Romans 2:25-29

You guys be seated. We are continuing through our study of Romans, Romans chapter 2, if you want to turn there.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

! And as you are doing it, take a little survey real quick. By show of hands, how many of you have seen the TV show Matlock? Anybody?

I just divided the room by age. Matlock, an attorney from Atlanta, Georgia, wore the gray suit every day, or the same gray suit.

And almost in every episode, in dramatic fashion, he would make a closing statement that was far superior to the other attorneys.

In Romans chapter 2, Paul has been making a case against the religious, moralistic Jewish people.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

You know, those that look down on the Gentiles that Paul listed in Romans chapter 1.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

So he's making this argument, making this case, and we come to verse 25 through verse 29.

And this is Paul's closing argument for the case that he's making against the religious leaders.

So Paul, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, leaves no room for any religious, moralistic person to boast.

He has removed what they trusted in.

And what they found their security in, which was their heritage, them being Jewish, their bloodline, being God's chosen people.

And based on Romans chapter 2, they can also no longer trust in their actions.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

In fact, Paul called them hypocrites.

They can no longer trust in being better than others, because Paul is making a case that,

though you may not be Gentiles like Romans chapter 1, you still are just as guilty.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

They can't trust in their security of knowing and having knowledge of the law.

And this morning, Paul attacks their religious activities or ceremony mainly by discussing circumcision.

So let's read verses 25 through 29.

I'll pray and we'll kind of jump right in.

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law.

But if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

So if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law.

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical.

But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.

His praise is not from man, but from God.

Let's pray together.

Father, I ask now that you would speak to us this morning.

The words that are spoken would be your words.

The words that I have written down on a piece of paper would be your words this morning.

That if there's something on there that is false, that you would allow me to pass over those words.

God, if something false comes out of my mouth, God, I pray that we would forget those words.

Pray that you are honored and pleased by what is spoken this morning.

But more importantly, you're honored and pleased by what you do in the hearts of the people here and what we do in response to what we have heard from you.

God, we love you.

We thank you for Jesus.

And it's in his name we pray.

Amen.

So what I thought I'd do first is, since circumcision is a word that we don't really throw around very much,

unless you've had a child or a boy, you probably haven't heard that word in quite a while.

I thought I would kind of explain, not in detail what it is, but why it's here, why it's in the Bible, what was the point of it,

and then kind of dig into the text.

So, Genesis chapter 17, if you guys want to turn there.

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

Genesis 17, God has just finished reminding Abraham of the new covenant that he made with Abraham.

That he changes his name from Abram to Abraham.

And he says, you're going to be father to many, many generations.

I'm going to bless you through your bloodline.

So, Genesis chapter 17, starting in verse 9, we have circumcision for the first time.

Genesis 17 · chapter mention

And God said to Abraham, as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring, after you throughout their generations.

This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your offspring after you.

Every male among you shall be circumcised.

You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

Circumcision was a ceremony meant to remind the people of the covenant made between God and Abraham.

It was a reminder of the promise that God made to bless generation after generation.

That Abraham would be the father to many.

It was also a way that God was setting apart the people of Israel.

It was a way that even the Jewish people knew that they were Jewish.

And they setting them apart from the rest of the people in the area and of the world.

It also was symbolic of the uncleanness that needed to be removed.

To communicate in picture form their need to rid themselves of sin.

By it being the very organ that passed the sin from generation to generation.

Circumcision was a reminder of the covenant that had been made and the covenant to come.

A Savior would come and cleanse them from all their unrighteousness.

Now that of course is what it started out to be.

That's what God's intention was.

But men corrupted it into just a religious activity that separated people from one another.

Not in a set apart holiness way, but in a superiority I'm better than they are way.

We are God's chosen people.

This act proves it.

That we are God's chosen.

And eventually because of their sin.

Man's sin.

What God intended to remind them of him.

Had been watered down.

And only reminded them of themselves.

And how special they thought they were.

So why is all this important?

Because unless you've had a child.

Circumcision doesn't happen in our churches.

For sure.

Because circumcision to the Jewish people.

Is baptism to the Baptists.

Is name another religious activity to another religious group.

It is important because though we don't have ceremonies of circumcision.

We in this room have ceremonies of baptism.

Both are an outward expression of what God has done on the inside.

Or at least that's what God intended them to be.

And that is where Paul is leading us in the text this morning.

There are three points this morning.

The first being that circumcision or any religious activity in Christianity is valuable and is worthless.

It is valuable and it is worthless.

The second being that circumcision is not just for the Jews.

And the third, circumcision is a matter of the heart.

Now I'm sorry I didn't get very creative with these three points.

There's no wordsmithing.

It's straight from the text.

So let's go.

First point.

Circumcision or any religious activity in Christianity or Christendom is valuable and worthless.

Verse 25 says,

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law.

But if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

The value in being circumcised only occurs when the law is obeyed.

It is the only thing that justifies the religious act.

That's what Paul is saying.

A religious act though is just that.

It's just an act unless God has already changed the heart by which one can obey the law.

That's the only way a religious act is important.

This verse will be considered blasphemous to the Jewish people of Paul's time.

Because not only has Paul questioned the value of this religious activity of circumcision.

He has also said that it has no worth.

It's worthless.

Like the Gentiles who they thought were worthless dogs.

If they cannot obey the law.

So what religious life they have made with self-effort and self-determination is now being destroyed by Paul's letter.

And for us, by the word of God.

But this shouldn't surprise us at all.

Especially up to this point in Romans.

Paul has destroyed any ability for a religious person to trust in any of their action.

He's destroyed any ability to trust in our own action that is not around Christ.

That is not founded in the act and action of God through Christ.

See, this is what the gospel does.

It tears apart and destroys any ability of yours or mine to boast in.

It destroys any ability for you or my own righteousness to make a difference.

Because the gospel is completely 100% dependent on the work of Christ.

So what Paul is saying here to us is that our religious activities, our baptism, our singing the songs, if you keep the law, are good.

But if you don't, it is worthless.

In other words, it is worthless unless it is a direct result of Jesus Christ in your life by which we obey the law.

See, the gospel leaves no room for you and I to boast.

None.

It is a very one-sided action.

We respond to the gospel, but after God has revealed himself to us.

We can't even boast in our own religious activities.

That's the point of Romans chapter 2.

Romans 2 · chapter mention

We cannot boast in anything we do except in Christ.

And it is Christ who allows us or Christ in us that allows us to obey the law and only that.

So circumcision or any religious activity is valuable and worthless.

But not only that, in verse 26 and 27, circumcision is not just for the Jews.

Now, we're just progressing through the text here, so when we get to the conclusion of verse 29, you'll see that Paul kind of flips everything upside down.

Verse 26 and 27, circumcision is not just for the Jews.

Now, originally, circumcision was one of the ways that God set apart the people of Israel.

Okay?

But now Paul is saying to all of us that circumcision is no longer just for the Jews.

So being set apart is not just for the Jews now.

Verse 26.

So if a man who is uncircumcised, meaning a Gentile, keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

Then he who is physically uncircumcised, but keeps the law, will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision, but break the law.

Becoming a Christian, becoming set apart, has nothing to do with who you are.

It has nothing to do with what you have done.

And this is what Paul is telling the Jewish religious leaders.

It doesn't matter what you've done.

It doesn't matter who you are anymore.

A Muslim can be converted.

A Buddhist can be converted.

A Catholic can be converted.

A Hindu can be converted.

A church-going American can be converted.

It has nothing to do with us.

And becoming a Christian is all about Jesus Christ and His call on a life.

Paul again shakes up the religious Jewish people because they thought that they were the elect.

They thought that they were God's chosen people.

Now, for the time they were, but they were representing the spiritual church.

They were representing God and Christ's church.

They thought being members of this elite club was an eternal membership.

They thought that they were part of this elite club in town.

And like any club, they had control of who was going to be the members and who was not.

They thought that they were going to be able to send out the invitations and invite who they wanted to.

But that's not the case.

Jesus Christ is the gatekeeper.

He is the one that invites.

He is the one who sends out those invitations.

Last week in Philippians chapter 3, we talked about Paul's resume.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

Turn to Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

We're going to stand a couple minutes there and then come back to Romans.

Philippians chapter 3.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

We're reading verse 7 and kind of go back a couple of verses and then move forward again.

Starting in verse 7, Paul says, same author, same guy.

It says, but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord.

So we're not sidetracking here.

We're not chasing rabbits.

This has to do with our sermon this morning.

What gain did Paul have?

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss.

Well, that gain is his resume in verses 5 and 6.

It says, circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a heaver of Hebrews, as to the law of Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

So all of that, Paul says, it was gain.

But I count all of that as loss.

And why is all that gain?

Why does he count all that as gain?

Because being God's chosen has its benefits.

Like being schooled in the law.

They were taught God's word.

They had knowledge of the law.

That was to point to Christ.

They were beneficiaries of God's favor up to this point.

But now because of Christ,

Paul can write in Romans chapter 2,

Romans 2 · chapter mention

in verse 27,

then he who is physically uncircumcised,

the Gentiles,

but keeps the law,

will condemn you who have the written code.

They will condemn

the Jewish religious people.

Because the Jewish people

had all the advantage.

They had everything set before them.

God clearly

moved among them.

And still they have stubborn hearts.

And still they refuse to believe

in Christ.

That's gain.

Those things are gain that Paul lists.

But he has to lose them all

and says,

I counted all as loss

for the sake of Christ.

Because Christ is much better.

He counts all of that as loss.

And not in a way like,

I wish I could have that,

but I will sacrifice.

It's not in that at all.

But in a willingness

because something is far better.

Now it's an odd comparison

because it's not like comparing

garbage to filet steak.

Though that's an easy decision.

Because the stuff that Paul lists

in 5 and 6,

his heritage,

his teaching,

his zeal,

those were good things at the time.

They had value.

What makes it odd

is that what did have value

no longer has value.

It's flipped.

So what was filet

is now garbage

compared to Christ.

In fact,

everything compared to Christ

is far worse than garbage.

It is worthless.

And compared to Christ,

our best is nothing.

And he says in Philippians,

the surpassing worth

of knowing Christ Jesus,

my Lord.

The surpassing worth.

Paul says the worth

of knowing Jesus

is far greater

than anything else.

Look at that.

It isn't just a knowledge either.

He says,

surpassing worth

of knowing Christ Jesus,

my Lord.

It is a personal relationship.

It is having that intimacy

that has surpassing worth.

Not our religious activities.

Not our baptism.

Not circumcision.

Not the songs we sing.

Not the books we read

or the five points we master.

It's none of that.

Knowing and having a relationship

with Christ

is far better.

Surpassing worth

of knowing Christ Jesus.

is an intimate,

real,

pure,

convicting

knowledge

of Christ.

So let's read further

in Philippians chapter 3

Philippians 3:8

verses 8 and 9.

Indeed,

I count everything

as lost

because of the surpassing worth

of knowing Christ Jesus,

my Lord.

For His sake,

I have suffered

the loss of all things

and count them

as rubbish

in order that I may

gain Christ

and be found in Him,

not having a righteousness

of my own

that comes from the law.

But that which comes

through faith in Christ,

the righteousness

from God

that depends

on faith.

He isn't just

losing something.

It is losing something

that he saw

was damaging to him.

That Paul saw

as a detriment to him.

Paul saw

that his religion,

his self-righteousness,

in verse 9 he says,

righteousness of my own

that came from the law.

Religious activity

was damaging

or damaging to him.

And it's damaging

to you and to me.

Our self-righteousness

damages us.

It is what we must lose.

We must put aside.

And this is the point

that Paul is trying

to get at here

saying circumcision

is worthless

unless you obey the law.

And you can't obey

the law without Christ.

So your religious activity

is worthless

to the Jewish people.

We must break

from our moralistic view

and gain a kingdom view.

We must break

from our religious traditions

and practice holiness.

We must break

from our religious apathy

and pursue Christ

no matter where

that takes us.

Knowing Christ

is far better

than anything else.

Far better.

And because Christ

is far better

and received

only by faith

not by works

Paul can say

in Romans chapter 2

Romans 2 · chapter mention

that circumcision

is for all people

as long as it is

a result of Christ

and not

a religious activity.

The pursuit

of the law

through religious activities

gets us nowhere.

And it is

why religion

is damaging

to our souls.

Religion leads

to death

and Jesus

is life.

So we've built up

to this point

verse 28 and 29.

And the third

final point

circumcision

is a matter

of the heart.

It says

verse 28

For no one

is a Jew

who is merely

one outwardly

nor is circumcision

outward and physical.

In other words

what makes a person

a Jew

is not what they wear.

It's not what they practice

or what they do.

It is who they are.

They're born into it.

It's a blood

thing.

And likewise

circumcision

is much more

than just a physical act.

It is more.

It isn't

this religious activity

or religious practice.

In verse 29

Paul clearly

communicates this.

It says

but a Jew

is one inwardly

and circumcision

is a matter

of the heart

by the spirit

not by the letter.

His praise

is not from man

but from God.

See Paul

if Paul

hasn't already

rocked

the religious

leaders

his closing

statements

do.

If they weren't

mad already

they're mad now.

For Paul

now says

that circumcision

is no longer

a religious action

but a God action.

It's no longer

something you do

it's what I do

is what God

is saying.

It is no longer

something that

we can do.

Now

hear me

we can do it.

We can baptize.

We can

sing the songs.

We can read

our Bibles

but without

being born again

without becoming

a Christian

it still leads

to eternity

without God.

And the religious

leaders were

banking on

their action

leading to

salvation.

Their action

being what

saved them

is only

what God

can do.

If circumcision

represented

the old

the dirty

the fleshy

filthy

being removed

to show

a membership

in God's

family

then what

more is

circumcision

of the heart?

Circumcision

of the heart

is God

removing

the old

filthy

sinful

flesh

from our

bodies

and giving

us

a new

heart.

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 11:19

11

verse 19

and 20

I'm going to

read it

but pay

attention

to these

pronouns.

Ezekiel

11

19

and 20

this is

God

speaking

and I

will give

them one

heart

and a

new

spirit

I

will

put

within

them

I

will

remove

the

heart

of

stone

from

their

flesh

and

give

them

a

heart

of

flesh

that

they

may

walk

in

my

statutes

and

keep

my

rules

and

obey

them

and

they

shall

be

my

people

and

I

will

be

their

God

that's

good

news

that is

God

speaking

God

acting

the

heart

of

stone

the

dead

heart

without

life

is

removed

by

God

and

in

its

place

is

the

heart

of

flesh

a

new

heart

where

we

may

walk

in

his

way

obey

his

laws

and

glorify

him

if

what

Paul

is

saying

is

circumcision

is

a

heart

things

if

circumcision

is

a

matter

of

the

heart

done

only

by

God

then

I

would

argue

that

obeying

him

is

also

a

matter

of

heart

both

require

a

supernatural

action

on our

lives

both

require

God

to

work

and

both

are

done

through

Jesus

Christ

the

religious

leaders

the

Jews

they

followed

the

law

the

law

was

their

confidence

that's

where

they

put

their

confidence

in

it

was

what

they

thought

that

would

lead

to

salvation

through

when

the

Messiah

came

the

Messiah

would

come

and

reward

the

greatest

of

servants

if I

can

just

follow

these

rules

and so

they

followed

the

letter

of

the

law

they

followed

it

Paul

says

righteous

following

the

law

in

Philippians

3

they

lived

within

the

guidelines

that

was

set

up

so

they

could

follow

and

obey

but

Paul

writes

that

circumcision

is a

matter

of

the

heart

by

the

spirit

not

by

the

letter

so

whatever

confidence

they

had

whatever

confidence

you

have

in

your

baptism

or

in

your

walking

down

the

aisle

or

in

your

songs

that

you

sing

or

the

things

that

you

read

whatever

confidence

you

have

has

been

thwarted

whatever

security

you

have

has

been

destroyed

by

this

truth

that

circumcision

is a

matter

of

the

heart

by

the

spirit

it

is

the

holy

spirit

that

circumcises

no

longer

a

priest

it

started

out

being

something

done

in

the

house

then

it

went

down

to

the

it

was

a

priestly

activity

that

the

priest

did

after

eight

days

of

the

child

being

born

now

it's

the

Holy

Spirit

doing

it

for

us

and

it

will

never

change

in

Acts

chapter

two

Paul

right

after

Peter's

sermon

at

Pentecost

in

verse

37

and

38

right

after

a

sermon

Peter

gets

done

laying

down

the

gauntlet

on

the

people

there

at

Pentecost

and

they

say

now

when

they

heard

this

they

were

cut

to

the

heart

by

Peter

what

he

had

just

spoken

and

said

to

Peter

and

the

rest

of

the

apostles

brothers

what

shall

we

do

what

shall

we

do

and

Peter

said

to

them

repent

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

the

Holy

Spirit

is

a

gift

to

those

who

become

Christians

so

if

you

are

a

Christian

and

you

have

a

circumcised

heart

you

have

a

new

heart

if

you're

not

a

Christian

you

can

have

a

new

heart

we

have

a

new

heart

because

God

chose

to

love

us

by

sending

his

son

to

live

a

sinless

life

and

because

of that

sinless

life

we

can

have

new

hearts

on

the

cross

Jesus

had

you

and

me

in

mind

and

not

in

a

hallmark

corny

Christian

picture

way

he had

you

and

me

in

mind

when

he

said

it

is

finished

he

was

drawing

a

conclusion

to

the

need

of

any

religious

activity

to

set

apart

people

it

is

finished

from

that

moment

on

all

who

become

Christians

have

been

set

apart

based

solely

on

his

work

not

on

anything

that

that

person

does

based

on

his

work

the

father's

call

and

the

Holy

Spirit's

draw

God

has

been

at

work

for

the

world

till

now

for

his

glory

and

our

joy

and

he

will

succeed

so

our

question

this

morning

is

will

we

depend

on

him

and

achieve

will

we

depend

on

him

to

achieve

it

and

be

part

of

his

work

or

will

we

be

dependent

on

our

own

work

and

be

a

detriment

ourselves

to

those

who

are

doing

kingdom

work

a

life

that

has

been

circumcised

a

heart

that

has been

circumcised

is a

new

heart

it

is

someone

who

does

everything

for

the

glory

and

worship

of

God

verse

29

the

last

sentence

his

praise

is not

from

man

but

from

God

another

way

to

say

that

the

praise

of

God

is

his

goal

it

is

his

drive

the

praise

of

man

no

longer

entices

it

is

the

praise

of

God

and

that

is

what

you

and

I

must

pursue

that

is

what

you

and

I

must

cling

to

the

praise

of

God

Paul

has

laid

it

out

for

us

he's

concluded

chapter

two

and

of

course

he

didn't

have

chapters

when

he

wrote

this

but

he

concluded

this

thought

by

saying

your

greatest

religious

activity

is

worthless

apart

from

obeying

the

law

and

you

can't

obey

the

law

without

Christ

he's

laid

it

out

clearly

for

them

and

for

us

this

morning

so

my

question

to

you

is

do

you

see

what

Paul

is

communicating

what

are

you

trusting

in

what

what

what

is

your

circumcision

this

morning

what

is

it

that

you

think

you've

done

and

in

reality

it's

been

worthless

let's

pray

together

a

Thank you.