In one of his final addresses to the nation of Israel, Moses looks forward to a time when Israel would be given “a heart to understand” (Deut. 29:4). Moses predicts that Israel would fail in keeping the Old Covenant (verses 22–28), but he then sees a time of restoration (Deuteronomy 30:1–5). At that time, Moses says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live” (verse 6). The New Covenant involves a total change of heart so that God’s people are naturally pleasing to Him. This total change in the nature and psychology of redeemed people is begun in this life, when a person is "saved" by being converted to Christ, when his regeneration and inner renewal is begun. Yet, this inner transformation is not complete in the life of any believer. It will only be completed in the resurrection of the sons of God and in their complete renewal and glorious transformation in body, soul, and spirit.
Believers do experience this initial change of heart, mind, and spirit when they are inwardly changed by the "washing of regeneration" and by the "renewing of the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3: 5). Yet this change is not finished at the moment it is begun. So Paul testified, saying: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1: 6 kjv) The renewal is progressive as Paul said: "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (II Cor. 4: 16 niv) He also wrote: "And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (II Cor. 3: 18 niv) "Are being" denotes linear progression.
The End Result
The purpose and end result of God's new covenant work on the internal being of a man is so that he may no longer sin. Christians who have had this work begun in them are sinning less and less as their hearts and inner character are steadily improved. Yet, no Christian lives a life without sin, which fact shows that the inner change of heart, mind, soul, and spirit has not been completed. When it is completed, when the inner man is fully transformed, then he will no longer sin at all. Said Solomon: "Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins." (Eccl. 7: 20 niv)
The above text in Ezekiel says that the work of circumcising the heart is so that the one so operated upon by the Lord will unfailingly walk in God's statutes and keep his judgments. This will not be fully realized until the Lord comes again and finishes the work. Yes, circumcision of heart is begun when one is by faith united to Christ. So says the scriptures. "For we are the circumcision," says Paul to Christians (be they Jew or Gentile) "who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." (Phil. 3: 3 esv) To the Roman believers he wrote:
"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." (Rom. 2: 28-29 kjv)
This circumcision was also foretold and promised in other old testament scriptures. Said Lord God to the people through Moses: "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn." (Deut. 10: 16) And again says: "And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." (Deut. 30: 6) The prophet Jeremiah wrote: "Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the evil of your deeds.” (Jer. 4: 4)
In all the scriptures on heart circumcision, both old and new testaments, there is involved a cutting away of what is called the "foreskin," which is a symbol for "the flesh," or for the sinful nature. This cutting away of the foreskin of the heart (metaphorically) is the cutting away of inner depravity and all propensity or inclination to sin. But no believer has the sin nature totally cut away in this life. The cutting away is not instantaneous but progressive and is not finished until the day of the resurrection and glorification of saints. Notice these words of the apostle Paul:
"In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ." (Col. 2: 11)
It seems that Paul, in this text, speaks of the work of circumcision as completed. So, how can we contend that it is an ongoing action? Well, for one, those who have been circumcised still sin, and yet the end purpose of the circumcision is to prevent sinning.
Divine Writing (Programming)
"31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." (Jer. 31: 31-34 kjv; See also Heb. 8: 6-13 and 10: 15-17)
Though some bible scholars see the complete fulfillment of this covenantal promise in the present lives of believers, yet it is only true in part, being another example of "already but not yet." The idea that God's word is written into the "inward parts" or in the "heart," i.e. into the core of being, into the mind and memory, is not a new thing, for even in the old testament there was frequent mention of it. Notice these passages:
"I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Psa. 119: 11 esv)
"Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man." (Prov. 3: 3-4 nkjv)
"Keep my commands and live, And my law as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart." (Prov. 7: 2-3 nkjv)
And, in the new testament we have these words:
"clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." (vs. 3 esv)
This writing is done initially unto salvation when one hears and believes the gospel and word of God. But, surely it is also progressive. More is written, more knowledge is encoded into the spiritual DNA, as the believer learns more of God's word. But, the greater writing is yet to come and a greater effect, for when the divine writing is complete, it will ensure that there is no more breaking of the commandments of the Lord. In that state the will is no longer free to sin but is a slave to righteousness, free only to do what is holy and right. This is when the saints will be totally and immutably "slaves to righteousness for holiness" and "slaves to God." (See Rom. 6: 18-22) They will no longer then be free to sin.
Though we say that a degree of freedom was exercised by the believer when he was regenerated and converted, that choice to be Christ' disciple was a choice to give up some of that God given free will, giving up the ability to choose evil. Imagine that! A free will creature giving up his free will to do evil!
When the heart has been fully circumcised, when God's writing upon the inward parts is completed, a believer will never commit another sin, and thus God's end purpose for doing that work is fully realized. Notice another old testament text which promises this very thing in connection with the full realization of the new covenant.
"For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God." (Eze. 36: 24-26 kjv)
This is another prophecy of the effects of the new covenant. Notice again how the main subjects of the promised covenantal blessings are the physical descendants of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the same as we have seen in the prophecies of Jeremiah. Notice how the fulfillment of the promises of that covenant occur at a time when the scattered Hebrews are regathered to their homeland after having been scattered. That has not yet occurred, but will occur when Christ returns. That regathering is spoken of in several other texts of holy scripture. Notice the effect of God's cleansing of sin and his giving "a new heart" and a "new spirit" is so that those gathered and cleansed will be made (caused) "to walk in" God's statutes and to "keep" his "judgments and do them." Though this is "already" fulfilled in some respects for individual believers, be they Jew or Gentile, in the church, it is "not yet" fully come to pass, for believers still do not live above sin. Yet, one day when they have been glorified and transformed they will be so programmed in their core being that they will always walk in perfect obedience to God and righteousness.
The next chapter, chapter thirty seven, of Ezekiel's prophecy also contains similar language. Ezekiel chapter thirty four also has similar prophetic language. Jeremiah also adds to his prophecy of the new covenant (from chapter thirty one) in chapter thirty two, where he writes:
"37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely. 38 They shall be My people, and I will be their God; 39 then I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them. 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me. 41 Yes, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land, with all My heart and with all My soul." (Jer. 32: 37-41 nkjv)
Notice again the promise that the changes that God will make in the nature of redeemed men will unfailingly secure a life of holiness without sin. This, again, I insist, will not be fully realized until the day when Christ returns and the bodies, yea and the entire being of saints, are gloriously transformed. It is to some extent now realized and we can thus say that Christians who are living holy lives and being obedient can ascribe it to the initial work described by the prophets in changing their hearts and putting his holy fear into them.
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