The Religious Man

The Religious Man

Series: The Case Against Us (Week 4)

Romans 2:17–29 

OPENING

So far in Romans, Paul has been building a case.

Week 1: The gospel has power. Week 2: The world is broken. Week 3: You are not the exception.

And now we arrive at a category of people who still feel relatively secure.

Not the rebellious. Not the openly immoral. Not those who reject God.

But religious.

The religious person thinks:

“I go to church.” “I know the Bible.” “I try to live right.” “I’m not like the world.”

And in their mind, that produces confidence.

A settled assumption:

“I’m okay with God.”

Let me give you a picture.

Imagine someone who grew up in a Christian home…

They attend church regularly. They know the songs. They can quote Scripture. They serve occasionally. They avoid obvious sin.

From the outside, everything looks right.

But inwardly?

No real surrender to God as Lord. No deep repentance for their sin. No transformed desires No dependence on God

Just structure, habit, & religion.

What are you trusting in to make you right with God?

INTERROGATIVE QUESTION

If religion cannot make you right with God, what actually does?

Your church attendance? Your knowledge? Your background? Your behavior?

Because Paul is about to dismantle all of that.

DIVISION 1

The Confidence of Religion (Romans 2:17–20)

Romans 2:17–20 CSB

Now if you call yourself a Jew, and rely on the law, and boast in God, and know his will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law, and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness, an instructor of the ignorant, a teacher of the immature, having the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law—

EXPLANATION

Paul begins:

“But if you call yourself a Jew…”

We need to understand the weight of that.

In Paul’s context, this is not just ethnic identity.

This is covenant identity.

This is someone who says:

“I belong to God.” “I have His Word.” “I know His ways.”

Today, we would say:

“If you call yourself a Christian…”

Then Paul lists what they rely on:

“You rely on the law…” “You boast in God…” “You know His will…” “You approve what is excellent…” “You are instructed from the law…”

This is a person who is:

Biblically informed Theologically confident Morally aware

And then he describes how they see themselves:

“A guide to the blind…” “A light to those in darkness…” “A teacher of truth…”

This is not casual religion, this is serious, structured, informed religion.

Notice how Paul identifies the core issue:

they “Rely…”

GREEK INTEGRATION

That word “rely” carries the idea of

leaning your weight on something.

Resting your confidence on it.

Depending on it to hold you up.

And here is the problem:

They are not leaning on God.

They are leaning on their association with God.

THEOLOGICAL DEPTH

This exposes a refined form of depravity.

Not rebellion.

Not immorality.

But misplaced trust.

They are trusting in:

Knowledge instead of grace Identity instead of transformation Proximity instead of possession

This is why religion can be so dangerous.

Because it creates the illusion of righteousness…

ILLUSTRATION

Think about someone who works as a nurse in a hospital.

They walk the halls.

They have the credentials

They know the language.

They see the doctors everyday.

But that does not mean they themselves are healthy.

Proximity is not the same as transformation.

ARGUMENTATION

Religious people often place confidence in three things:

Title: “I’m a Christian.” Knowledge: “I know the Bible.” Association: “I go to church.”

But Paul is exposing a dangerous Fact:

You can be around truth… Without being changed by it.

And that false confidence is more dangerous than open sin.

Because the rebellious person knows they are broken.

The religious person thinks they are fine.

APPLICATION

Believers:

Guard yourself from religious confidence. Do not rely on what you do, rely on what Jesus did.

Do not let familiarity with truth replace surrender to truth.

Unbelievers:

You may have proximity to truth… But not possession of it.

You may know about God… But not know God.

Ask honestly:

What am I actually trusting in?

STICKY STATEMENT

You can know the truth and still not be changed by it.

TRANSITION

Religion creates confidence.

But when that confidence is disconnected from reality…

It produces something even more dangerous.

DIVISION 2

The Hypocrisy of Religion (Romans 2:21–24)

Romans 2:21–24 CSB

you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal? You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.

EXPLANATION

Paul now presses hard:

“You then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?”

Then he exposes contradictions:

You preach against stealing… but steal

[spray paint bridges] You speak against adultery… but commit it You claim to honor God… but dishonor Him

Paul is exposing a gap between

What is professed…

And what is possessed.

And then Paul says something devastating:

“The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

GREEK INSIGHT

The idea of blasphemy here is an about reputation.

God’s name—His character, His nature—is being misrepresented.

THEOLOGICAL DEPTH

This reveals that obedience matters.

Not as a means of salvation… But as evidence of transformation.

When there is no transformation…

The life eventually exposes that.

Because true salvation produces a whole heart change.

ILLUSTRATION

There was a family-owned car dealer in my hometown, they had a massive sign that was really cool looking. it had clear message and a great promise on it. If you wanted to haggle, they would welcome any offer.

but poor service, bad vehicles and questionable practices made it clear, the business wasn't the issue the issue was that the whole family all lacked scruples.

People didn’t just reject the business.

They distrust the name.

In the same way:

When someone claims Christ…

But live a life that is unchanged…

It distorts how others see God.

ARGUMENTATION

We often define hypocrisy as:

“Saying one thing and doing another.”

But biblically, it is deeper:

It is presenting the appearance of transformation…

Without the reality of transformation.

And here is why that matters:

Because Christianity is not behavior modification.

It is heart transformation.

So if the heart has not changed…

The life will eventually reveal it.

APPLICATION

Unbelievers:

You may be managing behavior… Without addressing the heart.

You may look right outwardly… While remaining unchanged inwardly.

That is not salvation.

That is performance.

STICKY STATEMENT

When our lives don’t match our message, we misrepresent God.

TRANSITION

before I move forward with point three I want to address a matter that Paul talks about in his other books.

I think it’s important that we make an important distinction about the Law.

[The Moral, Ceremonial, and Civic Law]

Historians have understood the Old Testament Law in three broad categories:

The moral law The ceremonial law And the civic law

Because when Paul starts talking about the Jew, circumcision, and the Law, people can become confused and begin asking:

“What parts of the Old Testament Law still apply today?”

And that’s an important question.

THE MORAL LAW

The moral law reflects the eternal character and nature of God.

This includes commands regarding:

Truth Justice Sexual purity Worship Murder Stealing Lying Coveting

This is why Paul’s examples here in Romans 2 come directly from the Ten Commandments.

The moral law is timeless.

God does not change.

What was sinful in Exodus is still sinful in Romans.

Jesus reinforces this in the Sermon on the Mount.

He intensifies the moral law inwardly.

He says:

Murder is not just an action—it begins in the heart. Adultery is not just physical—it begins in lust.

So Jesus is not removing the moral law.

He is exposing how deeply we violate it.

THE CEREMONIAL LAW

Then there was the ceremonial law.

This included:

Sacrifices Temple rituals Dietary restrictions Purification laws Priestly regulations Feasts and festivals

These laws pointed forward to Christ.

They were shadows, Preparations, or Pictures.

And once Christ came, fulfilled the Law, died, and rose again…

Those ceremonial requirements were fulfilled in Him.

Not ignored, not meaningless, but fulfilled.

This is why the New Testament epistles do not command Christians to continue temple sacrifices, feast observances, or ceremonial rituals after the resurrection.

You do not see Paul commanding churches to restore animal sacrifices.

You do not see the apostles teaching that Christians must keep the feast system in order to be righteous before God.

Why?

Because Christ fulfilled what those things pointed to.

Hebrews makes this clear.

The sacrifices were shadows.

Christ is the substance.

Colossians says the

festivals and dietary laws, are shadows, but the substance belongs to Christ.

So Christians do not reject the ceremonial law as bad.

We recognize it as fulfilled.

THE CIVIC LAW

Then there was the civic law.

These were laws specifically given to Israel as a theocratic nation under God.

These governed:

National penalties Land issues Civil disputes Agricultural practices Political order

Those laws were tied specifically to Israel’s covenant nationhood.

But the church is not ancient Israel as a geopolitical state.

We are the people of God, citizens of Heaven spread throughout all the nations.

So the civic laws are not binding governmental legislation for the church today.

The New Testament never commands the church to recreate Israeli policies.

Instead, believers are called to live holy lives within the nations where God has placed them.

WHY DOES THIS MATTERS FOR ROMANS 2?

The Jews believed possession of the Law gave them confidence before God.

But Paul’s point is this:

Possessing the Law is not the same thing as obeying the Law.

And outward religious markers—circumcision, rituals, ceremonies—cannot save a heart that remains unchanged.

That’s why Paul is moving toward this conclusion:

What God has always wanted…

Was not merely outward conformity.

But inward transformation.

And that transformation ultimately comes through Christ alone.

DIVISION 3

The Reality of True Religion (Romans 2:25–29)

Romans 2:25–29 CSB

Circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So if an uncircumcised man keeps the law’s requirements, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 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. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 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.

EXPLANATION

Paul now addresses circumcision.

Circumcision was the defining marker of belonging to God’s people.

It was external.

Visible.

Identity-shaping.

And Paul says:

“It only matters… if your heart is right.”

Then he flips everything:

“A Jew is one inwardly…” “Circumcision is a matter of the heart…” “By the Spirit…”

This would have been shocking.

Because Paul is saying:

True identity is not external.

It is internal.

GREEK INTEGRATION

That word “heart” refers to the center of a person:

Desires, Affections and the Will

And the phrase “by the Spirit” makes it clear:

This is not self-produced.

This is God-produced.

THEOLOGICAL DEPTH

This is where justification begins to shine through the shadows.

Because if transformation is internal…

And produced by God…

Then salvation is not earned.

It is given.

This is the beginning of understanding:

You don’t clean yourself up.

God makes you new.

This also points to assurance.

If transformation is God’s work…

Then your hope is not in your consistency…

But in His power to provide on His promise.

APPLICATION

Believers:

Walk in dependence on the Spirit.

Let obedience flow from a changed heart.

Unbelievers:

You cannot fix yourself.

You cannot perform your way into righteousness.

You cannot become acceptable to God through religion.

You need a new heart.

And only God can give it.

STICKY STATEMENT

God is not impressed with your religion—He wants your heart.

CONCLUSION

Notice what Paul has done.

Week 2: The rebellious are guilty. Week 3: The moral are guilty. Week 4: The religious are guilty.

No category remains.

No one is standing.

Because if:

Rebellion doesn’t save you… Morality doesn’t save you… Religion doesn’t save you…

Then what does?

GOSPEL TENSION [Worship Team]

What if…

Everything you have been trusting in…

Is insufficient.

You cannot fix yourself.

You cannot perform your way to God.

You cannot rely on religion.

FINAL APPEAL

So let me ask you plainly:

Has your heart been changed?

Not:

Do you attend church Do you know Scripture Do you try to be good

But:

Has God done a work in you?

Has there been repentance?

Has there been surrender?

Has there been transformation?

Because outward religion… Cannot replace inward change.

FINAL LINE

You can look right, sound right, and act right…

And still be wrong before God—

Unless your heart has been made new.

Let’s pray together.

Father, we confess that on our own we do not stand righteous before You. No amount of morality, religion, knowledge, or effort can save us.

Thank You that You did not leave us in our sin. Thank You for sending Jesus Christ to live the life we could not live and to die the death we deserved.

And Father, I pray for every person in this room today.

For the believer, remind us that our hope is not in our performance, but in Christ alone. Produce in us genuine obedience, humility, and gratitude.

And for those who have never truly trusted in Jesus, open their eyes today. Bring them to repentance and faith. Help them stop trusting in themselves and place their full trust in Christ.

Thank You that the same God who judges sin has also made a way for sinners to be saved through Jesus Christ.

And it’s in His name we pray.

Amen.

The Confidence of Religion (Romans 2:17–20)

You can know the truth and still not be changed by it.

The Hypocrisy of Religion (Romans 2:21–24)

When our lives don’t match our message, we misrepresent God.

The Reality of True Religion (Romans 2:25–29)

God is not impressed with your religion—He wants your heart.

Sermon insert

The Moral, Ceremonial, and Civic Law

Before we move further into this passage, I think it’s important that we make an important distinction about the Law.

Because when Paul starts talking about the Jew, circumcision, and the Law, people can become confused and begin asking:

“What parts of the Old Testament Law still apply today?”

And that’s an important question.

Historically, Christians have understood the Old Testament Law in three broad categories:

The moral law The ceremonial law And the civic law

Now these are connected, but they are not identical.

THE MORAL LAW

The moral law reflects the eternal character and nature of God.

This includes commands regarding:

Truth Justice Sexual purity Worship Murder Stealing Lying Coveting

This is why Paul’s examples here in Romans 2 come directly from the Ten Commandments.

Because the moral law is timeless.

God does not change.

What was sinful in Exodus is still sinful in Romans.

And Jesus reinforces this in the Sermon on the Mount.

He intensifies the moral law inwardly.

He says:

Murder is not just an action—it begins in the heart. Adultery is not just physical—it begins in lust.

So Jesus is not removing the moral law.

He is exposing how deeply we violate it.

THE CEREMONIAL LAW

Then there was the ceremonial law.

This included:

Sacrifices Temple rituals Dietary restrictions Purification laws Priestly regulations Feasts and festivals

These laws pointed forward to Christ.

They were shadows.

Preparations.

Pictures.

And once Christ came, fulfilled the Law, died, and rose again…

Those ceremonial requirements were fulfilled in Him.

Not ignored.

Fulfilled.

This is why the New Testament epistles do not command Christians to continue temple sacrifices, feast observances, or ceremonial rituals after the resurrection.

You do not see Paul commanding churches to restore animal sacrifices.

You do not see the apostles teaching that Christians must keep the feast system in order to be righteous before God.

Why?

Because Christ fulfilled what those things pointed to.

Hebrews makes this clear.

The sacrifices were shadows.

Christ is the substance.

Colossians says the festivals, dietary laws, and Sabbaths were a shadow of things to come—but the substance belongs to Christ.

So Christians do not reject the ceremonial law as bad.

We recognize it as fulfilled.

THE CIVIC LAW

Then there was the civic law.

These were laws specifically given to Israel as a theocratic nation under God.

These governed:

National penalties Land issues Civil disputes Agricultural practices Political order

Those laws were tied specifically to Israel’s covenant nationhood.

But the church is not ancient Israel as a geopolitical nation-state.

We are the people of God spread among the nations.

So the civic laws are not binding governmental legislation for the church today.

The New Testament never commands the church to recreate Old Testament Israel politically.

Instead, believers are called to live holy lives within the nations where God has placed them.

WHY THIS MATTERS FOR ROMANS 2

And here’s why this matters in Romans 2.

The Jews believed possession of the Law gave them confidence before God.

But Paul’s point is this:

Possessing the Law is not the same thing as obeying the Law.

And outward religious markers—circumcision, rituals, ceremonies—cannot save a heart that remains unchanged.

That’s why Paul is moving toward this conclusion:

What God has always wanted…

Was not merely outward conformity.

But inward transformation.

And that transformation ultimately comes through Christ alone.

SUPPORTING SCRIPTURES (FOR YOUR NOTES)

You can mention or reference these naturally:

Moral Law

5:17–28Matthew 

2:21–24Romans 

20:1–17Exodus 

Ceremonial Law Fulfilled

2:16–17Colossians 

10:1–14Hebrews 

3:23–25Galatians 

Civic/Theocratic Distinction

2:9–121 Peter 

3:20Philippians 

Heart Check: True Religion vs. Empty Ritual

Bible Passage: Romans 2:17–29

Summary: In Romans 2:17–29, Paul confronts the Jewish religious identity, emphasizing that mere external adherence to the law is insufficient for righteousness. He highlights the importance of an inward transformation of the heart as the true marker of being God's people.

Big Idea: True religion is not defined by external rituals but by a heart transformed by faith in Christ, leading to genuine obedience and relationship with God.

Teaching: The sermon will teach that true faith is not about outward appearances or rituals, but about an internal change that aligns our hearts with God's will. It emphasizes that God cares more about our inner character than our external compliance.

How this passage could point to Christ: This theme points to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the law, highlighting that through Him, we receive a new heart and a new identity, moving from mere ritualistic religion to a vibrant, transformative relationship with God.

Application: This passage challenges Christians to reflect on their relationship with God—are we merely going through the motions, or is our faith producing genuine transformation in our lives? It gives hope to those who feel burdened by religious expectations, reminding them that God desires a sincere heart above all.

What does Paul identify as the core issue with those who rely on their religious identity in Romans 2:17-20?

How does Paul's description of true religion in Romans 2 contrast with merely practicing religious rituals?

In what ways can we guard our hearts against placing confidence in our religious practices rather than in our relationship with Christ?

Can you identify a time when your outward actions did not match your inner beliefs? How can you work towards authentic living?

According to the sermon, what is the significance of the phrase 'a Jew is one inwardly' as stated in Romans 2:28-29?

How does true faith, as described in this sermon, differ from simply adhering to religious laws or traditions?

1. Confidence Crushed: From Law to Life

Romans 2:17–20

You could explore how Paul challenges the assumed confidence of the Jews who rely on having the law, emphasizing that knowledge without obedience leads to self-deception. This suggests an opportunity to reflect on whether we place our confidence in religious knowledge rather than a lived relationship with Christ, who fulfills and extends the law. Encourage listeners to move beyond merely having access to biblical truths and strive for an active embodiment of those truths in everyday life.

2. Hypocrisy Heralded: Beyond Empty Words

Romans 2:21–24

Perhaps highlight how Paul exposes the hypocrisy of professing faith without practicing it, as those who teach others while failing to teach themselves are brought under scrutiny. This addresses the temptation of appearing righteous without the substance of a transformed heart. Challenge the congregation to consider areas in their lives where their actions may not align with their professed beliefs, urging them to seek Christ’s strength for authentic living. This is a call to consistency in faith, found in a heart genuinely engaged with God.

3. Reality Revealed: From Ritual to Relationship

Romans 2:25–29

Maybe delve into Paul's argument that true circumcision and religious identity are matters of the heart by the Spirit, not just outward conformity. This point encapsulates the heart of Christian identity—rooted in internal transformation through Christ. It's a call to examine whether our lives reflect a deep, personal relationship with Jesus. Use this to encourage believers to seek the Spirit's work in reshaping their hearts, aligning them not with mere tradition, but with a heartfelt, Spirit-led obedience to God's will.