"25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
~ Romans 2:25-29
Today, we conclude our study of Romans 2 where the Apostle Paul is in the middle of ushering all mankind into the courtroom of God and showing that we are all guilty and deserving of the punishment of Hell. It is not until we see our smallest sin as violent rebellion against a totally loving God that we begin to appreciate His grace.
In today's passage, the Apostle introduces the subject of circumcision. In fact, he repeats the word ten times in this section in which he makes the point that the heart of the matter is a matter of the heart. In fact, in the Bible, God mentions the heart almost 1,000 times. It is obviously one of His biggest concerns.
In v.25-26 of today's passage we read, "25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?"
Long before God gave to Moses the Law, He gave to Abraham the object lesson of circumcision. God gave it to be a daily reminder that He is committed to the one who is dependent upon Him. God did this long before Abraham ever showed even an ounce of commitment to Him. But, the Jews misconstrued circumcision by making it the unique mark of the biological Jew. This is why God makes a distinction in the Bible, particularly in the book of Galatians, between the biological Jew and the spiritual Jew. To God, circumcision was a physical practice that was to lead to a lesson for the human heart. God gave the Jews this object lesson to remind them that their love for God has to always be in response to His love for them. And, as long as it was kept in that sequence, it worked, because God's love for us will always melt our hearts if we understand it aright.
God has never intended there to be a connection between circumcision and obedience to the Law of Moses. Circumcision was meant to remind the believer to be separated to the Gospel of the good news that God was committed to us through Christ. So, the Apostle Paul, here in v.25, gave us a formula to help us understand his point: Circumcision without perfect and complete obedience to the Law equals uncircumcision. This means that we miss the point of the object lesson if we make its message contingent upon our obedience to God's Law. This is due to the fact that if we break any point of the Law, we are guilty of it all.
The wedding ring is a good illustration behind the point of circumcision. The wedding ring is honorable as long as there is faithfulness in the marriage. But, if unfaithfulness enters, the ring which is an object lesson to the one wearing it, is just a piece of metal. In that context, the ring becomes an outward object that does not speak of an inward reality. Throughout the Bible the root to our problems is our hearts. And, if our hearts are not involved, no amount of obedience can merit God's favor.
In v.27 of today's passage we read, "The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker."
The Jews of Paul's day wrongfully believed that circumcision was a means to being made right before God. They treated it much like people treat baptism today. Often, when we ask people if they are going to heaven, they answer with: "I was baptized on such and such day." They do not understand the fact that no one is ever saved by observing the sacraments. The Jews, when they lost their heart for God, supposed that circumcision had the power to save them. It did not, because it was always a picture of God putting His ring on the index finger of the believer. It was meant to be a reminder of His faithfulness to us.
In addition to this, Paul is reminding the heartless ones that the obedience of an uncircumcised Gentile is proof of the responsibility of a circumcised Jew to be honest with himself and with God. The absence of honesty always wrecks any relationship. Honesty is an affront to the root of all sin which is covetousness. This explains why confession is so big with God.
In v.28-29 of today's passage we read, "28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God."
The Apostle makes a clear distinction between the physical Jew and the Jew with a heart for God. The phrase: "Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God" is a play on words. The word "praise" is taken from the
word "Judah," from which we get the word "Jew." This word can also mean "thank you." I find it most interesting and instructive that man first went wrong because he lacked gratitude in his heart with reference to God. This underscores Paul's point which is: Nothing outward makes someone a Jew. Even Abraham was a Gentile before he became a Jew. And, one becomes a Jew when
his heart is engaged with God and that engagement renders gratitude to God.
The Jews of Paul's day arrived wrongly upon the object lesson of circumcision. They fell into the trap of thinking that God looks at the performance, as if we could earn His favor. They thought, "If we go through the motions, we will be right with God." They lacked the understanding that gratitude is the seed bed of acceptable obedience. This is why God draws our attention to the heart in this passage. When we get our hearts right, when we are honest with ourselves and with God, we will be honest about our utter desperation for His grace. In this case, honesty enlightens us because it enables us to see that our righteousness is as filthy rags before a holy and just God. This is what makes God's grace so great, and, this is what changes us from the inside out.
When we do not operate out of God's grace, self takes over. This leads us to be defined by our flesh which causes us to accentuate our works over our heart response to the grace of God. And, when we operate out of a performance-oriented mindset we see repentance as something we do as a result of something we have done. It is our attempt to fix our sinful and broken selves. It is an atoning for our sin. In contrast, faith-based repentance is always done in response to something God has done. It's the change that happens in our hearts and minds when we have encountered God and His marvelous grace.
