The circumcision

With reference to Philippians 3:3—"We," says Paul to the saints, "are the circumcision, who worship God in spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3). The Saints, then, are "the Circumcision" in the true spiritual import of the institution, and not the rejectors of Jesus, or those who are too ignorant from whatever cause, to get into him. But, in the primitive institution, there is a putting off of flesh -- a bloody cutting off, which makes it a covenant, or !hebrew! berith. When, therefore, true believers, -- that is, believers of the truth, are circumcised, there must be in their case "a putting off of the flesh." This is actually so, as expounded in the words of Paul, who says, "In Christ ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off THE BODY OF THE SINS of the flesh by the circumcision of the Christ." That is, when Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day according to the law, the flesh cut off from his person was representative of the flesh and its lusts which were to be put off by all who should be constituted the righteousness of God in him -- who should put off their sins; and afterwards, put off their flesh, as he had done in its transformation into Holy Spirit Nature. All the sins of a man, previous to his putting on Christ, in their totality, are styled "a body;" and as they result from the uncontrolled operation of the inherent lusts of the flesh, the embodiment is styled, "the body of the sins of the flesh" -- "the old sins," "the Old Man, which is corrupt, according to the deceitful lusts;" "the Old Man with his deeds" (Col 3:9; Eph. 4:22).