用割礼所坚立的约
为了使神加到我们里面，并使我们成为宽广，我们需要受割礼，在创世记十五章神与亚伯拉罕立的约，在创世记十七章用割礼得了坚立。对神来说，祂无须再次坚立这约，因为祂已经坚立过一次；但从亚伯拉罕这面来说，这约必须得坚立。神对祂的约是忠信的，亚伯拉罕却不然，因为他曾用天然的力量生出以实玛利。既然难处的原因，是亚伯拉罕用他天然的能力与夏甲生出以实玛利，神就要亚伯拉罕受割礼，藉以坚立祂的约（创十七9～11，13）。
在新约里，我们可以看到割礼的意义。割礼的属灵意义就是脱去肉体，脱去己和旧人。歌罗西二章十一至十二节说，“你们在祂里面也受了非人手所行的割礼，乃是在基督的割礼里，脱去了肉体的身体，在受浸中与祂一同埋葬，也在受浸中，藉着那叫祂从死人中复活之神所运行的信心，与祂一同复活。”割礼是脱去肉体，就是旧人的事，不是对付罪的事。严格说来，割礼与对付罪无关；割礼乃是与基督一同钉十字架，并一同埋葬。割礼的意思就是了结你的己，了结你的肉体。在创世记十六章亚伯拉罕用他的肉礼，但在创世记十七章这里，神要他割去肉体。在创世记十六章他用天然的力量，但在创世记十七章他的力量必须被了结。这就是受割礼。
今天的问题也是一样。只要我们天然的力量还在，神就很难进来作我们的一切，来达成祂的目的。神要进到我们里面作我们的一切，但我们的肉体、我们天然的人和力量、我们的旧人、我们老旧的己，阻挠神来作我们的一切。这个己，这个旧人，必须被了结，必须受割礼，也就是必须钉十字架。我要告诉你们好消息，我们的旧人已经钉了十字架（罗六6）。对亚伯拉罕来说，旧人要钉十字架；但对我们来说，旧人已经钉了十字架。我们都必须看见这事实，算定这事实，并且凭信接受这事实。我们能凭信宣告，我们的肉体，我们天然的人及其力量，已经钉了十字架。“我已经与基督同钉十字架；现在活着的，不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着。”（加二20）。旧人，己，已经钉了十字架，我们都需要凭这认识活着。我们若宣告这事实，并照着这事实生活，复活的神就立刻有路进到我们里面，作我们的一切，以完成祂的经纶。
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Confirming the Divine Covenant with Circumcision (5) – Gen. 17:10-11
The Covenant Confirmed by Circumcision
In order for God to be added into us and for us to become broad, we need to receive circumcision. The covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis chapter fifteen was confirmed by circumcision in Genesis chapter seventeen. On God’s side, He did not need to confirm the covenant again because He had already established it once; but on Abraham’s side, the covenant had to be confirmed. God was faithful to His covenant, but Abraham was not, because he had used natural strength to produce Ishmael. Since the cause of the difficulty was Abraham using his natural ability with Hagar to produce Ishmael, God wanted Abraham to be circumcised to confirm His covenant (Gen. 17:9-11, 13).
In the New Testament, we can see the significance of circumcision. The spiritual significance of circumcision is the putting off of the flesh, the putting off of the self and the old man. Colossians 2:11-12 says, “In whom also you were circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; buried together with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Circumcision is the putting off of the flesh, which is the matter of the old man, not the dealing with sin. Strictly speaking, circumcision has nothing to do with dealing with sin; circumcision is being crucified with Christ and buried with Him. The meaning of circumcision is the termination of your self, the termination of your flesh. In Genesis chapter sixteen Abraham used his flesh, but here in Genesis chapter seventeen God wanted him to cut off the flesh. In Genesis chapter sixteen he used natural strength, but in Genesis chapter seventeen his strength had to be terminated. This is receiving circumcision.
The problem today is the same. As long as our natural strength remains, it is very difficult for God to come in to be our everything to accomplish His purpose. God wants to enter into us to be our everything, but our flesh, our natural man and strength, our old man, and our old self hinder God from being our everything. This self, this old man, must be terminated; it must receive circumcision, which means it must be crucified. I want to tell you good news: our old man has been crucified (Rom. 6:6). For Abraham, the old man had to be crucified; but for us, the old man has already been crucified. We all must see this fact, reckon on this fact, and accept this fact by faith. We can declare by faith that our flesh, our natural man and its strength, have been crucified. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). The old man, the self, has been crucified; we all need to live by this realization. If we declare this fact and live according to this fact, the resurrected God will immediately have a way to enter into us and be our everything to complete His economy.