A. INTRODUCTION
We continue this morning our study of the apostle Paul's elaborate assessment of the plight of a hopelessly sinful mankind before the face of the eternally righteous God, as set forth in the first three chapters of the Epistle to the Romans. We began last week a consideration of Chapter 2, wherein Paul, having set forth a persuasive argument for God's just condemnation of the Gentile world, turns his attention to those who believed their privileged religious status would provide escape from the judgment of God.
Paul's discourse in this section of his letter is directed primarily, of couse, toward the Jewish believers in Rome. Like all their kindred, they had long taken great comfort and considerable pride from their singular place in the world as God's Chosen People. The Covenant into which He had entered with their "father" Abraham had been for centuries perpetuated through the rite of circumcision. The Law of God, given personally by Him to their ancestors, had been embellished, expanded and codified by generation after generation of Hebrew scholars, and towered above any other religious "system" in history to that time. The annual Passover feast and national Day of Atonement had served as a continual reminder of their unique relationship with Jehovah. Those Jews who accepted Christ as the promised Messiah could add to this impressive list the fact that the incarnate Son of God was Himself a Jew.
If in fact close proximity to God is the essential criteria for justified status with Him, surely the Jews could make a strong case for their collective salvation. If any group in history could boast in their religion it was the Hebrews. And if any single Jew could stand out in the midst of such a group, it was Paul, who presented his own credentials in Philippians 3:4b-6.
I f anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
It is fitting, then, that it is Paul who now confronts the issue of religion in his Epistle to the Romans. His target is the religion of the Jews of his day; we will broaden our study this morning to encompass the entire question of organized religion and its effectiveness not only as a vehicle for building a relationship with God but as a vehicle for maintaining a relationship with the world around us. We will begin by reading the Living Bible paraphrase of this morning's text passage, Romans 6:17-29.
You Jews think all is well between yourselves and God because He gave his laws to you; you brag that you are his special friends. Yes, you know what he wants; you know right from wrong and favor the right because you have been taught his laws from earliest youth. You are so sure of the way to God that you could point it out to a blind man. You think of yourselves as beacon lights, directing men who are lost in the darkness to God. You think that you can guide the simple and teach even children the affairs of God, for you really know his laws, which are full of all knowledge and truth. Yes, you teach others -- then why don't you teach yourselves? You tell others not to steal -- do you steal? You say it is wrong to commit adultery -- do you do it? You say, "Don't pray to idols," and then make money your god instead.
You are so proud of knowing God's laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. No wonder the Scriptures say that the world speaks evil of God because of you. Being a Jew is worth something if you obey God's laws; but if you don't, then you are no better off than the heathen. And if the heathen then obey God's laws, won't God give them all the rights and honors he planned to give the Jews? In fact, those heathen will be much better off than you Jews who know so much about God and have his promises but don't obey his laws.
For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision. No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. For God is not looking for those who cut their bodies in actual body circumcision, but he is looking for those with changes hearts and minds. Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get his praise from God, even if not from you.
B. TEXT
1. Paul resumes his diatribe in this passage, emboldened now to identify his imaginary interlocutor as a Jew -- one of Paul's own people. He continues his critique of Jewish presumption which he, as an insider, knows so well.
a. "[Paul's] indictment is not intended as an accusation of wholesale Jewish profligacy, but as a pricking of the balloon of Jewish pride and presumption that being the people of God's law puts them in a uniquely privileged position in relation to the rest of human kind." - James D.G. Dunn: Romans 1 - 8 ( Vol. 38A, Word Biblical Commentary )
b. In v.17-20 Paul gives voice to his "debate partner," itemizing those factors which contribute to Jewish national / religious pride.
(1) They are proud even of their n __ __ __.
(a) Originally the name Jew identified a member of the tribe of J __ __ __ __, a resident of the land of J __ __ __ __.
(b) Judah literally means "p __ __ __ __ __." Paul will use this meaning as part of a clever play on words in v.29.
(2) They b __ __ __ __ in God, particularly in their special historic relationship with Him.
(3) They cherish their subsequent responsibility to those less "highly favoured." Paul depicts his imaginary heckler as one who sees himself as:
(a) a g __ __ __ __ to the blind;
(b) a l __ __ __ __ for those in darkness;
(c) an I __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ to the foolish;
(d) a t __ __ __ __ __ __ of the young.
(4) They rely on the l __ __.
(a) Paul concedes in v.18 the special nature of the Jews' relationship with God in the matter of the law, since their possession of it allows them to k __ __ __ God's w __ __ __ and to a __ __ __ __ __ __ the things that are excellent. He will argue persuasively in v.25-26, however, that the "gift" of the law begets great privilege and great r __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. It is here, in their assigned role as s __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of God's law, that the Jews have failed.
(b) In v.23-24 Paul speaks of three dangers of religious pride.
1 - The danger of failing to live according to knowledge and profession.
2 - The danger of being responsible for unbelievers being misled or confused by inconsistent behaviour.
3 - The danger of God's name being despised because of this confusion.
(b) Paul cinches his argument that the super-religious are no better in God's sight than the most profane infidel in v.21-24. Yes, he declares, the Jews do have God's law. But if any Jew -- including his invisible adversary -- rests his confidence, his hope, and his eternal security with God solely on the law of God, he will be doomed by the very vehicle he so carefully cherishes, since the law demands absolute obedience. ( See also Galatians 3:1-14. )
2. In v.25-29 Paul turns his attention to that other celebrated "religious distinctive" of the Jews:
c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Paul was convinced that this ritual -- originally the very sign of God's c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ with Abraham and the nation He would bring into the world through him ( Genesis 17:1-14 ) -- had lost its true significance to many of his kinsmen. The rite had become devoid of reality.
a. The "fundamentalists" among Paul's readers must have been scandalized by what he says in these verses. Not only did Paul disparage a cherished religious tradition, he even dared to suggest that some uncircumcised infidels might be able to make valid claim on the covenant of God! What heresy!
b. Paul was not the first of God's spokesmen to address the emptiness of undergoing the rite of physical circumcision without a corresponding change of heart.
ref: Deuteronomy 10:16
Deuteronomy 30:6
Jeremiah 4:3-4
Jeremiah 9:25-26
c. Paul in v.29 draws the inescapable conclusion from all that he has been inspired to say in the first two chapters of the Epistle: God's condemnation of the world results from the failure of people to obey whatever revelation is made available to them by God.
(1) His criticism of the Gentiles was grounded in the fact that they "suppress the truth in unrighteousness" -- the truth made available to them by observation and interpretation of the world around them.
(2) His indictment of the Jews was based on the fact that they had terribly abused the law God had given them, failing to be "doers" of it and misinterpreting it to the point of making it a vehicle of religious pride and a weapon against those who stood outside their privileged station. Even the very sign of God's covenant with them -- the rite of circumcision -- had been emptied of all significance.
C. APPLICATION
1. We conclude from Chapter 2 that the religion which the Jews had constructed around what God had revealed to them had superimposed itself over God's truth. Religion, after all, is man-made. Whether it is the religion of primitive infidels who worship a graven image whom they credit with controlling the harvest; or the religion of the Jews who worship the law of God or the sign of their covenant with Him; or the religion of the Roman Catholic who adores relics, kneels before icons and prays to the Virgin Mary; or the religion of the Protestant who elevates the strict observance of his own rules and regulations above the gospel of Christ, religion leaves man's fingerprints all over the Truth of God.
2. Religion in its purest sense is the outward expression of one's personal faith. So, even at its most sincere, religion is man-made -- "from the flesh," wrote Martin Luther -- and, therefore, deeply flawed, subject to misunderstanding, misappropriation, and misapplication; finally "at enmity" with God. Religion has no Spiritual power in and of itself, so it is not sufficient to meet the spiritual needs of people. Religion may be about God, but it is not of God, so the earnest expression of it is most often manifested not in love, but in judgment. Religion leads to strife, not unity. It does not build up the body of Christ; it puffs up the individual practitioner with pride.
3. Why, then, are we so attracted to religion? Because it can be observed. We can see the various assorted trappings of religion: crucifixes, kneeling rails, stained glass, clerical collars, pulpits, robes and banners and steeples and baptistries and hymnals and church buildings great and small. These have undeniable appeal to our senses: we can sometimes even "feel" religion. We can point to it and evaluate its procedures and embrace its good intentions. We can wrap it tightly around ourselves so it warms us; we can make a fortress of it and take shelter in it, and that is what's wrong with religion. It becomes our personal property and we get choosey about those with whom we will share it. It becomes so important to us that we forget its original purpose: remember? the outward expression of one's authentic personal faith. We soon find ourselves, like the Jews of Paul's day, worshiping God's gifts instead of worshiping the Giver; focusing on the signs and wonders of God's covenant instead of keeping His covenant in our hearts; conforming to the religious world we have fashioned with our own hands instead of being transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit; creatures of comfortable religious habit instead of new creatures in Christ; willing to argue with anyone who will listen about the correctness of our "doctrinal distinctives" but unwilling to obey the law of Christ which manifests itself in humility, service, thanksgiving and selfless love.
4. What shall we say, then, beloved? How shall we then live?
LOSE YOUR RELIGION! Have done with it! Anything in your thoughts or in your mouth or anywhere else in your life that is born of religion but not grounded in sincere, authentic faith in Christ needs to be "taken off," along with all the other soiled garments of the "old man," as Paul told the Christians as Colosse ( Colossians 3:1-11 ). Refuse to live your life by religious rules which attempt to serve as a "back-up insurance policy" to the just shall live by faith. Instead "work out" your salvation by living the life of faith which is a thank-offering for it.
a. Colossians 2:20-23 [ NKJV ]
Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations -- "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using -- according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
b. James 1:22-26 [ NKJV ]
...be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
James here provides three distinct marks of the life of authentic faith.
(1) d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
In this case, he points specifically to the need to practice discipline in our speech.
(2) m __ __ __ __ __ __ __
James here addresses a specific ministry need in his society: care of orphans and widows. They were (and remain) part of history's great sea of "the lost, the least, the last, and the lousiest." The church often shows great compassion toward the lost who are "innocent;" we don't do so well with those we feel are somehow not deserving of the same mercy and grace extended to us by God.
(3) personal h __ __ __ __ __ __ __
"Losing My Religion" is really a paraphrase of "I do not frustrate the grace of God." Will my faith in Christ result in changed behaviour? Most certainly! Will my changed behaviour make me any more righteous? or closer to God's ideal than my undisciplined neighbor? Absolutely not! The outworking of my salvation in faith rather than religion can be best measured in its effect on me and in the kingdom of God. The outworking of my faith in ministry will manifest itself in genuine love -- not just concern -- and in moving me toward genuine humility -- not even "quiet" pride -- and in meeting all kinds of people at the point of need -- not just "decent" folks with "acceptable" needs. And it will be God -- not me -- who is glorified.
D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E
1. The Jews of Paul's day place tremendous importance on the physical rite of circumcision. For them, it was the ultimate "work of the law." Paul often addresses this preoccupation with circumcision in some of his letters.
a. Read Genesis 17:1-14 for background information. How might this passage have convinced the Jews that there was something Spiritual about the physical act of circumcision?
b. Read Jeremiah 9:25-26. Explain what the prophet meant by the phrase, "uncircumcised in the heart."
c. Read Colossians 2:11-14. In what way have believers been "circumcised with the circumcision made without hands?"
d. Read Philippians 3:2-3. According to Paul's brief teaching in these verses:
(1) Why should the Philippians "beware the concision ( "mutilation" )?
(2) Who comprise "The Circumcision?"
2. Is there a modern-day couterpart among Christians to the Jewish understanding of circumcision? Read Galatians 3:26-29 for a hint.
a. How might this passage be misinterpreted?
b. Read Romans 6:1-11. How could you use this passage to refute any error which might come from a narrow reading of the Galatians passage?
3. Under the following columns list as many "Good Things" and "Not-So-Good Things" about Denominations. Be prepared to discuss any one of the items on your lists.
GOOD THINGS ABOUT DENOMINATIONS NOT-SO-GOOD THINGS ABOUT THEM
4. Some folks define religion as the beliefs or dogma which distinguish a given belief structure. This point of view sees the differences in the religions of the world grounded in what people believe about God and how these ideas are "lived out" in praxis. Do you feel comfortable having Christianity included in such an understanding of religion? Why, or why not?
