REAL CIRCUMCISION Devotion 18 of 39 "Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?" – 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)
Here is a classic example of spiritual reasoning. It is thinking that gets to the root of the problem, exposes the fallaciousness of error, and the unparalleled value of the truth. Other versions represent this verse as follows. "if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision"" (NKJV), "If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?" (NIV), "If those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?" (NIB), "And if the Gentiles obey God's law, won't God give them all the rights and honors of being his own people?" (NLT).
It is important to note that this is hypothetical reasoning. That is, the Spirit is showing the utter folly of resting in a position or an external sign. He does NOT say that any Gentiles, or "uncircumcised," have kept the righteousness of the Law. The "righteousness of the Law" is the perfect doing of it – in all points, and at all times, with not a single deviation. Thus the Law promised, "Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them" (Lev 18:5).
To further show the gravity of this demand of the law, we must remember its summation. "And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with ALL thine heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy might" (Deut 6:5). And again, "Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, ALWAY (Deut 11:1). Jesus stated the summation this way, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind, and with ALL thy strength: this is the first commandment" (Mark 12:30).
The "heart" is the center of man's person. It is the core of his being from which all thoughts, words, and deeds, are governed and expressed. The "soul" is the expressive part of man, where his emotion, intellect, and will reside. It is the life that animates the body. The "mind" is the mental disposition of a person, which is related to perception, understanding, and reasoning. The "strength" of a person is their ability, or aptitude – what enables them to do what they do.
Now, God is to be loved with every single aspect of all of those components. The law did not summon men to TRY and do this, but solemnly required that this be done. If this requirement was not fulfilled, the person came unto the curse of the Law, for "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them" (Gal 3:10). What person is there who can boast of perfectly keeping this first and foremost requirement of the Law? Let them stand forth and declare how they have no need of a Savior, no need of salvation, and no need of grace – for if they have truly done this, they have no need of any of them.
The next chapter confirms that no Gentile has every kept the Law in this manner. Whether we are speaking of Jew or Gentile, "ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). There is "none righteous, NO NOT ONE" (Rom 3:10). Indeed, as Paul says later, "for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that THEY ARE ALL UNDER SIN; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" (Rom 3:9-11). Let this be clear to you, no one can be under sin and be righteous at the same time!
Why, then, does the Spirit say if the Gentiles kept the righteousness of the Law, they would be counted, or considered, as though they were circumcised? Because the Jews were placing confidence in their circumcision, even though they were not righteous – they had not kept the law flawlessly, or to any measurable degree. Therefore, the Spirit declares the same allowance for acceptance must be given to the Gentiles as to the Jews. If righteousness is the point – and the Law affirmed that it was ("the righteousness of the Law") – whoever is truly righteous will be accepted of God, circumcised or not. Remember, the Spirit is not declaring that any person can become righteous through the Law. For such a thing to be possible, there would be no need for Christ Jesus. In this text, the utter foolishness of depending upon signs and seals when righteousness is not in possession, is being chronicled. Man did not simply need some help to do a few more difficult things. He was dead in trespasses and sins, and had to be raised from that death – something only God can do.
In this verse, the Spirit tears down two walls that have plagued the church. The first is sectarianism. This has led people to trust in positions, creeds, and ordinances, removing their faith from God. As a result, they have sat in judgment upon other people who have not subscribed to their traditions. This practice is so common, it should not be necessary to say anything more about it.
The second thing being torn down is self confidence. This leads the individual to rely upon surface evidences, while lacking the real righteousness of God. Remember, the Spirit is establishing our need for the righteousness of God. This is a righteousness that can only be experienced by faith. Therefore, it escapes the sectarian and the self confident.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I thank You for a righteousness that stands up before Your throne. In the name of Jesus, uproot from my heart any and all confidence in my own ability.