now he speaks of the circumcised. Behold, thou art called a Jew.
And restest in the law, and makest thou boast of God, and knowest
his will. And you approve the things which
are more excellent, being instructed out of the law. You're confident
that you yourself are a guide of the blind, a light of them
which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of
babes, which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth of
the law. Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou
not thyself? Thou that preachest, a man should
not steal. Dost thou steal? Thou that say'st
a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou
that abhor'st idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest
thy boast of the law through breaking the law, dishonest thou
God? For the name of God is blasphemy
among the Gentiles through you, as it's written, for circumcision,
you're circumcised. Unlock these people in Romans
chapter one. For circumcision verily profits
if you keep the law. That's what's needed. It's beneficial
to you if you keep the law. Anybody done that? No, none of Adam's sons. circumcision verily profits if
you keep the law but if you're a breaker of the law your circumcision
is made uncircumcision therefore if the uncircumcision keep the
righteousness of the law people who are gentiles who are never
circumcised and this is hypothetical none of them ever done it but
if they did if they did therefore if the uncircumcision keep the
righteousness of the law shall not his uncircumcision be counted
for circumcision yeah if he keeps the law and shall not uncircumcision,
which is by nature, if it fulfilled the law, judge thee who by the
letter and circumcision does transgress the law." Now look
at this statement, verse 28. Remember, I've entitled this
message, The True Jew. For he is not a Jew, which is
one outwardly. Somebody that can trace their
lineage all the way to Abraham. That's not a Jew. That's not a Jew. He is not a
Jew, which was one outwardly. Neither is that circumcision,
which is outward in the flesh. Someone who has gone through
the rite of circumcision, circumcised the eighth day, according to
the law, he says, That's not circumcision. But he is a Jew, verse 29, which
is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the
heart in the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of
men, but of God. Now, the man or woman who claims
to be a physical Jew because of their ancestry, and they could
do their line all the way back to Abraham and prove it, that's
not a Jew in the first place. You see, God doesn't have two
programs, one for the Jews and one for the Christians. That
foolishness is preached in many places. You know, you've got
one program for the Jews and one for the Christians. No, that's
not so. It's not scriptural. He is a Jew. Now the word Hebrew,
I love this. The word Hebrew means one from
beyond. The true Jew traces his lineage
FROM BEYOND. THEY ARE OF GOD. NOW THAT'S WHERE I TRACE MY LINEAGE
IF I'M A TRUE JEW. HE THAT'S OF GOD HEARETH GOD'S
WORDS, YOU THEREFORE HEAR THEM NOT, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT of God. The Lord said concerning His
people in John chapter 17, they are not of the world even as
I am not of the world. He is not a Jew which is one Outwardly, neither
is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh, verse 29,
but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly. And the circumcision
is that of the heart. Their heart has been circumcised. Now that's the same thing as
the new birth. That's the same thing as regeneration. That's the same thing as being
born again, a circumcised heart, a new heart, one that was not
there before. Now, hold your finger in Romans
chapter three. I want you to turn to Hebrews
chapter eight. We're coming right back to Romans
three, but I want you to see this in Hebrews chapter eight.
This is so important. Verse 10, for this is, this is
a quotation from Jeremiah 31. For this is the covenant that
I'll make with the house of Israel. After those days sayeth the Lord,
I will put my laws, plural into their mind and write them. in their hearts. Now, when God says I'll put my
laws into their mind and write them into their heart, let me
tell you right now, that's not talking about the Ten Commandments.
You were born with the Ten Commandments written in your heart. You were
born knowing lying is sin. Murder is sin. You were born
with some understanding of sexual sin, that it's wrong. You were
born knowing you ought not cheat, you ought not steal. You were
born knowing you ought not covet. That's why it always just irritates
me when people say, when you teach people how to live, you
already know how to live. You do. You don't need me to
teach you. You know, we're born into this
world with God's law written in our hearts. And Romans 2.16
says that. So it's not talking about knowing the law. Now, God's laws written in the
heart. This is what somebody that's
been spiritually circumcised looks like. This is what they're
like. This is the way they think. We
read in Romans chapter nine of the law of righteousness, Romans
930, anybody with a circumcised heart cannot be satisfied with
anything short of an absolute perfect righteousness before
God. And they know the only righteousness there is, is the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. And they look to his righteousness
only, always. Do you have a circumcised heart?
Is the righteousness of Jesus Christ the only righteousness
you have? Come on now. Is his righteousness
the only righteousness you possess? We also read in Romans chapter
seven, verse 23 of the law of sin. Remember God said, I'm gonna
write my laws in their hearts. He writes that law of righteousness.
He writes the law of sin. If you have the law of sin written
in your heart, you know that if you did it, it's sin. Whatever you do, doesn't matter
what it is, if you did it, It's sin. Somebody says, now, I'm
not going to say that about myself. Well, you don't have God's law
written in your hearts then. Because if you did, you know it was.
The law of sin. I cannot not sin. It's always
there. And if God's written in your
heart, you know that's so. And then we read in Romans 3
27 of the law of faith. Do you know that if you have
a circumcised heart, you cannot not believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God? You cannot not believe that all
you need, all you have and all you want is Him, and you rest
in Him only. You cannot not do that. Now,
your flesh never believes. I believe, help thou my unbelief.
The flesh never believes. The Spirit always believes. It's the law of faith. This is what a circumcised heart
looks like. And then we read in James 2.8 of the law of love. You love God as is revealed in
the word. You love all of his attributes.
You love him. It's your nature. It's your nature. It's the law of God written in
your heart. And then we read of the law of
liberty. James 228, the law of liberty. If you have a circumcised
heart, you can't handle being in bondage. You can't handle
being in debt. The only thing that satisfies
you is complete debt free, paid by Christ. You owe nothing and
you're free to serve him. You're doing it because you want
to, not because you're afraid of what'll happen if you don't,
because you want to. That's the law of liberty. And
then there's the law of Christ spoken of in Galatians chapter
6, you which are, if any man be overtaken in a fault, you
which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness,
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted, bear one another's
burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. Now these laws are
written in the heart of every Christian. One with a circumcised
heart. And this is the mark of the true
Jew. The circumcised heart. It's not a physical thing. It's
spiritual. Now turn back to Romans 2. Verse 29. But he is a Jew. Which is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the
heart. in the spirit and not in the
letter. Now, this is so important. What
is the spirit of the law? Work. You need to do this. You need
to do that. You need to quit doing this.
You need to start doing that. You need to work. That's the
spirit of the law. And doesn't the law say thou
shalt and thou shalt not. That's the spirit or that's the
letter. I'm sorry. I'm wrong. That's
the letter of the law. Sorry for saying the spirit.
I think that's the letter of the law. Salvation by works. The spirit of the law is you
can't keep this. Your only hope is Christ. The
spirit of the law is faith in Christ. The letter of the law
is works, and it is the letter of the law. The spirit of the
law is grace, Christ. And look what it says next, whose
praise is not of men. You know no natural man is gonna
praise what I'm saying. They're gonna say, that's weird,
that's crazy, that's foolishness. I don't believe that. I don't
expect you to. I really don't. The natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God. They're foolish,
isn't it? Neither indeed can he know them because they're
spiritually discerned. You've got to have the Holy Spirit to
praise this. Now, God praises this. Let me
tell you why God praises it. It's his work. You see this thing
of having a circumcised heart? You didn't have anything to do
with that. That's God's work and God's work alone. He praises
this because it glorifies him. He praises this because it actually
honors his law. Do we make void the law through
faith? God forbid, yea, we establish
the law. God praises this. Now, physical circumcision was
the token of the physical covenant and no one was saved by physical
circumcision. Spiritual circumcision is the
token of the spiritual covenant, and everybody that's spiritually
circumcised is saved. Now, I would like us to go to
Philippians chapter three for just a moment. Philippians chapter
three. Who is the true Jew? Philippians chapter three. Finally, my brethren, verse one.
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. Now, to write the
same things to you, to me, indeed, is not grievous, it's not irksome,
but for you, it is safe. I hope that if you come here
and go a year without, I hope you don't, but if you'd come
back here a year later and you'd say, God's saying the same thing.
He's saying the same thing. I mean, there's no, doesn't he
have anything else to say? Nope. Nope. You got it. You got it. I'm not
really interested in anything else. I'm not. I'm not. And then
he says in verse two, beware of dogs. Speaking of false prophets,
beware of dogs, beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision. Now this is a word Paul makes
to describe folks who physically circumcise people and say, you
need to be circumcised. He said, here's what they are.
They're the mutilators. That's all they are. They're
the concision. They're mutilators. There's no
truth to them. Four, verse three, we, are the
circumcision. We are the true Jews. Here is the Hebrew. We are the circumcision and he
gives three marks of circumcision. We worship God in the spirit. We rejoice in Christ Jesus and
we have no confidence in the flesh. Now we are the true Jews,
number one, which worship God in the spirit. Now, some people will say, well,
I worship God in a more spiritual manner. I don't need to be in
a big cathedral with the organs and the choirs. I'm more satisfied
with more spiritual worship in a real plain building without
all these accessories. You missed it. No, that's not
what that's talking about. When we worship God in the spirit,
that means we worship God only in the Holy Spirit. It is impossible
for the natural man to worship God. We worship God. Now what does it mean to worship
God? I said this in Sunday school. You will only worship a God that
you cannot control or manipulate in any way. You're in his hand. He does with you whatever he's
pleased to do and whatever he does is right. Now you'll worship
that God. You won't worship a God that
you can manipulate and control and get to react to what you
want him to do and get to respond. Nobody's gonna worship a God
like that. You're his God. You don't worship that way. But
the only true worship is worshiping in the Holy Spirit of God. And I've said this before, I
don't say, come worship with us to unbelievers. I don't say
that. I mean, I hope they do. I hope God enables them to, but
I can't enable an unbeliever to worship. The only way you
can worship is if God births you into his kingdom and then
you worship God. We are the true Jew, which worship
God in the spirit. And here's what everybody does
who worships God in the spirit. They rejoice in Christ Jesus. Now see the word rejoice in Philippians
3.1. Finally, my brethren rejoice
in the Lord. That's a different word than the word in verse three,
rejoice in Christ Jesus. The word rejoice in Christ Jesus
is literally you glory in Christ Jesus. You boast in Christ Jesus. You rest in Christ Jesus. Look back a few pages to Galatians
chapter six. Here's what this means. Galatians the sixth chapter,
beginning of verse 12. As many as desire to make a fair
show in the flesh. Now that is a pretty good description
of your average religious service, isn't it? A fair show in the
flesh. They constrain you to be circumcised. They say you need to be circumcised.
And here's the only reason they do it. Only lest they should
suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. That's their motive.
For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law.
They say you need to be circumcised to keep the law. You don't keep
the law. Not in any way. They desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your flesh. Look how I've influenced that
person for good. I've made a difference in that person. I've, I've, I've,
I've done something, but look what Paul says. And here's the
way he uses this word, but God forbid that I should glory. There's the word have confidence
in rest in rejoice in boast in God forbid that I should glory
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. All I glory in
is who He is and what He did, what He accomplished on Calvary
Street. Oh, what about the fact that
you're a preacher? I'm ashamed of myself. What about the fact
that you pray? I wouldn't want to bring anything
into His presence and say, Lord, I did this, I did that. No, no. I simply want to be found in
Christ. Where all God sees is Jesus Christ. Now, you know what somebody who
glories only in the cross does? Look back in Philippians 3. We
are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice
in Christ Jesus. Now there is an and. And have no confidence. Nada. Zilch. Zero. no confidence in the flesh. Anything that has anything to
do with my flesh, I have no confidence in. None at all. Now anybody who glories in Christ
Jesus will have no confidence in the flesh. The true Jew is not the physical
descendant of Abraham, nor is circumcision that outward circumcision
that's in the flesh. The true Jew is the one with
a circumcised heart, in the Spirit, and not in the
letter. God praises this true Jew, and
here's what the truly circumcised person looks like. He worships
God in the spirit. He rejoices in Christ Jesus. And he has no confidence in the
flesh. If that's what a Jew is, I'm
a Jew. Let's pray. Lord, how we thank you that salvation
is of the Lord. Lord, in Christ's name, we ask
that you would, because of the work of thy son on the cross,
we plead no other reason for you to do this, but we ask in
his name that you would perform this circumcision made without
hands on the heart of everybody here. and teach us what it means
to worship you, to rejoice in the spirit, to rejoice only in
your son, and to have no confidence in the flesh. Oh Lord, we ask
that our hearts might be circumcised for Christ's sake. We ask that
we might be enabled to be true Jews. In Christ's name we pray,
amen.