Devotionals
Circumcision, a word I haven’t given much thought to. I always thought it was a male thing. As I have grown in the church I have heard a few sermons on it. Paul preached on circumcision in his letters to the Jews. Max Lucado, in his book, “In the Grip of Grace” spends a chapter on it. What I have come to realize is that it is just as relevant for me today as it was for the Jews then.
The Jews in Biblical times were putting importance on their circumcision. Many thought because they were circumcised they were saved. They began to think they were better than the Gentiles because they had been circumcised. In reality, they were no different. Too many of them believed circumcision was a symbolic act of Christian righteousness. If they were circumcised then they were right with God. Paul goes on to say many of the Jews taught against stealing, but they stole themselves, they taught against adultery, but many of them were committing that sin as well; and he even went on to tell them they bragged about having God’s law, but they were bringing shame to God by breaking the law. “You teach others, so why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but you steal. You say that others must not take part in adultery, but you are guilty of that sin. You hate idols, but you steal from temples. You brag about having God’s law but you bring shame to God by breaking his law, just as the Scriptures say:”Those who are not Jews speak against God’s name because of you.” Romans 2:21-24. What I see many of these Jews saying was, “Do as I say not as I do, because I have been circumcised. I am set apart.” Paul goes on to say, “If you follow the law, your circumcision has meaning. But if you break the law, it is as if you were never circumcised. People who are not Jews are not circumcised, but if they do what the law says, it is as if they were circumcised.” Romans 25-26.
So breaking this down in thoughts I can comprehend, what does that mean to me? Baptism, taking the sacraments, being a member of a church, or serving on a committee for years on end does not make me a Christian. These are symbols of our Christian life.
There are a lot of thoughts on baptism. Some churches say you need to be immersed; some believe in sprinkling as babies, others do not. I am not going to get into that debate. What I do know about baptism is that I was sprinkled as a baby. As a teen I chose for myself to be immersed. It was something I wanted to do on my own. But, what it didn’t do is make me a better Christian or guarantee I would make it into heaven. It was a symbol of what I believed in. It is what I do after my immersion that determines where I spend eternity. If after being immersed I go out and continue to follow my own evil ways, then I am not any better than I was before and being immersed was just an outward appearance. When I was immersed I felt something, I knew I was to lead a different life. I could not go back to my old ways. I was a new person. I can’t tell you the day, the month or even the year I was immersed, because those elements are not important. What is important is what I did with that symbolic act and how it changed my life.
I am sometimes disappointed because, for whatever reason, I miss the Sunday we do Communion. As I was reading Max’s book, I realized once again it is not Communion that makes me a Christian. It is a symbolic remembrance of what God did for me. If I miss or take communion that will not have any bearing on whether it makes me a better or worse Christian. It is what’s in my heart.
Because I had been a church secretary for twelve years I have seen people who are convinced because they are church leaders they are saved. I knew a man who was a Sunday school teacher who taught youth. He taught all the right things, said all the right things and we thought lived all the right ways. Guess what? He was caught having an affair and was asked to change his ways and he was not allowed to teach the youth. I am wondering if he thought teaching Sunday school was his saving device. There have been many who have served or are serving on boards in our churches today that are convinced God will allow them in Heaven just because they have served God for many years as board members. Yet, many of these same people you never see enter the church except for Sunday morning. Their lives tell a different story.
We even had a lady call in just before the death of her husband to make sure he was still on our membership roll so when he died they could add the church to his lists of memberships in the obituary. We hadn’t seen this man in church for years. I am sure he thought when God read his obituary and saw he was a member of a church the doors to heaven would swing wide open.
These are all wonderful things, but they are just symbols. For many, the Bible is another symbol of a Christian life. I am afraid too many people think that if a Bible is sitting out in their homes and has no dust on it people will think they are Christians.
After reading about circumcision and what Paul has to say about it, I have come to realize circumcision is a heart matter. It is a change of life, a different way to live. It’s what we believe in and what we do with those things we believe in. I can say I am a Christian, but if I don’t change my attitudes or my lifestyle, or cleanup my mouth or get rid of bad habits that harm and hurt others, then I am no better than the Jews. Yes, God shares his message with me to share with you, but if I share it with you and do my own thing and not live accordingly, then I am no better. I have to take the log out of my own eye as I share God’s message with you. These messages are as much for me as they are for you. “And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? “ Matthew 7:3-4.
Are you a Jew or Gentile? Which group do you belong in? Do you relish these symbols? Do they mean more to you than anything else? Many people can tell you the exact time and date they became a Christian. Is this a symbol to them? If we find ourselves thinking we are better because we have served on church boards, been immersed, or we never miss communion, then think again. Are you leading a Godly life or a life of symbolism?
“A person is a Jew only if he is a Jew inside; true circumcision is done in the heart by the Spirit, not by the written law. Such a person gets praise from God rather than people”.
Romans 2:29
“God makes people right with himself through their faith in Jesus Christ. This is true for all who believe in Christ, because all people are the same. All have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ. “
Romans 3:22-24
Prayer:
Dear God: Your message to me today is powerful. I must remember it is in how I live my life that determines where I spend eternity. Remind me as I take communion, as I am baptized or as I serve on a board that these are just symbols of ways I can serve you. These things don’t make me a better Christian or any less of a Christian. It’s how I love others, how I respond to your love, and if I die to myself and live for you that makes me a Christian. Remind me it is all about being circumcised in the heart, not just an outward appearance. I live for you today and always. Amen.
“In the Grip of Grace”, Max Lucado,
Word Publishing Dallas, London, Vancouver and Melbourne
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