Romans 2:26-29
Notes
Transcript
If you will recall last week
I told you that I would almost leave you with a cliff hanger
And I sort of did
vs 25 from last soft of ended last week
And in a sense starts this week
Not only does it bring up circumcision but its starts the reader or hearer down the road once again of the argument
25 For indeed circumcision is of value if you practice the Law; but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Paul is bringing to light the difference between those who simply teach or preach the law
Remember the Jew was boasting in the law
But through this argument from Paul we know that the law is not the saving power
People are not saved through the law
Paul explains that those who are circumcised is only value if you practice the law
And their focus is the law
And if you will recall from last week those who practices the law also break the law and transgress The Lord
And if you transgress The Lord you are no different than those who are physically uncircumcised
You are not a people of God then
Remember Paul is talking to Jews and so he is going to use what they know and show them once again that the law is not the main thing
So then after he showed them that their own circumcision has not become uncircumcision
He starts in on
If an uncircumcised man follows the law won’t or shouldn’t his uncircumcision become circumcision
It just makes sense right
This person is not just checking the boxes of all the law but in their heart is truly following the law and running after Jesus
So what about that person
Paul has already explained that part but here he wants to reiterate it
It is not about the outward show but rather what has happened on the inside of your heart
13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them,
Remember this from a few weeks ago
It is not about checking the boxes and making a show of your faith in Christ but rather do you really have faith in Christ on the inside of your heart
Paul is making the focus the heart rather than the outward show
From the book Exalting Jesus in the Book of Romans
“If you have the outward signs without the inward obedience, the outward signs are meaningless”
Following the law without knowing Christ is pointless
Its as if they are playing Christian
Paul is and has been saying that Jews it is pointless for you to be following the law
Because we have Christ
Remember without Christ we had the law
But
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
I know it is early to get to Romans 5 but how fitting it is to show that we have Christ
And church because of Christ it is no longer about looking the part but rather being the part
If you are the part on the inside it will show itself through
And if you are not the part it will show itself through
Because of Christ it is no longer about playing Christian
See I would like the Jews in Roman there are some of us here that have played Christian so well that people think we have it going on
Think we have everything going on and going good
And that we are rockstars walking with Christ when if we are honest we are not walking with Christ
We have been playing Christian
Paul continues with the argument to the Jews
27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?
Circumcision to a Jew meant salvation
It meant that someone was write with God
For a person who was uncircumcised to be a judge over them would have been totally and completely wrong
Here Paul gives the final blow to the faith and trust the Jews had in being Jews in the outward sense
That the uncircumcised or the gentiles were keeping the law
Because the law was written on their hearts
The Gentiles were circumcised on their hearts not their physical bodies
And as we have just been describing
It doesn’t matter that you know all about Jesus but rather do you KNOW Jesus
Have you spent time praying with Him
Have you repented of your sins which have caused separation between you and God
Have you trusted that God is who He says He is and did and will do what he says He will do
Do you walk with Jesus
And church no were in scripture does it say it will all go smooth
Sometimes it is difficult and sometimes you fall down
And sometimes you dont know what you are doing other than to cry out to God in prayer
No where is Scripture does it say that if you are a Christian you have it all together and everything is peachy king
In Fact it says the opposite
To have Faith in God is to not have all the answers because a God that you can understand is a God not worth worshipping
It also says in scripture that the world will hate you because you are a Christian
And church Paul ends with this
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
To be circumcised was part of the covenant with God and Abraham
It was done in their flesh to remind them of the covenant with God
That if you would would walk with God and be blameless
That God would bless Abraham with to many descendants to count
That as long as they walked with God He would bless them
Church being circumcised does not make you a child of God
Rather it is a heart after God
It is not someone who follows the letter of the law but rather who has faith in Christ
It is not about making a big production for man to see how much faith in Christ
But rather what does God think about your life
Church do you understand it is not about a list of rules to follow or not follow
It is not about making a public show of your faith so people know
But rather it is about having a heart after Christ
walking with Christ in your everyday life
It is about walking with God not just in your physical life
Not faking it or playing Christian
But where is your heart
Do you have a heart after Christ
Do you know that Jesus has a heart for the nations
Do you have a heart for the lost people
That Jesus loved the lost people so much that he died for them
Do you love the lost people so much that you are willing to share with them the greatest news on the face of the earth
That Jesus died for their sin
That Jesus loves them and desires a relationship with them
That it is not about playing Christian and living a perfect life but rather allowing Jesus into your heart and being obedient to Him
CLOSING
Church as we move to our time of invitation and response this morning
Maybe you are here and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus
Maybe this morning God is calling you to a relationship would you respond this morning
Maybe you have a relationship with Christ and you simply need to spend sometime in prayer this morning
The altar is open