Opening prayer: Session # 4
Father God we ask your blessing on this study tonight, that you would open our minds and our hearts to your word. Bring us to the realization of those matters that you would have us learn from this study. Make us aware that in this world you do not always work independently. Help us to realize that we too are vessels that you use to further your Kingdom on this earth. We pray that your peace and comfort be with those of us who are sick or disabled and cannot be here tonight. We ask that you share our blessing with them. Lead us now and give us understanding as we study Your Word as given to us in Paul’s letter to the Romans. In Jesus Name we pray Amen.
Scripture reading; Condemned by the Law Of God, Romans Chapter 2: vs 17-24
Romans 2:17- 29 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law;19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark,20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
Discussion
In this latter part of chapter two Paul directs his discourse to the Jews, and names the sins of which they were guilty. Telling them that if they are the ones who are trained in the law, and who claim to know the will of God, The ones who teach and instruct, and who with great pride and reverence, call themselves Jews, and hold themselves out as being an authority in relationships with God. Then why do they not teach themselves these qualities, Do you steal? Do you commit adultery? Do you rob the temples? Do you break the law? Many of the Jewish rabbis are said to have been notorious for the sin of adultery, Sacrilege - robbing in holy things, which were then by special laws dedicated and devoted to God. Paul is charging them with partaking in the sins exactly as they are teaching others to avoid. And while doing such abominations, they are blaspheming God’s name among the Gentiles. It was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees that they did not do as they taught, read (Mat_23:2-4), but pulled down with their lives what they built up with their preaching
Questions
Q.1 How is it that Paul knows so much of what is going on with the Jews in Rome when he has never yet been there?
Q.2 What is the objection, Paul states, aside from the sins they are committing, What other thing is being manifested? Vs.24 What are the ramifications?
Q.3 Does some of Paul’s criticisms seem more in the vein of judgment which we studied last week?
Q.4 When do criticisms become an effective deterrent to sin?
Pg.2
Discussion
Beginning with verse 25, Paul’s epistle takes on a different tack. Paul reprimands them about their beliefs about circumcision. He makes the point that if one is a circumcised Jew, there is a credible sanctity implied.
The ritual of circumcision was applied to all Jewish males, and because of this, writers began to consider circumcision as a normal step, God instituted, and required of all Jews. But the Jews to whom Paul was writing his epistle, had enhanced belief in the practice to extremes, as had all Jews, not just those in Rome.
In the Torah, God says to Abraham that circumcision is a part of the Covenant, or part of God’s promise to man, and mans promise to God. (genesis 17:10-16) By being circumcised, God ensured the promise of fertility to the Jewish people. Circumcision also served as a tribal sign; without it, one was banished from the tribe, which was certain death, for the banished one, for the Jewish people at that time were desert inhabitants, Under the care of their leader Moses, and God.
The Apostle has called into question the key symbol of Jewish identity. Jews of all stripes believed that no one could be acceptable to the Lord without circumcision. More significantly, many first-century Jews had come to believe that no one who was circumcised would ever go to hell even if he failed to keep God’s other commandments.
Scripture reading; Circumcision of The Heart Romans Chapter 2: vs 25-29
25. Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law's requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.
Discussion
The Jews believed that circumcision resulted in justification. Paul teaches that such is not the case The belief that some sort of modification of the body, scriptural or not, can save one’s soul, is to be considered a false hope’ So how does circumcision work in this study?
Just as the Jews believed that circumcision sanctified them before God, some Christians today are prone to think they are right before God because they go to church, and they might believe that their children are guaranteed a place in heaven as long as they are raised in a Christian home. We cannot trust in any of these things. No matter how good you are; no matter how religious you are; no matter what you do for God, you can never be good enough, or holy enough to earn salvation.(Eph. 2:8-9)There is no automatic salvation. None of us is saved unless personal trust in the promises of God through His Son Jesus Christ resides in our hearts. A circumcision of the heart is what God requires. Removing our bent to sinning, and becoming obedient to the laws of God through faith in Jesus Christ is the object of Paul’s teaching in these verses, and is absolutely the only way to salvation.
Questions Pg.3
Q.1 What did Paul write about why he was going to the Church in Rome Romans 1: 11 & 12?
Q.2 Paul quotes, about Israel, "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." It's easy for us to look back 2,000 years and say how bad those Jews were, but what about our present day, does our conduct today cause non Christians to blaspheme our savior?
Q.3 Why do you think Paul goes into the discussion about circumcision?
Q.4 Are there times in your life when you feel the world is totally against Christianity?
Q.5 Why do you think some people who call themselves Christian reject going to church?
Scripture readings
Mat 23:2-4 "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Gen 17:10-16 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." 15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
Eph. 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Romans 1: 11 & 12 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-- 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
Closing Prayer
Father God, be with us now as we leave this place. May we carry with us your blessing as we continue in our efforts to live the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. We thank you Lord for the teachings of your apostle Paul, and we pray that you will impart to our hearts, those things from this study that you would have us learn. We pray for your continued watch over our loved ones and those among us who need your healing hand to touch them in their time of distress. ____________Some are ill some are conflicted, and Some of Lord are in distress, all need your healing power. We pray now that we will have Your guidance as we continue in our day to day living. It is in Jesus name we pray, AMEN
Pg4
Meditation:
It was forty years since the people of Israel left Egypt. In that time a generation had been lost in the wilderness, and there had been a change in the demography of the nation.
Over those forty years Israel was going round in a circle. They were stagnant. That generation did not make progress in the purpose of God. They lost out of the inheritance that God had for them. The younger people who were spared death in the wilderness, however moved about aimlessly for a big part of their lives. From that bitter lesson, they learned that you either do the will of God or you suffered the consequences, and they would plunge ahead without looking back. That is when the task of taking over the Promised Land begun in earnest under the leadership of Joshua.
Before that, God saw fit that the people should be circumcised, having not done so throughout their time in the wilderness. With the circumcision, they reaffirmed their identity as God’s covenant people, unique among all nations. They reconnected to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through the covenant rite of circumcision.
Unlike the Jews of that day, Our relationship with God is a heart relationship, thus our circumcision is of the heart. Our heart of stone was changed to that of a heart of flesh when we met Christ. To prepare our heart as God’s dwelling place, the blood of Jesus had to be its cleansing instrument. Without the blood of Jesus, it would have been impossible to clean the heart. It had to be none other than the blood of Jesus Christ (Acts 20:28).God incarnate.
That is what purges our hearts from sin consciousness. Now what we are conscious of is the presence of God, the hand of God on our lives, not the works of the flesh. We should recognize that there is a change in the dynamics of our relationship with God; we should have an emphasis of the individual experience of God and not a collective experience. We have to know God for ourselves. It must be that we undergo a radical change in our individual heart thinking. How shall I live this life of mine now, in total response to God?
So the idea of having a religion for a nation is really off the mark. You cannot legislate Christianity. What we have is an individualistic experience of God in the dimensions of his wisdom. It is the call of the church, the representative of the kingdom of God on the earth, to manifest the wisdom of God to the principalities and powers. Individuals will manifest the different dimensions of God within themselves.
Peter said that as each has received grace we should manifest it either in speaking or in physical expression of service (1Peter 4:10-11). Paul said that we are unique as parts of the body of Christ and we are different as different parts of the body, we can only discover and explore the purpose of God in our placement and the expression of the grace of God in that body, and not try to force ourselves into another person’s mode.
The circumcision of our heart prepares it to connect us to the purpose of God; this is because God is now in us through the Holy Spirit. Our heart is conducive now to have God dwell there.
The Holy Spirit connects us with the purpose of Jesus. Jesus said that when the Spirit of truth comes he would guide us into all truth and help us to focus on Him (John 16:13). He (the Holy Spirit) would not glorify himself, He would glorify Jesus.
In Christ, because of the circumcision of our heart, our lot was changed. We are changed in the core of our being. We are made priests and kings (Revelation 5:10), made new creatures (2Corinthians 5:17), made partakers of the life of God. Amen.
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