Apr 16
11
Circumcision; Necessary or Sufficient?
One of the biggest issues in the New Testament was the issue of circumcision. There was a large group of people who professed to believe the Gospel of Christ. But they also believed it was needful to be circumcised (Acts. 15:1-11, Galatians 5:1-6). They did not deny the necessity of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Indeed, they professed that salvation could not be possible without it. However, they did deny the sufficiency of Christ. They believed there was something that needed to be done along with the person and work of Christ. They did not deny the necessity of Christ’s atonement. But they did deny its sufficiency! They did not deny salvation by grace. But they did deny salvation by grace alone! They did not deny that salvation comes through faith in Christ. But they did deny faith alone! That was the issue then. And it is the issue in our day. The message preached by “the circumcision” in our day is, “Christ died for all, but there is something you need to do to make this blood work for you.” Faith is looked upon as a work the sinner performs in order to make the blood of Christ effectual. But the answer to this is still the same. “If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing” (Galatians 5:2). Pastor Todd Nibert