11 And he (Abraham) received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. 13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

We have many people in our churches who do not come from baptistic traditions. Some come from the traditions that practice infant baptism that compare the circumcision of the Old Testament to baptism of the New Testament. They point to vs. 11 as support for the doctrine to baptize children. Circumcision was appointed by God for the male infants of all Jewish people. Some will argue, if circumcision is a sign of faith and righteousness and still being given to all the male children of the Israelites who don't yet have faith for themselves, then we also should baptize our children even though they do not have faith yet.

There are differences between the New Covenant people called the Church and the Old Covenant people called Israel. Romans 9:6–8 teaches “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants.." What's relevant in this text for our purpose is that there were two "Israels": a physical Israel and a spiritual Israel. Verse 6b:"They are not all Israel is referring true spiritual Israel, even though they maybe descended from Israel physically. God ordained that the larger, physical, religious, national people of Israel be known as his covenant people and receive the sign of the covenant and the outward blessings of the covenant—such as the promised land. They were all physical Israelites who were circumcised. Yet within that national, ethnic group there was a remnant of the true Israel, the true children of God (verse 8). This is the way God designed it to be: He bound Himself by a covenant to an ethnic people and their descendants. He gave them circumcision, as a sign of the covenant, but He also worked within the Jews to call out a true people of faith.

The Church is not to be a mixed heritage like Abraham's seed. The Church is not to be like Israel. The Church is comprised of believing saints. The church is not based on any ethnic or national distinctives, but on faith alone.  It began by God’s grace alone in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church made up of Jews and Gentiles is now referred to as the spiritual people of God. That is why we practice believer’s baptism. Faith in Jesus Christ is a prerequisite. There is no faith in an infant. The faith of another doesn’t affect the personal commitment of each person. (We can talk about the age of accountability at another time. We teach all babies and young children go to heaven by God’s grace.)

Baptism by water is a sign of that faith. It points to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Circumcision was a sign and a seal for Israel. A seal is something that is usually placed on a document and tells everyone who looks at it that it is the real deal. Circumcision was meant to serve as a reminder to the Jew that he was supposed to walk in humble submission with the Lord. It was to be an outward symbol of an inward relationship, but it only had value if it was accompanied by a heart commitment walking in surrender and obedience to the Lord. Our church activities also only have value for us when our hearts are already right with God through salvation by faith.

In reality Abraham failed God. He was merely a frail human just like the rest of us. Yet he received the promise from the Lord. It was not based on his goodness, but it was based entirely on the goodness of the Lord and his believing in Him. This is the basic problem faced by people who teach that one can lose their salvation. How do you lose it? Is it because of one sin? Is it ten sins? Do you have to totally renounce Jesus as Savior? Where do you draw the line?

In my opinion, people who believe that they are responsible for maintaining their salvation are the same as these people to which Paul was writing. They feel that their salvation hinges on their being able to keep a certain set of rules and regulations. It is my opinion that people who really believe they must keep themselves saved are trusting their works and not Jesus alone. Our hearts seek to honor the Lord or there is something wrong with our hearts.

The point is, salvation is offered for all people from every walk of life, in any situation and circumstance. Trusting Jesus Christ to save you extends to all people of all races, nationalities, and educational strata. That is great news and a cause for joy.

Application:  Do you have this assurance of salvation?

Prayer: O God, my Father, thank you for the gift of salvation.  "I will never know how much it cost to see Your Son upon that cross."

Dale