{"id":225359,"date":"2024-04-26T06:31:57","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T13:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vayhub.us\/rdpt22\/?p=225359"},"modified":"2024-04-26T06:31:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T13:31:59","slug":"ra4e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vayhub.us\/rdpt22\/ra4e","title":{"rendered":"RA4e"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How Have Christians Been Circumcised?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

25<\/sup>For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26<\/sup>So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27<\/sup>Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28<\/sup>For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29<\/sup>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.<\/p>\nRomans 2:25\u201329 (ESV)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

As we come to the end of Romans 2, Paul reminds us that true circumcision, true belonging to God, is not something external or self-achieved. It is “of the heart … not by the written code,” and it is done “by the Spirit,” not by men (v. 29). But what is the significance of circumcision, and how does it relate to our salvation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Genesis 17:9-14, when God gave Abraham circumcision as a sign of their covenant relationship, it was a visual representation of the penalty for breaking that covenant. In ancient times, covenant-makers would act out the curse they would accept if they broke their promises. Circumcision, a cutting off in a very intimate way, symbolized the complete cutting off from life and from God that would result from breaking the covenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as Paul has made clear throughout Romans 2, no one keeps the covenant perfectly. So how can anyone be right with God? The answer lies in the truth that the “cutting off” symbolized by circumcision has already happened – not to us, but to Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paul tells the Gentile Christians in Colossae, who had not been physically circumcised, that they were circumcised spiritually “in him [Jesus] … not … by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ” (Colossians 2:11). On the cross, Jesus was cut off. He was forsaken by his Father (Mark 15:34), “cut off from the land of the living” (Isaiah 53:8), bearing the curse of covenant-breaking that we all deserve. In him, we were circumcised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Spirit works in someone, he applies to them the circumcision of Christ. Our religious performance or lack thereof doesn’t matter. Through the Son’s work and the Spirit’s application, the Father sees us not as objects of condemnation, but of praise (Romans 2:29). We don’t need to praise ourselves or live for others’ approval. Our Father sees us as beautiful in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “written code” (the law) leaves us under the covenant curse, never able to earn its blessings. But God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves. In the finished work of his Son and the internal work of his Spirit, he has provided the circumcision that saves us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does the truth that Jesus bore the “cutting off” we deserve change the way you view your standing before God? How can you rest in his finished work today, rather than trying to earn God’s favor through your own efforts? Talk to God about it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[The ideas for this week’s materials on Romans 2:17-29 were drawn from Tim Keller’s book “Romans 1-7 for You<\/a>“]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Have Christians Been Circumcised? 25For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-225359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devo","category-romans"],"yoast_head":"\nRA4e - Redemption Point<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"RA4e - 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