Can we be disciples in name only? This devotion looks at the passage where Paul was biting on the Jews for being nominal disciples.
Nuggets
- Paul was biting on the Jews for boasting they loved God without even trying to imitate Him.
- Religion and its rituals are not what God wants; God is looking for a change in heart.
- God wants to see evidence that we have chosen Him.
- If we say we are disciples of God, we have to live obediently and not have double standards.
- Circumcision of the heart is accomplished by the Holy Spirit using the atoning blood of Jesus.
The Jews were very proud of their Jewishness. They loved being the chosen ones. Horton wrote that they felt it was a high honor.
But how many times have we shook our heads at the Jews? They were not exactly poster children for obedience. Remember, obedience means to hear and carry out the instructions that God gives us.
Instead, they were nominal disciples. What can we learn from them?
The Boast
“Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law” (Rom. 2: 17-20 CSB)
Part of the reason was they nominal disciples was because they were very boastful. Another part was they thought that being God’s chosen people gave them a pass where they didn’t have to obey God’s laws and commandments. (Did they think they were for the other nations???)
So, what Paul was biting on them for boasting they loved God without even trying to imitate Him. “Now if you call yourself a Jew …” (Rom. 2: 17 CSB). He was telling them that isn’t going to fly.
The Jews were especially proud of being circumcised. It was the seal of the covenant. The problem was, as Tyson put it, “the seal is not the treasure sealed.” The seal itself isn’t important; it is the treasure inside.
Religion and its rituals are not what God wants. God didn’t want the circumcision without the holiness. He doesn’t want baptism without the holiness. There is no purity in the artificial or that which is designed to impress the worldview people.
Human nature is not clean. Our hearts will always be wicked (sinful) because of our human nature (Jer. 17: 9) – unless we ask God to purify us. Only God can remove the sin in our lives.
Paul gave several and additions in these verses.
- “and rely on the law” (Rom. 2: 17 CSB)
- “and boast in God” (Rom. 2: 17 CSB)
- “and know his will” (Rom. 2: 18 CSB)
- “and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law” (Rom. 2: 18 CSB)
- “and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind” (Rom. 2: 19 CSB)
- “[and] a light to those in darkness” (Rom. 2: 19 CSB)
- “[and] an instructor of the ignorant” (Rom. 2: 20 CSB)
- “[and] a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law” (Rom. 2: 19-20 CSB)
What Paul was trying to get across was that circumcision is surface. God is looking for obedience, submission, and service. God is looking for a change in heart.
I know. I know. Back to the heart. We’ve talked about our hearts before. We talked about the greatest commandment before in How Do We Love God?. Depending on which book you read, it is love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.
We’ve talked in Peace, Mercy, and Love about God’s peace, mercy and love is at our center. Our center is considered our hearts. That is our foundation.
Also, we’ve talked in The Fullness of God’s Love about how Jesus is the Word (Jn. 1: 1) that we are to hide in our hearts (Ps. 119: 11). Jesus is a major part of that foundation.
In Have We Lost Our First Love?, we talked about how we have to open our hearts to allow Jesus to take full residence within them. We lose our first love when we either don’t allow Him full control or we kick Him out after a while.
Obedience has to come from the heart. In Getting Obedience to the Heart Level, we said God’s Word is supposed to be a part of us. His laws and commandments are supposed to affect our character or our core – our heart level. If we are to engrave God’s laws and commandments on our hearts, we internalize them, and they change us.
In How Are Disciples Pure in Heart?, we said God wants us to get back to where Adam and Eve were before the original sin, which we can get there through grace. Nothing we can do or give up will purify us. Only God can remove our sins — when we ask and repent of our sins. If we don’t have the pure heart — or at least are not working toward it — we don’t see God.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Let’s go back to the Jews thinking they got a pass. We’ve talked a couple of times that God isn’t selling fire insurance. We can’t admit our sins, believe He is our Savior and Redeemer, and confess God as our Sovereign Lord – and drop it. God wants to see evidence that we have chosen Him.
That evidence is our obedience. We have to live like we were converted. We have to do the progression. We have to undergo the sanctification. We have to submit.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Paul wanted to make sure they knew that their heritage and outward seals weren’t enough.
Double Standards
“you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal” — do you steal? You who say, “You must not commit adultery” — do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Rom. 2: 21-24 CSB)
Ooo, baby. Paul was really getting after the Jews now. He was calling them on double standards.
You preach something, but you go ahead and do it.
Don’t we just hate double standards? Don’t we hate it when someone tells us not to do something but then goes ahead and does it themselves?
This passage is interesting if we hook it with James. “Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment” (Jas. 3: 1 CSB). Paul is saying that teachers with double standards are going to get a really strict judgment.
What I get from this is that we have to be consistent. If we say we are disciples of God, we have to live obediently and not have double standards.
We just finished a series on being consistent. We said that we have to be diligent in following God’s Word.
Devotions in the Consistency Needed for Spiritual Growth series
I also get from this that we are to use our experiences when we witness. Robinson wrote, “That truth is most effective which, having proved itself forceful in reaching our own consciences, goes from its success there upon the intrenchments of another.” Translation – If I say this is something that happened to me or helped me in my walk as a disciple (it’s proved itself), you would be more open to trying it for yourself.
Heart Matter
“Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God” (Rom. 2: 25-29 CSB)
We’ve talked before about circumcision of the heart. Circumcision of the heart is where God changes our hearts. Unlike covenant circumcision, which was the physical sign the Israelites agreed with the covenant, this is where God wants us to cut out the old sin and replace it with His love and grace. He doesn’t want it to just be a ritual or symbolic. God wants the change to be real, personal, and genuine.
Our hearts will always be wicked (sinful) because of our human nature (Jer. 17: 9). That doesn’t mean we get a pass because of that. We will still have to pay the consequences of our sins.
Worldview followers do not have a circumcised heart, which could be interpreted as heartless. That, too, is understandable when they refuse to acknowledge God as Sovereign Lord.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Circumcision of the heart is accomplished by the Holy Spirit using the atoning blood of Jesus. We don’t do it on our own. I would say this is part of the sanctification process. Sanctification is the transformation of mind, body, and soul beginning with regeneration and ending with perfected state of spiritual wholeness or completeness.
But it is really interesting to me what Paul is saying here.
We benefit when we obey the law, whether we are circumcised or not.
If we disobey the law, we can lose what we have.
We can’t take this to mean that worldview people who have not ABCDed will get a pass. They have to be blessed to get a pass according to Matthew 25: 34. We are only blessed when we ABCD.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Making the Connections
Haven’t we heard of worldview people questioning whether disciples are Christians? Their lifestyles do not provide enough evidence to convict them. We should shake our heads at ourselves, too.
Remember, God doesn’t want this to just be an outward religion. He wants it to be an inward transformation.
The problem is we are self-willed creatures, according to Horton. Instead, we need to submit to God. We need to practice self-denial, patience, and perseverance.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
How Do We Apply This?
What I get from this passage is that we have to be genuine when we ABCD. We have to truly submit to God. We have to obey His laws and commandments.
Yes, that is going to go against our human nature. That is part of the reason we go through the process of sanctification. God will help us as we show Him that we will submit to Him.
Father God. Circumcise our heart. We want to live for You. Amen.
What do you think?
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