This is a thought about Jesus I had this week.
Many Christians know of Deuteronomy 30:6:
Moreover, the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul, so that you may live.
This passage is mind blowing.
On the one hand you see indication of God’s sovereign grace: God is the one who changes believers heart to love God (in the context it was addressed to national Israel and is prophesying this will happen in the future).
If you see Israel’s long history and their sins then you would appreciate this verse a lot more.
Yet on the other hand this passage has a strange way of going about describing God changing one’s heart: ”
God will circumcise your heart?”
Biblically literal Circumcision of course involves cutting the male foreskin.
I was thinking: Circumcision of the heart if literal would be painful.
Actually I was thinking what it would be like if it was literal.
And that’s when it struck me: For God to spiritually circumcise our hearts to be spiritually regenerate to the things of God (and to love Him!) Christ has to do His saving work on our behalf on the Cross.
For Christ on the Cross was pierced.
Hands and feet we often think of when we say “pierced.”
But Jesus was also pierced by His side. And I think that involved his heart.
John 19:34 states
Yet one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
I think it involved Jesus’ heart that was pierced since the Roman Soldiers wanted to make sure those crucified truly died. It make no sense to just poke the lungs if one want to accomplish that.
In bringing about us to be spiritually circumcised in our hearts to love God Jesus’ own heart was literally pierced.
Doesn’t that make you love the Savior?
If any reading this have not trusted in Jesus as Savior of your sins (for God judges sins), will you trust in a Loving Savior in Jesus Christ today???
Thank you for edifying us and shedding light on what GOD the FATHER meant and how JESUS CHRIST has done it for us thus, is a compelling call to action to trust JESUS CHRIST who atoned for our sins and was pierced in our behalf. Blessings to you Jim, Nancy, and your kids!
You’re welcome! To think that he was pierced in Hands, feet…and Heart! How precious is our Savior…I’m moved thinking of His love for us. Have a blessed Saturday Kent!
Circumcising the heart is a strange concept. I kept thinking of Psalm 51 when David wanted God to create in him a clean heart. It makes sense to think of this as occurring at Jesus’ crucifixion with His heart being pierced.
Thanks Frank for reading this and providing your thoughts on this. Hope where you live is not too hot for today! It is warm in Southern California!
Morning. Love the insight this morning. Had not thought of this: “I think it involved Jesus’ heart that was pierced since the Roman Soldiers wanted to make sure those crucified truly died.”
Blessings.
This is absolutely excellent! Never considered that Jesus’s heart was actually pierced when the spear when into His side. Definitely causes me to love and worship Him more. Love, hugs and blessings to you, Nancy and kiddos!
This also makes me appreciate Jesus’s fulfillment of Isa 52:13-53:12 a whole lot more as well.
It sure does make me love Him more. Mandy you know this, but man there is so much gold to be told from the Word of God. So much yet to be found that is profound and makes us love Him more. I can’t understand some preachers who don’t want to dig the Word but preach light sermons…
It is a travesty and an abdication of the call to Pastor to not dig into the Word of God.
Love this. Jesus heart being pierced I have never heard before. It makes so much spiritual sense.
What a Saviour !!
Blessings for your new day .
Thanks Crissy for reading this and commenting! Hope you are having a blessed Weekend!
Blessings to you and your family
Jim,
What a great insight!
“The love of Jesus – what it is, none but his loved ones know.” Is there any greater joy than meditating on Christ’s love? By enduring a “circumcision” of the heart in his death on the cross, we who have died with him now have circumcised hearts “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Grace and peace to you and yours,
dora
You said it well in one sentence I was trying to say at 2 AM in this post lol. I love this sentence: “ By enduring a “circumcision” of the heart in his death on the cross, we who have died with him now have circumcised hearts “love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.” Praise God for His love for us. I’m amaze at how much of God’s love is expressed in the Bible and in Jesus’ life and death!
Thanks for this. It brings back memories of our old IFB pastor who started out as a medical lab technician (he lied, telling people he had been an MD doctoral student until he was found out), and he knew a lot about blood and used to describe in great detail how blood separated after death. Yes, Jesus paid it all on the cross and asks that we dedicate ourselves entirely to Him. We need grace and more grace!
Wow he lied being an MD? I know IFB guys are into unaccredited doctorates but that is going too far. You’re right we need God’s grace and more of it. How is your shift so far?
RE: I started attending that church just a few months before he was caught in his lie about being a medical student. My wife always says that should have been my first clue. I remember about one-third of the congregation left because of the scandal. Several years later he told the congregation that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was considering him as Billy’s eventual successor. All kinds of macho man boasting and bullying along with the lies.
RE: shift
Thanks. Work has become harder because we’re short staffed and I’m picking a lot of orders myself now. A lot of heavy lifting. The young guys used to pick all my orders previously.
How was your Friday?
What a wonderful insight. 🙂
Thanks for reading and commenting! Stay Cool Maw Mae!
You too.
Reblogged this on clydeherrin.
Love his.
Thanks! How did you find us and this post? God bless you!
You’re welcome. I found you in the WordPress reader. Blessings. 🙂