The Religious Lost!
Romans 2:17-29
I. They Lack Humility 2:17-20
II. They Lack Obedience 2:21-24
III. They Lack Understanding 2:25-29
Introduction
In his book, Early Christians of the 21st Century, Chad Walsh wrote:
Millions of Christians live in a sentimental haze of vague piety, with soft organ music trembling in the lovely light from the stained glass windows. Their religion is a thing of pleasant emotional quivers divorced from the intellect, divorced from the will, and demanding little more than lip service to a few harmless platitudes. I suspect Satan has called off the attempts to convert people to agnosticism. If a man travels far enough from Christianity, he is always in danger of seeing it in perspective and deciding that it is true. It is much safer from Satan’s point of view to vaccinate a man with a case of MILD CHRISTIANITY so as to protect him from the real thing.”
Sadly, this is the position of many in the evangelical world today.
If we were doing a study of the entire book or Romans we would have seen in the opening chapters of the Book that Paul is attempting to deliver us from our mistaken idea about the basic goodness of man. Even now, we tend to think that man is basically good even though we see what is happening to the world around us.
Paul describes HIS day in Rom 1:28-32. See if THIS sounds familiar:
28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.
29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;
31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
Now, this is Paul’s letter to the Romans. But there WERE Jews in Rome, and Paul knew that these words would stir those Jews. And as we look at 2:17-29 we can see how Paul anticipates their reaction. He sees them protesting: “Paul, you can’t treat us like Gentiles! Don’t forget WE are the chosen people. God gave US the Law and sealed OUR relationship... Are you trying to tell us that we aren’t any better off then those...those Gentiles?!
And in so anticipating their protest, Paul gives us a picture of what I call The Religious Lost. The first characteristic of the religious lost is that they lack humility.
I. They Lack Humility 2:17-20
17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God;
18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;
Notice here what Paul is doing. In order to make his point, He begins by building up the Jews and at first it appears as though Paul is supporting them. In vv.17-18 he lists 6 things that were central to the Jew’s sense of special privilege.
First, Paul says “if you call yourself a Jew.? The NASB says “you bear the name Jew.” So proud were they of their identity that many of them who lived in Gentile cities used the word “Jew” as a surname. Their egos were so inflated–or puffed up–they included it in their name. Not to glorify God, but to set themselves above those around them.
Second, Paul says they “rely on the Law.” They thought that because they had received the Torah at Mt. Sinai that they had a unique standing before God; and that by POSSESSING it (not living by it) they were protected and set apart.
Third, they “boast in God.” This phrase is used in other places to mean a positive quality, but in this context it refers to their boasting that they were God’s favorites, that through God’s choosing, the Jews had a monopoly on God.
Fourth, they prided themselves on the fact that they “knew His will.” And again, not only did they know His will, they had exclusive knowledge because no one else knew God’s will because they weren’t Jews.
Fifth, they “approve the things that are essential. They considered themselves better able to make moral decisions.
Sixth, they were “instructed out of the Law.” The Law was their guide.
Now all these were wonderful privileges, and they made the Jews feel very good about themselves especially compared to the relatively uneducated gentiles. And with this inflated ego, they were deceived into thinking that these attributes made them acceptable to God. They served as sort of a checklist that determined their approval rating.
It is clear to us THEIR spiritual blindness-their lostness. But if we are not careful WE can fall into the same trap. We may find ourselves feeling more superior than our neighbor because of our biblical knowledge. After all, we have the Bible in 25 different versions, and we take pride in owning a particular version. Some say “I am a King James only Christian.” Or some boast because they have the more literal NASB. Or some even say I have many versions so I am better off. And some even claim “I can read the original Greek text, what can be better than that?!? Those who know so much about the Bible think that because they have a patent on the truth, they are just fine. It is easy for us, as it was for the Jews who rejected certain actions in life, to think that God is impressed by what we do or don’t do. “I go to church every time the door is open. I don’t smoke or drink. I don’t do drugs. And so on.
This is what Paul goes on to describe in vv. 19-20:
19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,
20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth...”
This kind of pride can make people obnoxious and intolerant. That’s what it did to the Jews. They saw themselves as guides, lights, correctors, and teachers, but instead of leading by example and being a light to the Gentiles, they narrowed their vision and began competing with each other–becoming absorbed in their own religious calisthenics...their own religious practices. And as a result, the Jews, rather than bring the Gentiles TO God, their attitudes drove them FROM God.
Tacitus, a Roman writer in the 2nd century writes: “Among themselves their honesty is inflexible, their compassion quick to move, but to all other persons they show antagonism.”
Kent Hughes summarizes it well: “The very privileges which should have produced saints instead produced arrogant, loveless egotists.”
Just before Kristen was born, Diane and I were searching for a new church around our home. We searched for several weeks. And one in particular sticks out in my mind. IT happened to be the biggest church in Danville, a town of about 9,000. We attended there 4 consecutive weeks. It was obvious that they took great care in conducting the worship service. Everything had its particular place and time. They were concerned for their religious rituals, but during those 4 Sundays, not ONE person said a word to us. Not the people we sat next to, not the pastor...nobody!
The sad thing is this is so true of so many today. Rather than producing humility and grace, the religious privileges they have received have cultivated self-righteous, self-centered, and self-deceived snobs. It is this very thing that may have provoked this parable by Jesus, from the Gospel of Luke 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ’God, I thank you that I am not like other men-- robbers, evildoers, adulterers-- or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Jacob Hughes writes: "Whenever a follower of Jesus Christ feels superior, he should beware, for such an attitude is not a sign of God’s grace. To come into a position of spiritual privilege only to succumb to self-righteous arrogance indicates that one’s soul is in great danger."
The legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, Vince Lombardi, became accustomed to fans seeking his autograph. One day while eating at a public restaurant, he spotted a kid approaching his table. Lombardi grabbed a menu and quickly scribbled his name. When the kid got to Lombardi’s table, the coach handed him the autographed menu. The youngster said, "I don’t need a menu. I just need to borrow your ketchup."
So many Christians are JUST like that.
They are so filled with themselves that they can’t even see past their own noses. The Bible calls them puffed up.
Prov 11:2
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Zeph 2:3
3 Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility...
Col 3:12
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Our world does not endorse humility though does it? Humility is a sign of weakness. Psychologists tell us that humility is a sign of low self-esteem. "BE ASSERTIVE" they say. Raise your self worth, and if you have to step on someone to do it, then so be it."
But as believers in Jesus Christ, we are to walk with humility. We are not to be like the Jews that Paul is speaking to here. We are to do what Paul says in Phil 2:3
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
The religious lost Lack Humility
II. They Lack Obedience 2:21-24
In verses 21-24, Paul moves from building the Jews up to confronting them with very penetrating rhetorical questions. But before we go on to these verses, notice something in 17-19. In verse 17 Paul says "IF you call yourself a Jew"
"IF you rely on the Law"
v18 "IF you know His will
v 19 "IF you are a guide for the blind..."
In building the Jews up, Paul is also setting them up. When I took LOGIC in college I learned that you don’t have an "IF" without a "THEN..." When I was learning to program computers the same was true. The same goes with Scripture. Paul has given them the IF, now in verses 21-24 he gives them the THEN...
21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?
22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
You see, it was common knowledge that many of the Jewish leaders were guilty of these very offenses Paul mentions. And as Paul states here, despite the Jews CLAIM to have so much and be so knowledgeable, they were turning people away from God
And then Paul concludes this section with a crushing accusation: in verse 24:
"As it is written: "God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Think about that statement for a minute. "God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Because of you, the gentiles are blaspheming God.
Now why? Why would the Jew’s behavior have such an impact on the Gentiles...so that they would blaspheme God?
Well think about their role–and while OUR role as Christians. It is commonly held that children form their impression of God from their fathers. Well, in that same way, nonbelievers form THEIR opinion of God from Christians, who are called to be Christ’s representatives.
Paul says in 2 Cor 8:23
"As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ."
The Jews believed that what made them Jews was their POSSESSION of the Law. They spent much of their time boasting the fact. But they never even considered that in order to be Jews they must also be OBEDIENT to the Law.
You’ve heard the expression that says "possession is 9/10ths of the law. That is what the Jews believed. But the Gentiles saw their boasting and their behavior and as a result they blasphemed God. They might say, We want nothing to do with a God who chooses these people as His representatives
Listen, if our lives are characterized by a lack of humility and a lack of obedience, we will find ourselves among the religious lost and we, too, will lead people away from the Lord.
Finally, the religious lost, Lack understanding.
III. They Lack Understanding 2:25-29
25 Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
26 If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
The Jews thought they were secure because they were God’s chose people, and the symbol which proved that truth was the rite of circumcision. They believed, almost superstitiously, that circumcision actually secured their salvation. One rabbi wrote, "Circumcision will deliver Israel."
The Jews completely misunderstood the role of circumcision. The rite of circumcision was very important. It was a God-given sign and a seal to their covenant. But it wasn’t a magic charm, a permanent life insurance policy against God’s wrath. Circumcision did not the negate the need for them to be humble and obedient.
I have on my hand a gold ring. Eleven years ago this month Diane gave this to me for our wedding. It is a symbol of our love, but it is not the substance of it. When we struggle, I don’t rub it for good luck or pray to it. If I were to lose it, I would be disappointed, but our marriage would continue unharmed. The ring is a symbol and nothing else.
Bur what if I tried to make this ring more than that? What if I decided to be abusive and unfaithful to her? Suppose I started refusing to care for my family’s needs. Then Diane said to me, "You don’t want to be my husband. You don’t love me or the children. I want you to leave."
And what if I responded: "How dare you talk to me like that. For 11 years I have worn this ring, and never taken it off. I may have been abusive and may have cheated on you, but I have worn your ring."
Do you think she would respond, "Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot. You have worn the ring and made a tremendous sacrifice in doing do!"
Of course she would not say that. Why? Because apart from the love that the ring symbolizes, the ring means nothing. The symbol represents love, it does not replace it. That’s not how the Jews understood it. In fact, they lacked understanding into the true purpose of circumcision. But Paul, in verse 29, clarifies it for them.
29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.
Eugene Peterson paraphrased it this way:
"Don’t you see, its not the cut of a knife that makes you a Jew. You become a Jew by who you are. It’s not a knife on your skin that makes you a Jew, it’s the mark of God on your heart."
Conclusion
In redefining who is a Jew, that is, who is really a member of God’s covenant people, Paul draws a sharp contrast. John Stotts puts it clearly: "It is not something outward and visible, but inward and invisible;...it is in the heart, not the flesh; ...it is effected by the Spirit not the law; and...it wins the approval of God not man."
One of the greatest dangers of religion is that we are comfortable with what is visible and outward and superficial, but what matters to God is that which is deep and inward, and only God’s Spirit can accomplish this in our hearts.
The question is, Where does you confidence lie? In your knowledge of God’s word? In your religious affiliation? In the fact that you have been baptized? If it is, then you are deceived and among the religious lost.
True salvation is a matter of the heart. It is not a question of whether you are baptized, galvanized or pasteurized.
The Christian faith is not a matter of who you are, but who you know. Salvation comes not thru baptism, not through religious rituals, but through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
