REAL CIRCUMCISION Devotion 9 of 39 The Spirit now confronts the legalist with an arresting consideration. "For circumcision is indeed profitable IF YOU KEEP THE LAW; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision" (2:25). The Spirit is dealing with the surface approach to religion – an approach that has neither heart nor substance. It allows the individual to actually ignore the Lord, while at the same time claiming identity with Him. – Tomorrow:
"For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. (Rom 2:25-29, NKJV)
However, it is not the Lord's manner to allow such erroneous thinking to continue unchallenged. It is wrong, and it must not be ignored. By using the word "profitable," or "of value," he places the responsibility for appropriate conduct squarely on the shoulders of the pretenders. He carefully avoids associating circumcision with any justifying power. Of itself, circumcision, although commanded by God, does not make the individual better. It brings no character-assets with it, but rather confirms a Divinely initiated association.
For circumcision to obtain any value for the individual, two things were imperative. First, God must have made a commitment to the individual. Second, the life of the person must be consistent with that Divine commitment. Thus we read, "Circumcision indeed is of value IF YOU OBEY THE LAW; but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes UNCIRCUMCISION " (NIV).
This is an affirmation that God will not accept a purely symbolic religion – that is, a religion that relies upon symbols instead of the realities represented by the symbols. A person, therefore, who has in his flesh the appointed sign of circumcision, yet lives in contradiction of Law of God, is no different that a heathen who has no covenant with God at all.
Those who imagined that possessing the sign and the seal was all there was to valid religion were simply wrong. Conforming to outward requirements was never intended to be a BASIS of confidence before God – not even in Abraham. It is never right to put faith in "the sign and the seal" rather than in the God of the covenant that supports that sign and seal.
Even under the First Covenant, circumcision brought no personal advantage apart from obedience to the law. "For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law." Remember, the subject of discussion is being righteous before God. Under the Law, Divine acceptance was granted upon the basis of DOING, not being circumcised. Thus it was written, "For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, 'The man who DOES those things shall live by them'" (Rom 10:5). Note, righteousness is here equated with life. This is spiritual life, or being recognized by, and in fellowship, with the Lord.
The expression of this passage (Rom 2:25-26) is designed to teach us two things. FIRST it confirms men cannot be justified by keeping the Law. That is a hopeless approach to becoming righteous, or being accepted by God. The demands of Law exceed the capabilities of unregenerate man. Further, the inability of men to perfectly fulfill the Law in the energy of the flesh even negates the sacred sign of circumcision.
SECOND, it teaches us to zealously avoid trusting in obedience rather than in the God who commands it.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, grant me grace to place my faith in You, carefully avoiding the shallow trust in signs, seals, and acts of obedience. In all of this, help me to be an example of instant and thorough obedience.