This week, we continued our study of the Laws of Redemption with the Law of Circumcision — the second of the laws that man is responsible for.
In Genesis 17:9–14, God instructed Abraham to walk before Him and be perfect. It was a call to covenant relationship — one that demanded a mark of consecration. But beyond the physical act, this law points to something much deeper: spiritual circumcision — the cutting away of the flesh and every hindrance that keeps us from walking in purity and power before God.
Before this, God had appeared to Abraham multiple times — in Genesis 12, 13, and 15 — establishing promises and building relationship. But in Genesis 17, something changes. God requires a performance of the covenant: a response from Abraham. Similarly, faith without obedience or transformation is incomplete. If you’re not seeing the performance of what you’ve prayed or believed for, check it — your faith may be wobbly somewhere.
Spiritual Circumcision
Colossians 2:11 teaches that there are two kinds of circumcision: of the flesh and of the spirit. For the believer, it is the latter that matters. It is the stripping away of the “works of the flesh” listed in Galatians 5:19–21 — adultery, lust, jealousy, strife, envy, idolatry, revelry, and the like. These are not minor flaws; they are evidences of lovelessness, and where love is absent, faith cannot thrive.
Purity is a journey, not a destination. To walk this path, we must learn to mortify the flesh — to put to death its cravings and control. Romans 6:12–14 and 8:12–14 teach us to mortify the flesh by the Spirit, not by human effort. This is not about obeying the Ten Commandments; it’s about allowing the Spirit of God to work through your flesh and bring transformation from within.
Lust, for instance, often feels uncontrollable, almost with a life of its own. But there’s a capacity in God that can kill that thing — to overtake your flesh with purity and consecration. There’s no sin beyond redemption. None. If you walk with God, He will mortify your flesh until the things that once ruled you lose their power.
Even as you walk through that process, celebrate how far you’ve come, not how far you have to go. God sees your journey, and in due time, your flesh will bow to the Spirit.
Circumcision (Purity) and the Voice of God
Romans 12:1 reminds us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God. If you want to hear God clearly, start here — with the mortifying of your flesh. The biggest obstruction to hearing His voice is not the devil; it’s your flesh. Your emotions, desires, and impulses often speak loudest, and the enemy is ever ready to amplify them.
A man who has not crucified the flesh will hear his flesh even when he thinks he’s hearing God. But when you spend time in consecration, your spiritual senses sharpen, and obedience becomes natural.
Circumcision, therefore, has two legs:
- The Mortifying of the Flesh, which can be taught; and
- The Leading of the Spirit, which cannot — it’s bespoke to each person.
When both work hand in hand, you hear God with clarity and receive the grace to obey.
The Nature and Consequence of Sin
Your greatest enemy is not the devil; it’s your flesh. Sin opens doors that strengthen the enemy’s hold and weaken your walk. Pastor Goke explained that sin has four major effects on the believer:
- Sin reinforces curses.
It gives Satan a legal ground to exploit you. Living in sin is like holding onto the devil’s property — he will keep knocking at your door to reclaim it. Romans 1:18, Galatians 3:10, and 1 Timothy 1:19 all affirm that sin empowers curses. The primary reason Jesus died was to break that power once and for all.
- Sin gives ground for Satan to resist you.
James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” But without submission — without repentance — your resistance has no authority.
- Sin kills your faith.
Galatians 5:6 says that faith works by love. A heart harbouring sin and bitterness cannot flow in love, and without love, faith cannot function. Samson’s downfall illustrates this — sin shaved off the strength that faith once supplied.
- Sin makes you barren in your walk with God.
2 Timothy 2:19–21 and 2 Peter 1:5–8 remind us that God uses only purified vessels. Until you are purged of certain weights, you cannot be trusted with divine assignments. It’s possible for a believer to be spiritually barren — full of activity but void of growth and fruit.
Growing in Purity and Consecration
Go on a journey of purification by the Spirit. The same way you grow in your profession, grow spiritually. You can’t keep fighting the same sins year after year and expect transformation.
Give time to God. If the desire for prayer or Word study doesn’t come naturally, ask for it. Renew your mind daily through Scripture. Search the Word like the Berean church, and build your own foundation of truth.
If you will put your hand to the plough, do it wholeheartedly. The goal is not just moral discipline — it’s eternal intimacy. The ultimate destination is to be with God in eternity, fully transformed into His likeness.
For further study, read Romans 7 and 8 — they unveil the last law in this redemptive journey.
