Romans 2:29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
Throughout the month we have looked at the transformation that takes place within each of us when we become followers of Christ. We are born again, made new, adopted into the family of God, made heirs to the Kingdom of light, and so much more. Today we look at the inward transformation, once more.
It helps to know who Paul was writing this letter to if we want to understand better. His recipients were the Jews throughout Rome who had been scattered from their homelands. They were a strongly patriotic group, holding firm to their heritage and beliefs. Because of this, there were disagreements about things such as circumcision and requirements for forgiveness and salvation.
Paul taught that true belonging to God, true dedication to Him as a believer, was not from our ancestry, pedigree, or heritage. Instead, it was an inward spiritual transformation. Living by the rules and strictly adhering to the Law of Moses did not ensure Jews or Gentiles a place in the kingdom of God. An internal, inward change needs to take place to truly be a child of God and follower of Him.
Paul also emphasized the fact that God looks at the hidden soul, the inner person we are, and He values a genuine faith that is produced by the Holy Spirit. No outward ritual, religious dedication, or devotion to the Law can replace the true faith of a believer. It did not matter where the new believer came from, the heritage behind them, or the rituals they took place in prior to meeting Jesus, salvation and forgiveness came from repenting and transforming their lives. This is what he referred to when he said circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit. It was an internal cut that removed the sin and transformed the individual. And a change of this nature is only possible through the Holy Spirit within us.
The same is true for us today. It doesn’t matter what your life looked like or how “bad” you thought you were. It doesn’t matter that you lived a life of sin and shame. We all did. What DOES matter is the inward change once you accept Christ as your Savior. If you continue to sin and live a life of shame and wrongdoing, then no change has taken place and you remain separated from God. It is when our hearts are changed that our lives begin to change, too. We desire the better things, we want to do good, we want to please God, and our actions begin to reflect this.
Outward religion is impressive and can give the appearance of a devout follower who is truly dedicated to Him, but an authentic, transformed heart will seek and receive approval from God directly rather than from the world. Turn to Him today instead of to the world. We seek His approval only and nothing else matters.
Prayer: Lord, Help me to seek You and Your will rather than the approval of man. Your opinion is the only one that matters and I want to please You. Amen
Be the first to comment