The Devotional - R011

The Devotional

Comment:

If I were a pastor there are two subjects that I would have trouble with when required to speak about. To put these two on a level of priority would be hard to nail down, but my priority list would look like this; (1) Giving, and (2) Circumcision. Both of these are tough on a pastor since the subjects are directly pointing to a personal evaluation of sin (self-righteous beliefs) and this makes many of the hearers uncomfortable. There is much to be gained spiritually from both subjects, but our focus this morning will be on, Circumcision. The topic is as much a Gentile subject as it is a Jewish one, yet our desire as a church is to avoid the subject altogether, but there is a tremendous Spiritual Truth that the Apostle Paul brings to us in his message to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. 

Challenge: Romans 2:17-24

The details of the Old Testament Law to circumcise all male children on the eighth day will not be covered by me at this time only to say that it is a sign to the Jew of heritage, faith and righteousness to God. Still, not to the Jew only since Abraham received this command to obey God while he was not a Jew; see Romans 4:11 and Genesis 17:10. Therefore the Jew and Gentile are to look more deeply at what God Commanded Abraham to do. Not in a physical procedure to be holy (set apart) but to be Spiritually Holy (set apart).

The apostle Paul is speaking to the believers in Rome, his subject has been the Righteousness of God and the unrighteousness of man and in this, both the Jew and the Gentile are guilty before God in that all of us sin in the same manner and in this, circumcision means nothing at all. Speaking to the Jew the apostle says; “You rely on the Law, you boast of your heritage, you know God’s will and you approve of excellent things because you have been raised in the Law.

Also you are confident in your works and a guide to those who live in darkness and unrighteous blindness, a teacher and you even have a form of godliness about you. Therefore, you who teach another, do you teach yourself as well? Do you say to others? You shall not steal! But do you steal? Do you sat to others? Do not commit adultery? But do you commit adultery? This double standard is the same standard as that of the world and the world is quick to blaspheme and just as quick to say, “All is well” just leave me alone.

Therefore physical circumcision means nothing, but circumcision; that is circumcision of the heart, a separation from the double standard of the world. This is the standard of Righteousness that the LORD God is providing to everyone who calls upon the LORD for salvation. We can see this in Romans 10 a bit clearer as the apostle says in Romans 10:1-13 that the call of God for Israel and all of mankind is to submit to the Righteousness found in the LORD Jesus Christ. Through Faith in God and His Righteousness; this is the true circumcision.

We will be doing more with this as we move through the epistle to the Romans, the main focus to keep in mind is that God’s will is for us to live in His Righteousness by continually seeking God through an ever increasing faith (sanctifying) walk. Romans 10:12-13 – For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek (Gentile), for the same LORD over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls upon the name of the LORD shall be saved. We cannot lose our relationship to Him as His child, but in time we can lose His Righteousness by living in our own self-righteousness, a double standard and this would be unrewarding.