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Timothy: Romans 2:17-29
God’s Judgment of His People

17 Behold, you are called a Jew, and rest in the Law, and boast in God,

18 and know the will, and approve the things excelling, being instructed out of the Law,

19 and persuading yourself to be a guide of blind ones, a light to those in darkness,

20 an instructor of foolish ones, a teacher of infants, having the form of knowledge and of the truth in the Law.

21 Then the one teaching another, do you not teach yourself? The one preaching not to steal, do you steal?

22 The one saying not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery? The one detesting the idols, do you rob temples?

23 You who boast in Law, do you dishonor God through transgression of the Law?

24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the nations through you, even as it has been written: Isa. 52:5

25 For indeed circumcision profits if you practice the Law, but if you are a transgressor of Law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.

26 If, then, the uncircumcision keeps the ordinances of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

27 And will not the uncircumcision by nature by completing the Law judge you, the one who through letter and circumcision becomes transgressor of Law?

28 For he is not a Jew that is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that outwardly in flesh;

29 but he is a Jew that is one inwardly, and circumcision is of heart, in spirit, not in letter; of whom the praise is not from men, but from God.

Dear God, my Beloved Father, I respectfully offer my gratitude to You for the spiritual food You have given me today. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for giving me strength for both my physical and spiritual aspects, allowing me to experience freedom and fulfillment while contemplating Your Word. I also thank the Holy Spirit for guiding me, granting me an understanding of Your Word, and giving me the strength to live according to Your Word.

Father, I have come to understand through my meditation on Romans 2:17-29 that although these verses speak of the Jewish people, they also refer to the Church. During Paul’s time, the Jewish people found rest in the law. This meant that they were proud to be the only nation to whom God had given a written law. They relied solely on the law as the foundation for all their activities, and saw it as a sign of distinction from other nations, evidence that they were chosen by God to be His holy people, and a blessing for their prosperity. They saw circumcision as a way to show their adherence to the law. In contrast, the Church finds rest in the grace of salvation given by God. The Church relies entirely on the grace of salvation, making it the basis for faith and the foundation of everyday life.

Dear Father, I understand that although the Jewish people found rest in God’s law, they only followed the law outwardly when it was necessary to show others that they had the law and obeyed it. In reality, their way of life was completely contrary to the law. Many of God’s people in the Church boast about the grace of salvation given by God and claim to be living in that grace. However, in reality, their way of life is “hostile to the cross of Christ,” providing reasons and opportunities for non-believers to speak ill of the Church and bring dishonor to God’s name. Dear Father, I realize that what Christ said about the Pharisees in Matthew 23 is entirely accurate for many who claim to be God’s people.

Dear Father, I understand that the sins of stealing, adultery, and taking objects from idols mentioned here refer to actual offenses in action, in a literal sense. The idols mentioned here are the ones worshiped by humans in pagan temples. Nowadays, God’s people in the Church may also commit the sin of “taking objects from idols” when they visit temples, shrines, and pagodas and arbitrarily take things that belong to those places. Dear Father, I understand that God’s people should not travel to places with temples dedicated to false gods and idols. This is because God’s command is for us to stay away from them, and only then will He call us His sons and daughters.

Dear Father, I understand that the Jews boast about circumcision as a distinctive mark of themselves before God and that they are called God’s people. In today’s religious organizations that bear Christ’s name, baptism is seen as a sign of a person’s acceptance of the Gospel and membership in the Church of God. However, circumcision or baptism in an outward form alone does not transform a person into a true child of God. Only a contrite heart, repentance for rebelling against God, violating His commandments, and wholeheartedly accepting God’s grace of salvation can make a person a new creation in Christ, and only then can they follow the ceremonies that God has ordained.

Dear Father, I understand that for the people of Israel, the practice of circumcision is still necessary if they want to receive the physical blessings promised to them by God through their ancestor Abraham. This includes being given a portion of land in Canaan as an everlasting inheritance in the Kingdom of God. However, they must still obey God’s Word and be baptized in the name of God immediately after they accept the Gospel.

For those who are not descendants of Abraham, they do not need to be circumcised unless they choose to do so for personal hygiene reasons. They only need to obey God’s Word and be baptized in the name of God immediately after they accept the Gospel.

I remember that the Bible teaches us that there is no distinction between Jews and people of other nations in the Church. Through Christ, those who believe in the Gospel from all nations become one with each other and with Him. The Church is the spiritual Israel belonging to God.

Dear Father, I understand that whether one believes in God or not, they will still be judged by You when they sin. This judgment is based on Your law, which includes both the law that is written and the law that You have written in their spirit, which is called the conscience. Each person will be judged by You righteously unless they truly repent of their sins and fully believe in Your Gospel of Salvation. Because then, the judgment of all their sins has been executed on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear Father, once again, I thank You for bestowing upon me the Word of God. May my life always be a sweet fragrance offered to You. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Timothy Christian Huynh
03/10/2023