”Heaven’s peace and justice, kissed a guilty world in love – love no heart could ever measure”
”Comparisons and measurements cannot hold in the heavenly realms. My Ways, My Love, My Mercy, My Grace are so far above what the human mind and heart can measure or understand, yet they are there as a giant backdrop to the universe I have created. And I have given you and anyone else who may want it, access to all this and more. Access to the very Creator of everything and that, all because of the incredible sacrifice of the Son on your behalf. You can only really appreciate it as I reveal it to you, as I open your mind and heart to receive it. So be grateful and seek it – seek more of Me and I will give Myself to you.”
Paul continues to flesh out his argument, in Romans, using an imaginary man he is debating with. Having revealed the means that every person has access to, to become righteous, (ie be justified) which is the key thought in ch 3. He is addressing the problem of the wide difference in the way the potential Jewish Christian and the Gentile would be thinking. So in 3:29 he asks the question “Is God the God of the Jews only? “Is he not the God of the Gentiles too?” And then he answers: “Yes, of the Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through the same faith”
Please read Romans 4:9-12. Paul now uses Abraham the “founder” of the Jewish faith as an example to explain his argument in ch 4. Last week we saw how his first emphasis was on the fact the Abraham had responded to God’s call and promise in Gen 12:1-3 by leaving his country, because he believed that God’s promise was true and valid. This was a response of faith and in Romans 4:3 Paul says that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Which comes from Genesis 15:6). So the emphasis in 4:1-8, is on the fact that Abraham received righteousness as a free gift, simply because he believed God’s promise. That is basic to the whole gospel and underlines everything else.
However there are questions which are outstanding. In Genesis 15, God makes a covenant (promise or agreement) with Abraham in response to his faith Gen 15:6. And in Gen 17 God seals that covenant agreement with a whole ceremony and Abraham is instructed to circumcise every male as an outward sign of the acceptance of the covenant agreement.
Was this act of circumcision taken into account in giving Abraham righteousness? Paul makes a strong point that the righteousness Abraham received, came before the sign of circumcision is given. The rite of circumcision was to act as a seal and reminder to the men of Israel that they were part of God’s covenant agreement. Over the years, however the sign of circumcision was often wrongly taken as sufficient to guarantee salvation. It was never meant like that. Circumcision without faith was meaningless hence the reminder that the people’s hearts had to be circumcised if they were to be saved.
And because of the hardness of the people’s hearts over the years as they demonstrated their lack of faith by their disobedience, God instituted a “new covenant” in which He promised to give the people a “new heart, a heart of flesh not stone,” Ezekiel 32:26. So the point Paul is making here is that, as important as circumcision was as an outward seal and reminder of God’s covenant with the Israelites, it was never meant to be part of the salvation plan. Hence Gentiles were at no disadvantage because they were not circumcised and Jews had no advantage.
Where does that leave us? In some denominations baptism is regarded as the new covenant equivalent of circumcision. As important as baptism is, it was never intended to be a sign of the New Covenant. The sign of the New Covenant which, was given to the disciples and passed on to us, is the sign of the communion meal. Luke 22:20: “This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” Just as with the act of circumcision however, the value of the celebration of Holy Communion is for those who have already received righteousness by their faith in the very One whose death is celebrated at the meal. The aim of the sign, ie the communion meal, was to remind each person of the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus a their behalf. Once again, taking communion has no value of its own in contributing to one’s salvation.
While salvation is a free gift through grace by faith, its genuiness is always demonstrated by obedience. God bless you all as we move into the new year, till next week.