Full-time follower
Romans 2:17-29
17 You who call yourselves Jews are relying on God’s law, and you boast about your special relationship with him. 18 You know what he wants; you know what is right because you have been taught his law. 19 You are convinced that you are a guide for the blind and a light for people who are lost in darkness. 20 You think you can instruct the ignorant and teach children the ways of God. For you are certain that God’s law gives you complete knowledge and truth.
21 Well then, if you teach others, why don’t you teach yourself? You tell others not to steal, but do you steal? 22 You say it is wrong to commit adultery, but do you commit adultery? You condemn idolatry, but do you use items stolen from pagan temples? 23 You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it. 24 No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.”
25 The Jewish ceremony of circumcision has value only if you obey God’s law. But if you don’t obey God’s law, you are no better off than an uncircumcised Gentile. 26 And if the Gentiles obey God’s law, won’t God declare them to be his own people? 27 In fact, uncircumcised Gentiles who keep God’s law will condemn you Jews who are circumcised and possess God’s law but don’t obey it.
28 For you are not a true Jew just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the ceremony of circumcision. 29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
Ps Tim and I were recently talking together about integrity: about always doing what Jesus wants us to do, no matter where we are or who we are with, and Tim coined the phrase “Being a Full-time Follower”. I think that’s what this passage is about.
Paul is saying to the Romans that a changed heart and life are what matter, not a physical sign of belonging to God. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant – like wearing a badge that says, “I belong to the one true God”. But the claim that we belong to God should be evident by the way we live, not just by the badge we wear.
Just like the Jewish people were supposed to be a “light to the nations” by living in such a way that they show God to others, so we are called to “live by the Spirit”
So, we can show God to others.
It all comes down to faith. We are saved by believing that Jesus is our Saviour and Lord (Romans 10:9); then, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and help us live for him.
Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for saving me, and thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit. Please help my faith to grow, so I can be a “Full-time Follower”. I want my faith to lead others to you. Amen
Written by Megan Cornell