Journey Through The Bible
 Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 22-24
 New Testament Reading: Romans 2

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 (Romans 2:28-29).

In Paul’s day, the strict Jews identified circumcision as the major sign of acceptance by God. This sign goes back to God’s covenant with Abraham, the father of the Jewish nation, and was established long before the Law was given through Moses. To the Jews, the Gentiles were uncircumcised dogs.

The tragedy is that the Jews depended on this physical mark instead of the spiritual reality it represented. (See Duet. 10:16, Jer. 9:26, Ezek. 44:9) A true Jew, Paul argued, has had an inward spiritual experience in the heart, and not merely an outward physical operation.

God judges according to the secrets of the heart and is not impressed with outward formalities. An obedient Gentile with no circumcision would be more acceptable than a disobedient Jew with circumcision. In fact, a disobedient Jew turns his circumcision into uncircumcision in God’s sight.

The Jews praised each other for their obedience to the Law, but the important thing is the praise of God, not the praise of men. As a Pharisee and not yet a Christian, Paul would make moral and religious decisions based on the praise he would receive from the other Jewish leaders. Later, as a Christian, Paul understood that circumcision and all the requirements of the Mosaic Law were meant to be outward symbols of an inward faith. Paul concluded that circumcision is not the substance of your relationship with God. The true substance is internal, of the heart – by the Spirit (v29).

Our culture today elevates self-actualization, and Christians must fight the urge to replace our freedom in Christ with the desire to receive the praise of others. Pride only leads to empty acts of worship. As we make decisions, we need to evaluate whether pride influences our thoughts and actions. Do we seek recognition for our generosity, our service, and our accomplishments from other people or from God?