"Cometh this blessedness on the circumcision only............? Romans 3v9-12
We come now to the second stumbling-block to the pure doctrine of faith alone in Christ alone. Paul has already established from the two greatest examples in history that justification is not of works. Now he says that justification is not based on circumcision and Paul is referring to the rite of circumcision which we have already dealt with in "Romans Unwrapped 31". Paul is thinking here of ethnic Jews who put great store on the fact that they were circumcised, and as such were associated with Abraham and all the promises to do with the seed and the land, every one else being outside of it.
This matter raised its ugly head in the early church, leading to the summit at the council of Jerusalem in Acts chapter 15. The issue was summed up in the phrase "except ye be circumcised, ye cannot be saved." What, effectively this meant, was that one had to become a Jew in order to be justified before God. This would restrict God's salvation to Jews only, and to those who became convert Jews. While it is true that salvation to the world as a whole came through the Jews "salvation is of the Jews" John 4v22 nevertheless it was not to be restricted to any one nation. This potentially divisive thinking could have had a disastrous effect on the global church and the leaders of the church solved the matter from scripture and made the declaration that circumcision was unnecessary to become a Christian.
Paul deals with this in three ways. Firstly, he notes WHEN circumcision was given to Abraham, and if we study the chronology of the Old Testament, we will see that Abraham was declared righteous fourteen years before God instituted circumcision. Thus circumcision played no part in Abraham's justification, and therefore plays no part for the rest of us because he is set up as the role model of all who will later believe. He was justified by faith alone in God's word alone before circumcision was introduced.
Secondly, he considers WHAT circumcision actually is, and he defines it in verse 11 "he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of faith which he had yet being uncircumcised" Romans 4v11. Circumcision was an external seal of something that happened previously and not the thing itself. The idea behind THE SEAL is authentication, the seal does not make anything new, it signifies, authenticates what has been done anew. Jesus was said to have been sealed by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Him, in the same way the church is said to have been sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise in Ephesians chapter 1. The seal was a mark of ownership much like the branding of an animal to signify ownership or the seal used in the legal profession to indicate such as title deeds. In like manner circumcision served as a reminder to Abraham how he had been justified and would in like manner remind the same to all his progeny.
Thirdly, TO WHOM does true circumcision apply? It goes way beyond the borders of Israel to those who "walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised". He makes two points here 1) that circumcision, if not accompanied by the same faith as Abraham for ethnic Jews would be meaningless and 2) that non-Jews if they followed the faith of Abraham yet remained uncircumcised would be truly justified. He explains all this in Romans chapter 2v28-29.
The lesson here is that mere externalism adds nothing to a person if not accompanied previously by the faith of Abraham. The tendency of the human heart to depend on external symbols alone is manifest throughout all human history. A similar dependence on externals has been the hallmark of religions, including nominal Christian religions for many years, and we are slow to learn that these things are meaningless without a true heart faith in God and His word. External rites like baptism, communion, church membership, ritual, order of service, etc., though all having their place contribute nothing to my personal salvation. The tragic tendency has been to depend on these things for eternal salvation, as well as depending on family associations, or any human association, and how many are doing it today?
Let it be spelt out what Paul is saying here: no external religious rite or practise, if engaged without true heart faith in the work of Jesus Christ will get me to heaven, and millions are depending on this which will be to their eternal regret. We finish this portion today with a sad picture given by the Lord Jesus Christ concerning the end of time "when once the Master of the house is risen up and has shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door saying Lord, Lord open unto us and He shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are, then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But He shall say I tell you, I know you not whence ye are depart from Me all ye workers of iniquity there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and ye yourselves thrust out." Luke 13 v25-28
If you are depending on externals of any kind for your salvation, you will be eternally disappointed.
Tomorrow: justification by faith independent of law.
No comments:
Post a Comment