God Hates Religiosity and Ritual - Romans 2:17-29
by Pastor Lee Hemen
October 1, 2006 AM
Should a person practice what they preach? Recently we heard and saw on the nightly news a past President loudly trying to defend his ability to do the job he had once been elected to do. Sounding like a petulant child he vociferously defended his record. However, there is just one problem, the history of his own office shows otherwise. Even those that served with him in the capacities required, disagreed with his statements. Little was done in eight years of his Presidency. In fact, our enemies have related that they were embolden to attack the us again because of this President’s inaction. He is learning that we are not only held accountable by the words we use, but by the actions we do. The same is true for our faith in Jesus Christ. God hates religiosity and ritual.
The Jews of Paul’s day felt that they could rely on their past history of being pious people, but their spiritual and physical record proved otherwise. They relied on the law and bragged about their past history. Paul challenges them to look closely at the spiritual facts. In the previous section we found Paul addressing his Jewish readers in a restrained manner, but here the gloves come off. He uses a tirade to get their attention. He is coming at them in full force to help wake up from their spiritual slumber of inaction. Their conduct did not match their loud professions of faith. The same can be true for us as Christians. Do we practice what we preach? Paul reminds all of us that God hates religiosity and ritual. Let us find out what that means for us today.
READ: Romans 2:17-29
We all have little things we do. They almost become rituals in our lives. Spiritually rituals can be either good or bad depending upon why and the outcome. Paul related to his readers the fact that…
I. The ritual of your life speaks louder than your words (vv. 17-24)!
1. What do you call yourself? Paul bluntly calls his to comment on themselves. He rhetorically asks, “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew… you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” Throughout the known world of Paul’s day the Jews hypocritical conduct had lead others to blaspheme the name of God. They were called of God to be His representatives to the nations around them, instead they had become a disgrace to the One they professed to worship! Strong words, but to bear the name of God is a sacred trust. They had relied on the “law and brag[ged] about [their] relationship to God.” They were to be guides to the spiritually blind and a light to a sin-darkened world. They had convinced themselves of their spiritual superiority. They called others infants and foolish of the things of God. Yet they were guilty of breaking the very law they held in esteem. They stole, committed adultery, worshipped idols, and willingly broke the law of God. They were not much different from many believers today! How do we prostitute the blessings of God to serve our own selfish desires? To violate the sacred trust of God carries harsh repercussions: Jesus related to His disciples, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves (Luke 17:1-3).” Paul is saying that the ritual of your life speaks louder than your words.
EXAMPLE: Throughout the world of Buddhism you can find what is known as prayer wheels. They are usually round, with a lot of writing on them. The writing is a series of prayers or incantations. It is believed that when you walk by a prayer wheel if you just give it a spin, you are sending a prayer to the gods. Simply by doing a meaningless physical act, many believe you are being spiritual. Sadly, there are Christians who believe in much the same idea. They believe that by repetitious ritual you are imparting holiness or grace into your life. For evangelicals it can be the false notion of simply experiencing a feeling, going through the motions of prayer, or just by claiming a Biblical promise you have gained some kind of favor with God. It is vain ritual. Why? When we begin to think that our ceremony saves us or brings us close to God we begin to rely on the thing rather than the person of Jesus Christ. Or it can be true if you say you are saved but your life reflects a different view. The ritual of your life speaks louder than your words!
Being religious is not a guarantee that you truly love God. It can just mean that you know when and how to go through meaningless ritual. In fact, Paul relates that…
II. The religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart (vv. 25-29)!
1. How do you obey God? People inevitably hide their real self and put on self they want others to see. We want to appear good and nice before our contemporaries. However, spiritual authenticity comes when we surrender our hypocritical self, acknowledge our sinfulness, and accept God’s divine grace. Like the Jews of Paul’s day, we can know the Word of God rather than practice what it teaches the human heart. Circumcision is not a physical reality as far as God is concerned, it is a spiritual cutting away of our sinful will. You can be circumcised outwardly, but still be uncircumcised spiritually: “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 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 (vv. 28-29).” Or as Paul would also write: “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation (Galatians 6:15).” You can say you are Christian, but until it blooms in your life outwardly, what you say is meaningless. Faith that does not express itself through obedience is counterfeit. Going through a ceremony does not make you a pious Jew according to Paul, nor a Christian! You are one only inwardly as God has cut away your sin. The real physical act is only accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit when He convicts us of our sin, we readily confess it, give our lives to Christ and live like it. How do you obey God? The religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart!
EXAMPLE: If you had a cancerous growth, you would do whatever it took to try and get rid of it. You would try using harsh chemicals, radiation, or even cutting it away through surgery. Why? Because you know if it is left unchecked, it will grow and ultimately kill you. That’s what cancer does. Sin is the same. It is the cancer of the soul. The only way it can be taken care of is through harsh measures. No, not by using chemicals, radiation, or physically cutting it out, but by spiritual circumcision of the human heart. The washing of the Holy Spirit in the life of the repentant person. After all “circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit!” And often spiritual surgery like physical surgery, leaves a scar but it is worth it. Only then can you be cleansed. Only then can you be totally forgiven. Only then are you made new and whole. Going to church, singing the hymns and choruses, toting around a big Bible, and spouting God-talk will not save you. It is all religiosity. Paul would tell you that the religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart!
Conclusion:
The ritual of your life speaks louder than your words, and the religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart! What will you do with what you have learned today? Why not come to Jesus and live for Him?
by Pastor Lee Hemen
October 1, 2006 AM
Should a person practice what they preach? Recently we heard and saw on the nightly news a past President loudly trying to defend his ability to do the job he had once been elected to do. Sounding like a petulant child he vociferously defended his record. However, there is just one problem, the history of his own office shows otherwise. Even those that served with him in the capacities required, disagreed with his statements. Little was done in eight years of his Presidency. In fact, our enemies have related that they were embolden to attack the us again because of this President’s inaction. He is learning that we are not only held accountable by the words we use, but by the actions we do. The same is true for our faith in Jesus Christ. God hates religiosity and ritual.
The Jews of Paul’s day felt that they could rely on their past history of being pious people, but their spiritual and physical record proved otherwise. They relied on the law and bragged about their past history. Paul challenges them to look closely at the spiritual facts. In the previous section we found Paul addressing his Jewish readers in a restrained manner, but here the gloves come off. He uses a tirade to get their attention. He is coming at them in full force to help wake up from their spiritual slumber of inaction. Their conduct did not match their loud professions of faith. The same can be true for us as Christians. Do we practice what we preach? Paul reminds all of us that God hates religiosity and ritual. Let us find out what that means for us today.
READ: Romans 2:17-29
We all have little things we do. They almost become rituals in our lives. Spiritually rituals can be either good or bad depending upon why and the outcome. Paul related to his readers the fact that…
I. The ritual of your life speaks louder than your words (vv. 17-24)!
1. What do you call yourself? Paul bluntly calls his to comment on themselves. He rhetorically asks, “Now you, if you call yourself a Jew… you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” Throughout the known world of Paul’s day the Jews hypocritical conduct had lead others to blaspheme the name of God. They were called of God to be His representatives to the nations around them, instead they had become a disgrace to the One they professed to worship! Strong words, but to bear the name of God is a sacred trust. They had relied on the “law and brag[ged] about [their] relationship to God.” They were to be guides to the spiritually blind and a light to a sin-darkened world. They had convinced themselves of their spiritual superiority. They called others infants and foolish of the things of God. Yet they were guilty of breaking the very law they held in esteem. They stole, committed adultery, worshipped idols, and willingly broke the law of God. They were not much different from many believers today! How do we prostitute the blessings of God to serve our own selfish desires? To violate the sacred trust of God carries harsh repercussions: Jesus related to His disciples, “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come. It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. So watch yourselves (Luke 17:1-3).” Paul is saying that the ritual of your life speaks louder than your words.
EXAMPLE: Throughout the world of Buddhism you can find what is known as prayer wheels. They are usually round, with a lot of writing on them. The writing is a series of prayers or incantations. It is believed that when you walk by a prayer wheel if you just give it a spin, you are sending a prayer to the gods. Simply by doing a meaningless physical act, many believe you are being spiritual. Sadly, there are Christians who believe in much the same idea. They believe that by repetitious ritual you are imparting holiness or grace into your life. For evangelicals it can be the false notion of simply experiencing a feeling, going through the motions of prayer, or just by claiming a Biblical promise you have gained some kind of favor with God. It is vain ritual. Why? When we begin to think that our ceremony saves us or brings us close to God we begin to rely on the thing rather than the person of Jesus Christ. Or it can be true if you say you are saved but your life reflects a different view. The ritual of your life speaks louder than your words!
Being religious is not a guarantee that you truly love God. It can just mean that you know when and how to go through meaningless ritual. In fact, Paul relates that…
II. The religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart (vv. 25-29)!
1. How do you obey God? People inevitably hide their real self and put on self they want others to see. We want to appear good and nice before our contemporaries. However, spiritual authenticity comes when we surrender our hypocritical self, acknowledge our sinfulness, and accept God’s divine grace. Like the Jews of Paul’s day, we can know the Word of God rather than practice what it teaches the human heart. Circumcision is not a physical reality as far as God is concerned, it is a spiritual cutting away of our sinful will. You can be circumcised outwardly, but still be uncircumcised spiritually: “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 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 (vv. 28-29).” Or as Paul would also write: “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation (Galatians 6:15).” You can say you are Christian, but until it blooms in your life outwardly, what you say is meaningless. Faith that does not express itself through obedience is counterfeit. Going through a ceremony does not make you a pious Jew according to Paul, nor a Christian! You are one only inwardly as God has cut away your sin. The real physical act is only accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit when He convicts us of our sin, we readily confess it, give our lives to Christ and live like it. How do you obey God? The religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart!
EXAMPLE: If you had a cancerous growth, you would do whatever it took to try and get rid of it. You would try using harsh chemicals, radiation, or even cutting it away through surgery. Why? Because you know if it is left unchecked, it will grow and ultimately kill you. That’s what cancer does. Sin is the same. It is the cancer of the soul. The only way it can be taken care of is through harsh measures. No, not by using chemicals, radiation, or physically cutting it out, but by spiritual circumcision of the human heart. The washing of the Holy Spirit in the life of the repentant person. After all “circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit!” And often spiritual surgery like physical surgery, leaves a scar but it is worth it. Only then can you be cleansed. Only then can you be totally forgiven. Only then are you made new and whole. Going to church, singing the hymns and choruses, toting around a big Bible, and spouting God-talk will not save you. It is all religiosity. Paul would tell you that the religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart!
Conclusion:
The ritual of your life speaks louder than your words, and the religiosity of your life may need a circumcision of the heart! What will you do with what you have learned today? Why not come to Jesus and live for Him?
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