In Ephesians chapter 1, Paul argues that we were saved by Grace. As we have been discussing, He means that God has not only saved the Ephesians, but the salvation will continue into the future. He illustrates this fact through the inheritance metaphor.
In summary
- God promised an inheritance.
- God gave the Spirit as the arrabōn.
- Therefore, God has obligated Himself to complete what He began.
- The Spirit is the living proof that the promise is already in motion.
Since our salvation is guaranteed by God through a legally binding agreement, there is nothing that can stop us from being granted our full inheritance: our glorification.
Our will is not taken away, it is transformed.
Moses uses the phrase
“circumcision of the heart” to describe an inner work of God that removes stubbornness and opens a person to love and obey Him. In Deuteronomy, he contrasts an
uncircumcised heart with a
stiff neck—a biblical image for pride, resistance, and refusal to yield to God’s instruction. Removing the “foreskin” of the heart means cutting away that hardness so the heart becomes responsive, humble, and willing to follow God’s ways. Moses also compares an uncircumcised heart to
unplowed, fallow soil—ground too hard for seed to take root—so heart‑circumcision is God’s call to break up that hardness so His word can be planted and bear fruit.
How Moses frames the idea
Moses speaks of heart‑circumcision in two complementary ways:
- A command: “Circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer” (Deut. 10:16). This calls Israel to repent of stubbornness and yield to God.
- A promise: “The LORD your God will circumcise your heart… so that you will love the LORD your God” (Deut. 30:6). This reveals that only God can perform the deep inner change required for true obedience.
Moses’ metaphor becomes the foundation for later prophets and for Paul:
- Jeremiah echoes it by urging Israel to break up their hard soil and remove the “foreskin” of their hearts.
- Paul picks it up to explain that true belonging to God is marked by the Spirit’s work in the heart, not merely external rituals.
Jesus parable of the sower reminds us of Jeremiah's point, except that instead of Israel tilling their own soil, God tills the soil for them.
Moses’ call for
circumcision of the heart and Jesus’
parable of the sower are two sides of the same truth: God must deal with the
inner condition of the human heart for His word to take root and bear fruit.
The Point is, we will want to continue to be saved because God has circumcised our hearts.
What do you mean by input? what form would input take?
The proof of our faith is like purified gold.