Both Circumcision and Baptism are outward SIGNS of inward heart change.

Outward signs of a heart totally submitted in obedience to God

God looks at the heart…

Is your heart totally submitted to God?

1Sa 16:7 (ESV)

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

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Act 7:8 (ESV) And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision…

As Christians, God has given us the institution of baptism as an outward SIGN of our internal heart change.

Is your heart totally submitted to God?

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Act 7:9 (ESV) “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him

Act 7:10 (ESV) and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

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Rom 4:7-13 (ESV)

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

9 Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.

10 How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

11 He received the SIGN of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well,

12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.

Abraham was fully submitted to God, trusting him completely… That is faith!

Is your heart totally submitted to God?

Act 2:38 (ESV)

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Ethiopian eunuch…

Act 8:36 (ESV)

36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”