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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Subjecta:The Unreliability of Outward Appearances of Faith Bible Verse:Romans 2:25-29 "For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God. " Message:
To the modern reader, the passages in Paul’s epistles about circumcision can seem puzzling, alien, completely irrelevant, and rather distasteful. To us, circumcision is a minor health decision and something we do not really care to talk about. To understand what Paul is saying, we have to get past the language, and understand what a critical issue this was to the Jews who were the first Christians.
The Jews had been born and raised in the belief that a man could not be blessed before God unless he was circumcised; it was the defining mark of obedience to God. Thus, the Gentile men’s lack of it was an enormous barrier to reconciling Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Hermit at Prayer
So, every time Paul says “circumcision,” translate this mentally into “Jewish faith in God.” He is speaking to the Jews about hypocrisy. A person does not become righteous before God by his outward appearance. The mark of circumcision is outward, where it can be seen by men. What matters to God is what is done and thought within, in one’s heart and spirit.
The lesson is as important today as it was then, only we have replaced circumcision with speech and (sometimes) Christian jewelry, such as a cross or crucifix, or even an act such as attending church. These are good things. They build Christian community, they advertise our beliefs, they show that we believe our glory is in God.
They are, however, outward. In terms of actual belief and salvation, they mean nothing. Many a total hypocrite will attend church every Sunday, hoping for some advantage in life. Strippers and drug dealers often wear crosses. Frauds appear on television, earning a fat living by “talking the talk” of Christ to convince watchers to send them money.
We must always be careful that our outward self truly reflects what is going on within us. As we saw in the previous verses, trying to appear holy in public while sinning in private causes blasphemy among non-believers and discourages our brothers and sisters. Representing ourselves as holier than we are is a sin in itself, the sin of pride or vanity; for when we do it, we are seeking honor among men, not God’s glory.
Meditation : . Prayer : God of mercy, swift to help: as my lips pour forth your praise, fill my heart with the peace you give to those who wait for your salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord......Amen |
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