Inside Versus Outside
Romans 2:28-29 NKJ
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.
The book of Romans is considered by most theologians to be Paul’s finest work. I happen to like all of Paul’s writings, but Romans stands out as an important picture of what Jesus accomplished for us. In our verses for today, Paul makes a distinction between those who believed they were saved by their circumcision versus those who are truly saved.
In the Old Testament, circumcision was a sign of the covenant that God made with Abraham. The Jewish people were very diligent to keep this outward sign. And after Jesus’ resurrection, circumcision was still a big deal with the Jewish people. This insistence on being circumcised in order to be saved was a major point of contention between Paul and Jewish teachers who would follow him. These teachers would shake the faith of the Gentiles by convincing them that in order to be truly saved, a man must be circumcised. Even though the leaders of the church determined that circumcision was not a requirement for Gentiles who had received Christ, the issue still remained.
In our verses for today, Paul declares that salvation is not about the outward sign of circumcision but the inward work of God. One of the key differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament was outward versus inward. The Old Testament dealt with the outward man, the flesh. While the New Testament, or new covenant that we have through Jesus, deals with the spirit of man. Paul says the people of God are those who have been circumcised in their heart. We typically don’t refer to the new birth in this way, but in essence, this is what Paul is saying. It’s not what we do outwardly that matters to God; it’s what takes place in our heart.
Outward circumcision was something visible in the flesh. The Jews placed great stock in this physical act. Inward circumcision is not visible and takes place in the heart. The outward sign is praised by man. The inward sign is praised by God. One is the work of men, the other the work of the Holy Spirit. The Jewish people were very upset with Paul because he minimized physical circumcision. Paul understood much more than most that the work of the Holy Spirit was in the heart of man. That inward work was a more powerful and lasting work.
Application
Even today, people want to add something outward to salvation. Did a person cry when they were saved? Did they give up all their sinful ways before coming to the cross? Some even go as far as to say that unless you were wearing the right kind of clothes or not wearing jewelry, salvation was beyond you. Some people became upset with me when I stopped making people walk an aisle to receive salvation. I received the Lord walking across a grassy field. I wasn’t even in a church. Some believe that unless you are baptized a certain way, you can’t be saved. But anyone who tries to add anything to salvation other than believing in Jesus and receiving Him as Savior and Lord is off track.
Salvation is what takes place on the inside, a work of the Holy Spirit. Learning to live out our salvation is more of a process. But we start with the foundation of being a new creation in Christ, not trying to earn our salvation by our lifestyle. It’s not our clothes or jewelry or hair or tears; it’s our heart that God sees that matters most.
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, for the salvation that is available to all who believe, not all who meet man’s standards. Your work in me is an inside job!