Title
HEART ALIGNMENT 心之对齐
Date
10/19/2025
Description
Deuteronomy 30:6: And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
申命记 30:6: 你们的上帝耶和华要洁净你们和你们子孙的心，
好让你们全心全意地爱祂，并且存活。(page 339)
Romans 12:2: Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.
罗马书 12:2: 你们不可追随世界的潮流，要随着思想的不断更新而改变，这样就能明辨上帝的旨意，知道什么是良善、纯全、蒙祂悦纳的。(page 1839)
Ezekiel 36:26: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
以西结书 36:26: 我要赐你们一颗新心，把新的灵放在你们里面。我要除去你们的石心，赐给你们一颗肉心。(page 1408)
Colossians 2:11: In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.
歌罗西书 2:11: 你们也在基督里受了非人手所行的割礼，是基督为除掉你们的罪恶本性而行的割礼。(page 1910)
Matthew 22:37: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
马太福音 22:37: 耶稣回答说：“你要全心、全情、全意爱主——你的上帝" (page 1600)
Romans 2:29: …True circumcision…is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit.
罗马书 2:29: 真割礼是借着圣灵在心里受的割礼，不在于律法条文。这样的人得到的称赞不是从人来的，而是从上帝来的。(page 1824)
申命记 30:6: 你们的上帝耶和华要洁净你们和你们子孙的心，
好让你们全心全意地爱祂，并且存活。(page 339)
Romans 12:2: Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.
罗马书 12:2: 你们不可追随世界的潮流，要随着思想的不断更新而改变，这样就能明辨上帝的旨意，知道什么是良善、纯全、蒙祂悦纳的。(page 1839)
Ezekiel 36:26: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
以西结书 36:26: 我要赐你们一颗新心，把新的灵放在你们里面。我要除去你们的石心，赐给你们一颗肉心。(page 1408)
Colossians 2:11: In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.
歌罗西书 2:11: 你们也在基督里受了非人手所行的割礼，是基督为除掉你们的罪恶本性而行的割礼。(page 1910)
Matthew 22:37: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
马太福音 22:37: 耶稣回答说：“你要全心、全情、全意爱主——你的上帝" (page 1600)
Romans 2:29: …True circumcision…is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit.
罗马书 2:29: 真割礼是借着圣灵在心里受的割礼，不在于律法条文。这样的人得到的称赞不是从人来的，而是从上帝来的。(page 1824)
Creator
Pastor: Mike Koger
Contributor
Hillside United Methodist Church
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
3737 US 80
Phenix City AL 36870
United States
Transcription
Heart Alignment: The Circumcision of the Heart
Deut 30:6
In the 1970s, many of us spent hours waiting for our favorite songs to play on the radio, finger hovering over the 'Record' button on our cassette tape recorders.
One cassette I played for years included that legendary hit song 'Freebird.'
The singer proudly declares, 'This bird you cannot change' and 'Lord, I can't change'—as if un-changeability were a badge of honor.
But what does that declaration really mean? It's essentially surrendering to stagnation, giving up on the possibility of becoming better. It's saying, 'I am someone who chooses to remain the same' rather than 'I am someone who chooses growth.'
We're all on a path that's leading us somewhere.
Have you considered: where are you headed if you continue doing what you're doing now?
?What if deep down, you actually care that you don't currently care? Perhaps a part of you is truly crying out for more from life.
How often do we begin our days with grand plans, only to end up mindlessly scrolling through our phones? It's so much easier to fall into what psychologists now call 'doomscrolling'—the action of continually consuming negative online news or social media content, even though it causes distress. This pattern reflects a deeper spiritual problem. The Bible warns us not to be carnally minded—not to think the way the world thinks. Scripture is clear: 'To be carnally minded is death.'
Jesus commanded in Matthew 22:37, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
He also said, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'
But this kind of love isn't merely a work of our will. It's a profound transformation—a work of the Holy Spirit. Scripture calls it the 'Circumcision of the Heart.'
In the Bible, physical circumcision was commanded by God as an outward sign of His covenant with Abraham and Israel. It symbolized obedience, devotion to God, and commitment to the covenant. It represented the 'cutting away' of sin and the 'filth of the flesh.'
In the New Testament, this physical act is transcended by the 'circumcision of the heart'—a spiritual act performed by the Holy Spirit that signifies an inward cleansing and transformation.
Deut 30:6 tells us: 'And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.'
Charles Spurgeon beautifully explained this passage:
'Here we read of the true circumcision. Note the author of it: "The Lord thy God." He alone can deal effectually with our heart and take away its carnality and pollution. To make us love God with all our heart and soul is a miracle of grace which only the Holy Ghost can work.'
'We must look to the Lord alone for this and never be satisfied with anything short of it. Note where this circumcision is wrought. It is not of the flesh but of the Spirit. It is the essential mark of the covenant of grace. Love to God is the indelible token of the chosen seed; by this secret seal the election of grace is certified to the believer.'
'We must see to it that we trust in no outward ritual but are sealed in heart by the operation of the Holy Ghost. Note what the result is—"that thou mayest live."
To be carnally minded is death. In the overcoming of the flesh, we find ‘life and peace.'
The circumcision – the “cutting away,” not only propels us forward – but it also takes us back – back to our roots – our foundation. A Returning.
2 Cor 5:15 declares: 'He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.'
1 Cor 15:14 reminds us of the foundation of our faith: 'If Christ has not been raised, all of our preaching has been for nothing and your faith is useless.'
John Wesley understood this when he wrote that if Christ is risen, we ought to die to the world and 'live wholly unto God.'
What does it mean to 'live wholly unto God'?
- It signifies a complete shift in purpose, with a life now dedicated to pleasing God. - It means being 'alive to God,' empowered by the Holy Spirit to live righteously.
- It establishes a new identity in Christ, where we're no longer defined by our past but by our new life in Him.
? So how do we measure up?
Do we JUST keep looking at our phones, or do we now strive for the higher calling in Christ Jesus?
Are we those who choose to remain the same, or those who choose growth?
Ezekiel 36:26 promises: 'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.'
This circumcision of the heart is the central idea of the New Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:33 tells us: 'I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.'
The grace of the New Covenant is the grace that changes our hearts.
Romans 12:2 challenges us: 'Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.'
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.”
Proverbs reminds us that as a person 'thinks in his heart, so is he.'
How can we love God with all our heart without this divine circumcision of the heart?
A circumcised heart declares, 'My heart is fixed!'
It says, 'I set my face like a stone to serve the Lord!'
Remember: 'You will never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.'
You have a circumcised heart when what you ought to do and what you want to do are the same.
When your heart is circumcised and you can clearly hear from the Lord, you won't need the approval of others to step out in faith.
Philippians 3:3 reminds us: 'But we are the ones who have the true circumcision—we who worship God through his Spirit. We don't trust in ourselves or anything we can do. We take pride only in Christ Jesus.' Colossians 2:11 affirms: 'In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.'
Do you keep asking God to forgive the same sins over and over?
That’s because you need to experience true cleansing.
Your heart needs to be circumcised. And that’s a job for the Holy Spirit.
Romans 2:29: “True circumcision…is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit”
“ …a change of heart produced by the Spirit”
? How can this transformation happen for us?
….through a simple act of faith and obedience.
If we believe it is the Holy Spirit that must do this work in us, then we must simply take that first step of faith.
I urge you: Take it today—without delay.
"Circumcise my heart, O Lord, to love You
with all my heart and with all my soul.
Let my heart be aligned with You.”
James1:12: If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God!
Deut 30:6
In the 1970s, many of us spent hours waiting for our favorite songs to play on the radio, finger hovering over the 'Record' button on our cassette tape recorders.
One cassette I played for years included that legendary hit song 'Freebird.'
The singer proudly declares, 'This bird you cannot change' and 'Lord, I can't change'—as if un-changeability were a badge of honor.
But what does that declaration really mean? It's essentially surrendering to stagnation, giving up on the possibility of becoming better. It's saying, 'I am someone who chooses to remain the same' rather than 'I am someone who chooses growth.'
We're all on a path that's leading us somewhere.
Have you considered: where are you headed if you continue doing what you're doing now?
?What if deep down, you actually care that you don't currently care? Perhaps a part of you is truly crying out for more from life.
How often do we begin our days with grand plans, only to end up mindlessly scrolling through our phones? It's so much easier to fall into what psychologists now call 'doomscrolling'—the action of continually consuming negative online news or social media content, even though it causes distress. This pattern reflects a deeper spiritual problem. The Bible warns us not to be carnally minded—not to think the way the world thinks. Scripture is clear: 'To be carnally minded is death.'
Jesus commanded in Matthew 22:37, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
He also said, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'
But this kind of love isn't merely a work of our will. It's a profound transformation—a work of the Holy Spirit. Scripture calls it the 'Circumcision of the Heart.'
In the Bible, physical circumcision was commanded by God as an outward sign of His covenant with Abraham and Israel. It symbolized obedience, devotion to God, and commitment to the covenant. It represented the 'cutting away' of sin and the 'filth of the flesh.'
In the New Testament, this physical act is transcended by the 'circumcision of the heart'—a spiritual act performed by the Holy Spirit that signifies an inward cleansing and transformation.
Deut 30:6 tells us: 'And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.'
Charles Spurgeon beautifully explained this passage:
'Here we read of the true circumcision. Note the author of it: "The Lord thy God." He alone can deal effectually with our heart and take away its carnality and pollution. To make us love God with all our heart and soul is a miracle of grace which only the Holy Ghost can work.'
'We must look to the Lord alone for this and never be satisfied with anything short of it. Note where this circumcision is wrought. It is not of the flesh but of the Spirit. It is the essential mark of the covenant of grace. Love to God is the indelible token of the chosen seed; by this secret seal the election of grace is certified to the believer.'
'We must see to it that we trust in no outward ritual but are sealed in heart by the operation of the Holy Ghost. Note what the result is—"that thou mayest live."
To be carnally minded is death. In the overcoming of the flesh, we find ‘life and peace.'
The circumcision – the “cutting away,” not only propels us forward – but it also takes us back – back to our roots – our foundation. A Returning.
2 Cor 5:15 declares: 'He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.'
1 Cor 15:14 reminds us of the foundation of our faith: 'If Christ has not been raised, all of our preaching has been for nothing and your faith is useless.'
John Wesley understood this when he wrote that if Christ is risen, we ought to die to the world and 'live wholly unto God.'
What does it mean to 'live wholly unto God'?
- It signifies a complete shift in purpose, with a life now dedicated to pleasing God. - It means being 'alive to God,' empowered by the Holy Spirit to live righteously.
- It establishes a new identity in Christ, where we're no longer defined by our past but by our new life in Him.
? So how do we measure up?
Do we JUST keep looking at our phones, or do we now strive for the higher calling in Christ Jesus?
Are we those who choose to remain the same, or those who choose growth?
Ezekiel 36:26 promises: 'I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.'
This circumcision of the heart is the central idea of the New Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:33 tells us: 'I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.'
The grace of the New Covenant is the grace that changes our hearts.
Romans 12:2 challenges us: 'Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it.'
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.”
Proverbs reminds us that as a person 'thinks in his heart, so is he.'
How can we love God with all our heart without this divine circumcision of the heart?
A circumcised heart declares, 'My heart is fixed!'
It says, 'I set my face like a stone to serve the Lord!'
Remember: 'You will never leave footprints that last if you are always walking on tiptoe.'
You have a circumcised heart when what you ought to do and what you want to do are the same.
When your heart is circumcised and you can clearly hear from the Lord, you won't need the approval of others to step out in faith.
Philippians 3:3 reminds us: 'But we are the ones who have the true circumcision—we who worship God through his Spirit. We don't trust in ourselves or anything we can do. We take pride only in Christ Jesus.' Colossians 2:11 affirms: 'In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.'
Do you keep asking God to forgive the same sins over and over?
That’s because you need to experience true cleansing.
Your heart needs to be circumcised. And that’s a job for the Holy Spirit.
Romans 2:29: “True circumcision…is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit”
“ …a change of heart produced by the Spirit”
? How can this transformation happen for us?
….through a simple act of faith and obedience.
If we believe it is the Holy Spirit that must do this work in us, then we must simply take that first step of faith.
I urge you: Take it today—without delay.
"Circumcise my heart, O Lord, to love You
with all my heart and with all my soul.
Let my heart be aligned with You.”
James1:12: If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God!