The Inward Reality
The Inward Reality February 8, 2009
Romans 2:17-29
Pastor Chet Klope
Introduction: DNA
I am going to assume that most or all of us have heard of DNA
Deoxy-ribo-nucleic acid (DNA)
It is impossible to study biology with including some investigation of
Deoxy-ribo-nucleic Acid or DNA
I won’t bore you with a science lesson today
1. Because many of us would not be that interested…bore you
2. Many of our young people already are getting this in school…bore you
3. I really only have the smallest bit of knowledge on it anyway
And few things are more boring
Than having someone talk on something
They don’t really know anything about to begin with
But let me share just a couple things I think I know about DNA
DNA…
is the fundamental building block
for an individual's entire genetic makeup–our hereditary blueprint
determines our physical characteristics, such as
eye and hair color, height, and bone structure
is a component of virtually every cell in the human body.
Except red blood cells
is the same in each cell and
it does not change throughout a person's lifetime.
Same in your blood, skin, saliva, bones, hair, etc
It can be damaged but it is very difficult to do
But your Body actually has processes that are repairing
The DNA continuously is repairing
Always on the look our to repair DNA damage
And I think one of the most amazing things about it is
That it is both complex and relatively simple
is made up of 4 different A T C G nucleotides
This four molecules form the bases for virtually everything in DNA
combine in various ways to make tens of thousands of different
DNA---to---RNA---to ---Proteins
DNA Size illustration
Ink Dot=1 Millimeter (1,000th or a meter)
100 human cells in that width
DNA in each cell- if unwound= 2 meters
If all the DNA in your body was stretched out
From here to the moon and back 70 times
CSI
When it is all said and done…
The DNA in our body simplest, smallest and most specific
Identifier of who we are…
The DNA in your cells is so specific to you,
That it has revolutionized criminal prosecution
People have been convicted because of it
Others have been set free after being wrongly convicted.
You may be wondering why all this about DNA?
When we think of the human body
And what it looks like…and how it functions
The reality of all that our bodies are
DNA is at the core of that discussion
It is DNA that drives the fundamental aspects of who we are as humans
You are male or female…tall or short…
You have brown eyes or blue eyes…dark skin or light skin…
You have straight hair or curly hair…lots or it or little left…
because of your DNA
Theme Point:
While there is much research into Gene Therapy
Making your DNA act differently to cure disease
Currently the only tools we have to change our physical bodies
are clothing, tattoos, body piercings, cosmetics or cosmetic surgery
No matter how much money you spend…currently you can’t fundamentall
Change your physical body
But there is good news…
In a spiritual sense…change is possible
And that is what I would like us to look at today
Please open you Bibles this morning to Romans 2:17-29
Two weeks ago…Fred mentioned this passage in one of sermons
On the book of Hosea…in his current sermon series “A Divine Divorce”
He made a reference to the reality that
God’s having chosen one group of people
to be the recipients of his particular favor
did not imply that he could not also remove that favor
In this passage…one of the early Christian leaders…Paul
Is writing to a mixed group of both Jewish and non-Jewish
People living in Rome
Many would be Christians, but not necessarily everyone who read this
Many of the believers in Christ were Jews…but not all
Earlier in this chapter he makes the argument
That just because you claim to know God
Doesn’t mean He won’t judged you at the end of your life
The Bible is clear that at the end of our lives
Every one of us will face a time of Judgment
When we will stand before God
And be held accountable for our lives.
In today’s passage he is going to build upon that as he speaks to
The very special relationship Jewish people have with God.
Prayer: Lord, once again we are taking the time to open the Bible, your Holy Word communicated to us for our good and your glory. We ask that you, Holy Spirit would come and guide us in this process. Lord, guide my mind so that the words I speak are the ones you desire to be said. And Lord, guide our hearts that the words we hear would be more than just head knowledge to us, and that we would live according to what you reveal.
The Privilege of Being Jews (V 17-20)
The first verses of this passage talk about the privileges of being a Jew
READ V 17
1. They are called Jews
Throughout history this name has been significant
For all the empires that have come and gone
Through all the persecution and the horror of the Holocaust
There are still Jews in our world
A Jew may be very unreligious…but he or she is still a Jew
There is something special about being a Jew
It goes beyond in national heritage
There are Jews in almost every country of the world
A person who is a Jew…Is always a Jew.
2. They have the Law
They have the written communication of God
The Words of the almighty one
Written in a language that is all there own
Distinct in content
Timeless in impact
3. They have a Special Relationship With God
This is a unique thing
God spoke to them and led them out of captivity in Egypt
The Jewish people exist to this day
Because of this special relationship
Read V 18
4. They know the Will of God
This is not an insignificant thing
All humanity longs to know there is a God
But God’s relationship with the Jewish people goes beyond that
Because they have the Law…They not only know there is a God
They Know God
They know his very being…
His Will- what he desires
His Ways- what is the superior or perfect in His eyes
Read V 19-20
5. They are Guides to Truth
Because they have been trusted with the very Word of God
They are trusted to guide people to that Truth
With all the Jewish people have…all that their special position with God entails
They still struggled at times to understand the universal truth that…
“With great privilege comes great responsibility”
We know that they are not alone in this problem
We see it all around us…
It confronts almost daily in our newspapers
On the TV
Or our favorite online new source
People of power or public trust
Abusing that trust
The Responsibility of Being Jews (V 21-24)
What Paul goes on to describe here beginning in verse 21
Is the breakdown of the Jewish people’s understanding
of their responsibilities.
Read V 21-23
Teach…Preach…Say…Abhor…Brag
These are all the verbal communication of something
In this case the verbal communication of truth
When that truth is not being practiced themselves
There is a word for that Hypocrisy
And it doesn’t matter what period of history we are talking about
Whether the time of Hosea...
Where the northern ten tribes of Isreal
Claimed a knowledge of God but did their own thing
They walked away from Jerusalem and Yahweh their God
And turn to and embraced other gods as well
Or the time of Paul in this passage…
Where they did said one thing but did another
Or in our time…
Where Christians act in ways
inconsistent with what they say they believe
It doesn’t matter when the Hypocrisy takes place.
It has a negative effect both us
And those around us.
Romans 2:24
As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
This is a reference to Isaiah 52:4-5
Where the Prophet Isaiah communicates the great damage
That has been done to God’s reputation
Because of Israel’s turning their back on God
And God returned the favor by removing His blessing
And allowing the Assyrians to take them off into captivity.
When the people of God’s favor…Whether Jews or Christians
Act in ways that is contradictory to His Word and Will
Others around them…harden their hearts
And even blaspheme God’s name.
Blasphemy= curse, ridicule, defame
or even just to dismiss as unimportant
This is what was happening in Hosea’s time.
And this is what happens to all who knowingly or unknowingly turn their back on God…Eventually, His blessing is removed and that is not a good place to be.
And if Jews take pride in their being Jewish
And in their possession of the Law and the privileges they have
Out of their special relationship with God
They also take pride in their physical sign of that relationship
In the covenant keeping act of Circumsion
The Mark of Being a Jew (V 25-27)
Read V 25-27
From the time of Abraham…God had commanded that each male child born
In a Jewish household should be circumcised
Done on the eighth day of their life…This permanent physical sign
Would be a life time reminder of the covenant or agreement
God has made with His people…the Jews
The Significance of Circumcision at The Time
In years prior to Paul writing to the Romans…
Circumcision had become as important an issue as ever.
In both a political and cultural way…Jews were under attack
The influence of Greek culture was pushing into Jewish Culture
The influence of Roman politics was pushing Jewish Culture aside
There were some among the ethnically Jewish people who were no longer
Actively practicing their faith…and some…
Not continuing the practice of circumcision
But…For those who did…It became an even more significant part of their lives.
It was done with an understanding
that this permanent…physical…mark
Was more than just something God would see…
To embrace this mark of the covenant
Meant you would live differently
And though the world wouldn’t easily see
the physical mark of circumcision
The would see that difference in the way you lived
While Paul is speaking to Jews specifically in this passage
It is the same message he spoke to Gentiles…Non-Jews
Simply Put- Circumcision is useless…unless…
it is accompanied by an obedience to the Law
God has repeatedly said this to His people
The prophet Samuel conveyed these words from God
To King Saul Recorded in
1 Samuel 15:22
Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
This theme of obedience to God’s Word
Being preferred to a mere lip service
followed by some religious practice
Is repeated numerous times in Psalm, Proverbs & the Prophets
The Inward Reality of Being a Jew (V 28-29)
The final two verses in today’s passage go to the very heart of what it means
To be named among God’s Chosen people
Rather than deal with the outward reality, signs or symbols
That mark one as a follower of God
Paul points to the inward reality which must be present
Romans 2:28-29
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.
If you have been around Pascack Bible Church long enough
I think you have heard this theme before
A relationship with God is not something
that any human being can manufacture on their own
The fact that you were circumcised
Or went to CCD or some other religious instruction
That you were born into a religious family
That went to church, synagogue, mosque or temple every week
Has nothing to do with whether you are truly in relationship with God
That relationship is not about something you do
It is about something you are.
It is about a fundamental transformation that takes place
Within your very heart or soul
It is a transformation that takes place
Through an act of God himself…The Holy Spirit
In essence doing a Spiritual Circumcision of your Heart
When that takes place…you no longer look for praise from men
But unexpectedly receive it from God
You understand the very closeness and relationship
That God desires for you.
Taking It Home
I started this sermon by talking a little bit about DNA
Every one of us has a mother and a father
The DNA in our bodies is the combination of the DNA material
We received from them.
Half from one parent…half from the other
Our unique DNA is actually linked to our parents
But the complexity of information in our DNA
That two meters of information in each one of our cells
Links us not only to our parents
But to their parents…and their parents…
In fact to all of our ancestors
The reality right now is that we can not change our physical DNA
We can use a variety a things to try to change how we look on the outside
But fundamentally…we can’t change who we are physically
But the good news is that the same is not true when it comes to our
Spiritual natures
True spiritual change can take place
Paul mentions in this passage how that happens
He mentions the Spiritual
Romans 2:28-29
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.
Plan of Salvation
On Going Need For Spiritual DNA adjustment