No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people. Romans 2:29 (NLT)
When God called Abraham to walk with Him and share everything together He made a covenant or a lasting agreement with terms and conditions that tells and confirms that they are one. Genesis 17:1-14.
Part of the terms and conditions in this covenant was that Abraham and all his male descendants should be circumcised. This was to be a token or an outward sign always showing and reminding them that they were in covenant or joined with God.
But then that did not guarantee that because someone was circumcised, that they really were right with God because being right with God is a heart issue for God looks at and relates with us heart to heart.
Actually throughout their generations so many of these descendants of Abraham who were circumcised often were disobedient and rebellious towards God. They had and flaunted an outward physical sign of being right with God but inwardly in their heart they were against and far away from Him.
Even today people parade all the outward Christian paraphernalia – the talk, the activities, service, knowledge, performance discipline, labels etc but in their hearts they don’t have an intimate relationship with God. They themselves know and feel that emptiness and disconnection in their hearts.
When the Lord tells us that He’s after the circumcision of the heart and not the flesh what He means is He wants heart transformation.
This kind of circumcision of the heart, this heart transformation doesn’t come by anything you personally in your own strength and wisdom do outwardly.
It doesn’t come by you keeping certain religious or social or scientific rules. It can’t happen by deep mystical self-reflection or rigorous self-denial or harsh self-discipline. It is only by the Spirit of God influencing our hearts as we hear the Good News of Jesus Christ the Son of God who died for our sins and rose for our justification (being made right with God).
Hearing about Christ, who He is and what He has done for us is the hearing of faith through which the Spirit of God transforms our hearts.
Romans 2:29 (NLT) And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.