You guys be seated. We are continuing through our study of Romans, Romans chapter 2, if you want to turn there.
! 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.
You know, those that look down on the Gentiles that Paul listed in Romans chapter 1.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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.
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.
Turn to Philippians chapter 3.
We're going to stand a couple minutes there and then come back to Romans.
Philippians chapter 3.
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,
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
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
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
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
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
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.