“I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” – Genesis 17:2

Was reading this morning in Genesis, and I was struck by this verse… The Lord says to Abram, walk faithfully before me and be blameless… THEN I will make my covenant with you.  This is AFTER he has received numerous promises from God about the land he would inherit and the number of descendants he would have.  The covenant was the covenant of circumcision – the cutting away of the flesh near the male reproductive system, and God notes that it would be an eternal covenant.

So God gives Abram a series of promises – and these promises came for free.  Abram didn’t have to do anything to receive the promises.  But in order for him to walk in the promises and see them outworked would require something – a blameless walk and faithfulness – outwardly symbolised in the act of circumcision.

Fortunately (especially for the guys) – physical circumcision isn’t required for entry into the promises of God today.  The Scriptures show clearly that the outward act is no longer needed, just as the death of Jesus replaced the need for the outward act of sacrifice.  Yet this eternal convenant is far from over.

We receive the promises of God by faith, and for free.  God speaks to us about our lives and future and shows us the plans he has for us.  We don’t have to do anything to receive the promise of God.  But to walk in that promise, and see it come to pass – something is required, which is circumcision of the heart.

Just as the Old Testament circumcision was a cutting away of the flesh near the male reproductive system, the circumcision we embrace as Christians now is a spiritual one – the cutting away of our own abilities to bring about our desires and dreams.  It’s no accident that the covenant of circumcision follows the account of Hagar and Ishmael, where Abram heard the promise of God, but plunged in and tried to bring it about through his own wisdom and strength.

We receive the promises of God for free.  But the price we pay to walk in those promises is a holy life, with our abilities and wisdom surrendered to the will and mind of God.  What we can accomplish in our own strength remains the greatest enemy to what God can accomplish through us, if we will simply trust and believe.