Romans 2:21-29
Father God, thank you for this time that we can spend reading and studying your Holy Word. Thank you for teaching us in this section about the hypocrisy of religious people and that we all need salvation. In Jesus's name we pray, amen.
In these verses of Romans chapter 2 verses 21-29 KJB we see the hypocrisy of religious people.
21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?
22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
The Religious Jewish people in particular were not really keeping the law, though they claimed to be. In fact the Lord Jesus Christ said that they actually had tried to change or modify the law instead. “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:9). Even religious people in Christendom today do a similar thing. For example, the Roman Catholics modified the ten commandments so that they could continue to worship their idols. The 2nd commandment says, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them." (Exodus 20:4-5)
But the catholics teach that the second commandment says, "You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain." They make the 10th commandment two commandments to make up for the lost one! Unbelievable!
The reason why religious people do things like this is so that they can appear godly. Instead of simply admitting that they are sinners and CANNOT SAVE THEMSELVES and then simply BELIEVING the gospel, they would rather pretend to be earning their salvation by "keeping the law" though their own fleshly efforts. Even if they did try to keep the whole law, that is not how anyone is saved. In the dispensation of grace, we are saved by grace through faith alone. We are to simply believe how that Christ Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification. No one is saved today by trying to keep the law and certainly not by trying to keep a modified version of the law either!
24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Each time that religious people boast in the law, but don't actually keep the law, they are blasphemers. When religious people do this, it makes unbelievers not want to have anything to do with God. They see hypocrisy. But as believers we are to boast in the cross of Christ and not in ourselves.
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Just being a circumcised Jew isn't enough to save you. People today are saved by grace through faith alone in Christ's death, burial and resurrection. Even in Israel's program they were saved by grace through faith plus works of faith. Most of the Jews didn't even have faith to begin with (of course neither did most Gentiles!). True believers have always been a remnant throughout history, which really shows how much people love religion and want to try to be righteous by their own efforts!
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
If an unbelieving Gentile were to keep the whole law, they would be righteous. But, of course, Jews and Gentiles cannot and do not keep the whole law in the energy of their flesh!
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
The moment that we believe the gospel of the grace of God, God "operates" on us and it includes a spiritual circumcision made without hands. We are not now suddenly Jews, but have been made righteous unto God and are considered now a son of God (this is what God wanted for Israel too). So we cannot look at outward appearances and decide if someone is saved or not. If they have believed the Gospel, they are saved, regardless of whether they are Jewish or Gentile or male or female or rich or poor or even if they are living carnally or have a more godly appearance.
The purpose of circumcision, to begin with, was to teach the Jews NOT to rely on their flesh. Paul says that "circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter". It was to set them apart from the Gentile Nations, but also to teach that we cannot be righteous by the energy of our own flesh. The flesh literally has to be "cut off" which is what God does to believers today to our flesh spiritually (not physically) the moment we believe the gospel.
Col 2:11-12 says
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
So we don't have to be Jewish to be saved today; or physically circumcised; and we cannot keep the law in the energy of our flesh. We can only be saved by grace through faith alone PLUS NOTHING.
Thank you Father God for showing us the truth in your word rightly divided, including the truth that all people Jew and Gentile need salvation and that no religious works of any kind could ever save us. Thank you that through simple faith in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins, we are saved and given eternal life! In Jesus's name we pray, amen.
Homework: Since people are not saved today by religion, is there someone you know who is religious that you could share the gospel with? Sometimes sharing the Gospel with religious people can be very difficult, but they might have never heard or believed a clear gospel message before even if they have been attending church their whole lives!
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