"God Looks at the Heart"

“For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29 ESV)

In Chapter 1 of Romans Paul makes his statement “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (1:16) Although this letter was written to “all who are beloved of God in Rome, called saints” (1:7), which was largely a gentile congregation, it also had a significant Jewish population in the Church. And obviously, there was some tension between the two groups, and Paul, at the very onset of this letter, declares a truth that we all need to remember: “there is no partiality with God”; there is not a group of people that is left out from God’s grace. No one will be able to stand before God and say, look at my works you owe me salvation; for salvation is only by God’s grace to any who will accept Jesus as their Savior by faith.

Now in Chapter 2, Paul starts his argument that merely saying “you are a Jew” does not mean you are a Jew in your heart. Paul builds an excellent argument throughout chapter 2 to prove his point in verses 28-29. “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.”

One of the problems that the “Christian” churches have today is the same problem that the Jews had in the time of Christ. It seems that way too many “Christians” are relying on outward activities for their hope of eternal life with God, instead of relying on Jesus and what He has done for them.

You see, the Jews thought just because they had received the sign of the Abrahamic covenant, circumcision, that they had all their spiritual basis covered. They thought they could rely on their being Jewish and could live anyway they wanted. Paul clearly tells them that was never God’s intent. God intended that His chosen people would be a light to the entire world. As a matter of fact, when God made his covenant with Abraham, he said in Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  

It was God’s intent for the Jews, His chosen people, to be a blessing and example to all of the other peoples of the world. But the Jews thought they could “do no wrong” because they were Jews. Paul, in verse 24, says, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” The Jews forgot that God looks at the heart, not at the outward deeds of humanity.

Unfortunately, way too many professed followers of Jesus seem to want to repeat the exact sins of the Jews. They try to impress God with their Church attendance, their giving of money to worthy organizations, their dedicated prayer and Bible study times, and their observance of their version of the New Testament “10 Commandments”. It doesn’t work: we can’t buy or earn our way into heaven. No matter how hard we try, we cannot make up for our sins on our own. God does not “grade” on a sliding scale; He does NOT weigh our good deeds against our bad to determine whether we can gain access to His kingdom. Salvation has never and will never work that way.

There is only one way we can spend eternity with our Heavenly Father. It’s through accepting by faith that Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, period. It’s not about what I have done, but about what Jesus has done that will secure my presence with God for eternity.

Those who claim to be followers of Jesus need to remember that it is not about being outwardly a follower of Christ, but about having a changed heart. So, believers remember that God has given you a new heart, one that loves Him and His people. We serve our risen savior out of love, not obligation. Remember, a Christian is not one because of his outward behavior, but because of his new heart.

So, if you are exhausted by trying to live your life to some outward standard, remember that this is not how God sees us; he sees us as completely forgiven, completely righteous, and completely set apart for His service.

Enjoy your life in Christ; use the “new heart” God has given you.

 "Living in Grace is not about what I can do, but about what Jesus has already done!"