Circumcision of the Heart

Introduction

Explain what bean boozled is. Explain that while on the outside to the human eye each looks the same. On the inside one is much worse than the other.

One is Buttered popcorn, one is rotten eggs.

God sees and judges us according to the things he sees on the inside and outside.

Where are you at on the inside? Where is your heart?

Body

Today we will continue our series on Romans

The passage we are covering today talks about the heart of a Christian

In the passage today in just 4 verses the words circumcision and uncircumcision appears a combined 10 times

So what is circumcision?

To the Jews who Paul is addressing here a circumcision is very similar to a baptism for us today, which is an outward showing of an inward change. This was used to identify these people as God’s people. Many also thought that circumcision saves and thought that the way you lived didn’t matter at all.

Paul deconstructs that belief through this passage as he hits on the real way to be right with Jesus.

Romans 2:25–29 CSB

25 Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who keeps the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That person’s praise is not from people but from God.

What is your circumcision today? What is the public thing you do to make yourself feel like you’re good with God?

Paul explains through this passage that you are not saved and right with God because of your outward expression of faith, but your inward heart for Christ.

When our joy comes from our inward heart and not just on what we want people to see, according to the passage we begin to get our praise from God and not people

In other words we need to stop being people pleasers and hypocrites.

A true Inward change will lead to an outward change that is sincere.

Going to Church Becomes Be the Church and Be Commissioned.

Being In FCA Becomes stepping up and being a Christian example on campus.

Calling yourself a Christian becomes living the lifestyle of a believer.

Owning a bible becomes studying and living out God’s word.

Getting baptized becomes worth something, it becomes a true showing to the world that you are changed through Christ.

Praying before meals becomes less of an obligation and more of a concentration. You want to do that.

Conclusion

None of these things are bad. In fact if you have a genuine heart for the Lord all of these things will stretch you as a believer, but they alone will not save you.

You should do all of these things as a believer, but if your heart is not right with God then why do it all?

Only a heart submitted to Christ can save you

Invitation and Prayer

God is calling us today to have an inward change of heart