Wednesday | 30 September 2026

Circumcision and chastening

Our fundamental human infirmity is that we think that we understand our motives. However, we cannot see the carnal motivations that reside in our heart until they are revealed to us by the illumination and conviction of the Holy Spirit.

When the word of present truth is proclaimed to us, it is the illumination and conviction of the Holy Spirit that enables us to turn to see Christ eye to eye. We recall that Peter met Christ eye to eye in the court of Caiaphas after He had been bruised for our iniquity. When Peter met Christ in this way, he was delivered from his religious zealotry. He began to mourn with godly sorrow that leads to repentance. This produced a new kind of zeal in his life as a disciple of Christ, which was the fruit of his repentance.

Our carnal motivations continue to be circumcised from our heart in the fellowship of Christ’s seven wounding events for the duration of our earthly pilgrimage. The way of the cross is called ‘the circumcision of Christ’. Col 2:11.

In addition to the circumcision of Christ, we also have a participation in the chastening of Christ. In contrast to the circumcision of Christ, which is focused on the removal of the flesh, the chastening of Christ is focused on the new creation. The Father’s chastening in our lives is focused on our maturity and sanctification as sons of God.

In his letter to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul compared the chastening of a human father toward their son and the chastening of God the Father toward His sons. He said, ‘Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they [human fathers] indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit [as sons of God], that we may be partakers of His holiness.’ Heb 12:9‑10.