Monday, December 31, 2018

"Social Alienation" from Eph. 2:11-13


SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/31/2018 11:00 AM



My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Social Alienation”



Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Eph. 2:11-13



            Messages of the verses:  11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”



            I have mentioned that the past SD’s on these verses were actually an introduction as we talked much about alienation, and so today we want to look at the first part of alienation, and that is “Social Alienation,” and we can see this from verse one where we read that “formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘Uncircumcision’ by the so-called, Circumcision,’ which is performed in the flesh by human hands.”  In this section we see that Paul calls his readers “the Gentiles in the flesh,” and he does this in order to emphasize the physical, and eternal nature of the distinction, and he also calls on them to “remember” exactly who they were before coming to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.  The Jews used the term “uncircumcision” as a term of derision, defamation, and they use it also as a reproach.  We can see this even from the great OT King, David who called Goliath an “uncircumcised Philistine” as seen in 1 Samuel 17:26.  Circumcision is something that came about as far as the Jewish people are concerned with Abram, when this became part of the covenant that God made with him.  I believe that we can say that this is similar to what Christian baptism is.  I will try to explain:  Both acts are physical, and both acts have a spiritual meaning, which is the most important.  God wanted the hearts of the Jewish people to be circumcised and not just their bodies.  Having their bodies circumcised did not do anything for their spiritual condition, and neither does an unbeliever have anything happen to them as a result of baptism.  I for one have been baptized three times, and the third time that I was baptized it was done n the NT church where I joined as a result of being baptized.  When a person is baptized it should only be done after they became believers, after they are saved.  Standing in the waters of baptism gives us a picture of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I remember when I was baptized in April of 1978 and as I went under the water I saw in my mind me lying in a casket.   It took me a while to tell my Pastor about this and his reply was “I didn’t see it.”  I guess he did not want to talk about my experience, but going under the water pictures the death of Christ and being raised up pictures the resurrection, and so it seemed kind of normal to me.



            It was because that the Gentiles did not have the physical mark of circumcision that they thought that they were better than Gentiles, and looked down at them.  John MacArthur writes “Paul carries a tone of disdain for such Jewish hatred, as evidenced in his choice of words to describe Jews—the so-called ‘Circumcision’ (lit., ‘in the flesh, made by hand’) .  He thereby takes exception to Jewish boasting by emphasizing that circumcision is also only external (cf. Lev. 26:41; Deut 10:16; Jer. 4:4; Ezek. 44:7).” 



Lev. 26:41 “41  I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies-or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, “

Deut. 10:16 “"So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer.”

Jer. 4:4 “4 “Circumcise yourselves to the LORD And remove the foreskins of your heart, Men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Or else My wrath will go forth like fire And burn with none to quench it, Because of the evil of your deeds.’”

Ezek. 44:7 “7  when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, even My house, when you offered My food, the fat and the blood; for they made My covenant void-this in addition to all your abominations.”



            I want, now to look at a few verses in the NT to show that circumcision had was never a mark of personal relationship to God:  “28  For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,

nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God (Rom. 2:28-29).”

Gal. 5:6 & 6:15 “6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love.”  “15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”



            As we look further into the book of Romans Paul points out that Abraham was saved before he was circumcised, making the point that physical circumcision was not the important part, but spiritual circumcision was.



            In our next SD, the first one of the New Year we will begin to look at the “Spiritual Alienation,” which will take several days to go through.



            I wanted to mention, and will probably mention again that the Bible questions that I ask at the end of my Spiritual Diaries come from a game I have entitled “Bible Challenge” and each card has seven questions and answers on it, making it good for one week.  I tried to find the first time that I stated this and it was started on March 12, 2013.  I only have a couple of cards left and then this will end this portion of my SD.



            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I am thankful that Jesus paid it all for I could never pay for the salvation that He gives to me freely.



My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust that the Lord will give to my family a very blessed 2019.



Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Gideon” (Judges 7:15-16).



Today’s Bible question: Which chapter of the Bible is called “The Love Chapter?”



Answer in our next SD.



12/31/2018 11:48 AM

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