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A Matter of the Heart Romans 2:25-29 |
March 21, 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum |
So, I'm channel surfing a few nights ago and I saw a commercial for a brand new product, guaranteed to revolutionize my life. This strange looking contraption…which can be yours for only $19.95…allows you to instantaneously peel a hard-boiled egg.
Have you seen the commercial. Did you buy one?
Here's how it works. You take the egg and you set it into a holder that keeps the egg upright. The holder is positioned at the bottom of a tube about 6" long and just wide enough to go around the egg. Then you take your hand and you whack it down onto the plunger that sticks out of the top of this tube and…Voila!…a perfectly peeled hard-boiled egg drops onto the table.
Nothing short of amazing. How does it work? I'm glad you asked, because the commercial actually explains the physics behind the process.
At the top of every unpeeled hard-boiled egg is a small air pocket between the shell and the egg. When the plunger descends, it pricks a small hole in the top of the eggshell. Then, as the plunger continues downward, the compressed air that has built up inside the tube is forced into that tiny hole and the egg shell literally explodes away from the egg, leaving a perfectly peeled hard-boiled egg every time. It's a beautiful thing.
And I almost bought one…in fact, if you call right now you can get two for the price of one. I was this close to buying one for myself when I remembered that I don't eat hard-boiled eggs. Ever. In fact, the last time I can actually remember making a hard-boiled egg Jordan was this big and we were coloring them for Easter and, trust me, those days are over.
Cool product. I'm intrigued by the way it works. But since I never make a hard-boiled egg, I just couldn't see the value of the product for me. So, in the end I listened to the commercial and then just kinda said, "So what?"
As we return to our study of Romans, this morning, we come to a passage that presents us with this rather unusual challenge: If we're not careful, it would be very easy for us to study these verses, figure out what they mean and then end up saying, "So what? It's kinda interesting…I see what it means but it just doesn't mean anything to me. So, so what?"
Now, obviously all of us know that saying, "So what?" in response to God's word is rarely a good decision. So, knowing that, why might we be tempted to respond to these verses in that way? And the answer is, because of the nature of Paul's subject matter. In essence, Paul explains in these verses how we…Gentile Christians…can become Jewish. And he's not talking about Christians becoming some kind of "pseudo Jews." He's talking about Christians becoming true Jews in the eyes of God.
And that's where our challenge comes into play, because I'm guessing that very few of us woke up this morning thinking, "Boy, I sure hope I can become Jewish." And since that probably has never been a burning desire for most of us, it's easy to see how we could be tempted to listen to what Paul has to say and then conclude, "So what?"
So, this morning, we're going to take a 3-fold approach to our text.
--First, we're going to dig into the text to make sure we understand what it's saying.
--Then, we'll try to resist the, "So what?" response by identifying a couple of reasons that the Jewish dimension of our Christian faith is extremely relevant to every Christian.
--And, finally, we're going to extract from these verses a very important and very practical lesson that each of us would be wise to apply to our lives.
What the Text Means
Now, as we prepare to examine this morning's text let's begin with a quick word about context.
--First, let's remember that the grand theme that Paul is developing in this section of the letter is that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ salvation is available to everyone. And that includes both Jews and Gentiles.
--What's more, Paul also wants us to know that because we are all absolutely powerless to overcome our sinful nature on our own…the salvation that God is offering through the Gospel is not only available to everyone but is also absolutely necessary for everyone who wants to be saved. And, again, that includes both Jews and Gentiles.
And, of course, all of this was especially radical news for those in his audience coming from a Jewish background because the Jews tended to think that salvation was their birthright. After all, they were God's chosen people. God had given them the law. But, as we saw 2 weeks ago, Paul makes it clear that simply knowing the law, trying your best to keep the law and even teaching the law to others doesn't save anyone. Why? Because no matter how hard you try you end up with the fundamental flaw in our hearts that separates us from God, namely our sinful nature.
So, now that he's shown the Jews that their distinct relationship with God's law was not enough to save them, he presses on even further to show them that circumcision, the cherished mark of distinction that the Jews carried on their bodies also was not enough to save them.
Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. Romans 2:25
The point? The external ritual of circumcision is valuable. But it's value is not found in it's ability to set things right between you and God. Circumcision is valuable only to the degree that it symbolizes the existence of a right relationship with God. To get circumcised and then fail to recognize that the whole point of the law was to bring you into a faith relationship with God is like getting baptized even though you don't have a relationship with Jesus. So, whether we're talking about circumcision or baptism the point is the same: the symbol is only meaningful to the degree that it is validated by a meaningful faith relationship with God.
Now, as we come to verse 26, Paul carries his argument to the next logical step and it's at this point that you and I, i.e., Gentiles, get drawn into the equation.
Paul writes, "If those who are not circumcised…(that would refer to us Gentiles)…keep the law's requirements…(that is, live in a faith relationship with God, trusting in His righteousness for our salvation, rather than in our own righteousness)…will they…(that is, us Gentiles)…not be regarded as though they were circumcised?"
In other words, if God's chosen people get so confused about the purpose of the law that they render their circumcision meaningless, doesn't it make sense that God will consider the non-circumcised Gentiles who get it right and by faith trust God to save them…that He will consider them to be true Jews?
Then, as we come to verse 27, Paul carries his argument to a level that would have been totally mind-boggling to the average Jew. He writes, "The one who is not circumcised physically…(that would be the Gentiles)…and yet obeys the law…(that is, rightly understands that the law points us to faith in God)…will condemn you…(that is the Jew who misunderstands the laws purpose)…who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker."
So, here's the progression we've seen from Paul.
--First, he tells us that believing Gentiles will be saved.
--Then, he tells us that God will regard believing Gentiles as true Jews.
--And now he tells us, that on the Day of Judgment believing Gentiles will actually "condemn" non-believing Jews. Now, Paul's point is not that Gentiles will stand in judgment over non-believing Jews, rather he's saying that Jews who had all the advantages of being God's chosen people and yet still get it wrong by trying to earn their salvation through their own righteousness will ultimately be shamed by Gentiles who, though they lacked all of these advantages, still got it right and put all of their faith, trust and hope for salvation not in their own righteousness, but in God's.
And that brings us to verses 28-29 where Paul completes the development of his argument by introducing two new but essential elements into the equation: the "heart" and the "Spirit." And with these two new elements we can finally see the big picture that he's been painting for us.
A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28-29
The Big Picture
I said a moment ago that with the introduction of the "heart" and the "Spirit" that Paul completed the Big Picture that he's been so carefully painting. As we look at the Big Picture this is what we see God created us to live in relationship with Him. A dynamic, heart-to-heart, loving relationship characterized by trust and obedience. And He gave us the Law, His written word, to guide us into that kind of personal and loving relationship.
Unfortunately, many of the people to whom He had entrusted His word weren't using it as a guide to lead them into a loving relationship of trust in and obedience to God. Instead, they had reduced it to a detailed list of rituals and regulations that made them appear very religious and feel very superior and self-righteous, but completely failed to nurture any sense of a personal relationship with God.
That's why Paul points out the crucial difference, in verse 29, between the "circumcision of the heart" which is done "by the Spirit" of God and the outward circumcision of the flesh, which is done only "by the written code." God's desire was that the Law would guide the people into a loving relationship with Him so that He could change their hearts by the power of His Spirit, but they were focusing all of their energy on the kind of surface, external changes that they could accomplish in their own power.
And, the truth is, that Paul wasn't the first person to point this out to them. Centuries earlier, for instance, God gave the same message through His prophet Ezekiel saying, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and…keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:26-27) God says, "It will be my Spirit working in you that makes it possible for you to keep My laws. Not your hard work."
Folks, do you realize what that is? That's the "obedience that comes from faith" that Paul wrote about in Romans 1:5.
That's the "righteousness that is by faith from first to last," that Paul wrote about in Romans 1:17.
Folks, keeping the requirements of God's law doesn't mean that we never sin again. We keep the requirements of God's law when we allow God's word to lead us into a loving relationship with God, trusting that by His grace we are not only saved, but we are also empowered to be obedient to Him…not by some external "written code," but "by the Spirit" who lives within us.
And, as Paul says at the end of verse 29, when we get it right the praise that we get does not come from men, but from God. And I think you should know that the "Jews" get their name from their ancestor "Judah." And the root of the word, "Judah," is the same as the Hebrew word for, "praise."
And that means that those who trust God for their salvation and trust God to empower their obedience not only receive God's praise, they also become a living testimony of praise to God. And God considers them…considers us…"true Jews."
Why it Matters to Us
And that brings us to the, "So what?" response. "Ok, I think I see what Paul is saying, but the bottom line is I'm a Christian. Why should I care that God thinks of me as a true Jew?" Let me give you three quick responses to consider.
First, you should care because God says it's true. And as Christians we should always be interested in the truth.
Second, you should care because God revealed this truth in His word. Clearly, this is an aspect of our Christian identity that God wants us to understand.
And third, understanding our Jewish identity can help us avoid a very common Christian mistake-which is to read the Newer Testament of God's word while ignoring the Older Testament of God's word. Folks, if God says we're Jews then this whole book is our story. This whole book is our heritage. This whole book has been preserved by God for us. And that means that this whole book deserves our full attention.
A Lesson for Us
Finally, then, we come to this question: Is there a PRACTICAL LESSON for us in all of this theological discourse? There is. Here's the lesson: Being busy for God is no substitute for being in love with God. Did you hear that? Let that sink in. Being busy for God is no substitute for being in love with God.
Now, let me take a brief moment to make this as clear as I possibly can. Folks, getting baptized, going to church, reading your Bible, singing praise songs, bowing your head during the prayers, dropping your offering in the plate, teaching a Sunday School class, working in Vacation Bible School-all of those things that we do under the banner of "being Christian"-all of them are utterly meaningless if we're not living each day in a loving, personal relationship with our God. Why? Because God didn't create you to be busy…He created you to live in a loving relationship with Him. He wants you to experience the joy of being loved by God…and He wants you to know the joy of giving the very best of your love to Him.
My dear friends, burn this truth into your hearts and minds: Being busy for God is no substitute for being in love with God.
"O, God, deliver us from busyness. Teach us to love You."
© Copyright 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum