ROMANS 2:25-3:2

Sunday Morning: April 10, 2005

Text:  Romans 2:25-29  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? 27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? 28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. Romans 3:1-2  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

PROFITABLE CIRCUMCISION

Romans 3:1-2  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

MINISTER OF THE CIRCUMCISION

Romans 15:8  Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

MOSES AND CIRCUMCISION

John 7:22  Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) . . .

JEWS AND GENTILES

Galatians 2:7  But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

CIRCUMCISION IS PROFITABLE

Romans 2:25  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law (just): but if thou be a breaker of the law (unjust), thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

CIRCUMCISION INITIATED

Genesis 17:1  And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

THE ALMIGHTY

Ruth 1:20  And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

BE PERFECT

Genesis 6:9   Noah was a just man and perfect [blameless] in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

WITHOUT BLEMISH

Exodus 12:5  Your lamb shall be without blemish [perfect], a male of the first year: . . .

ABRAHAM AND HIS FAMILY

Genesis 17:7  And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting [agelasting, lxx] covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.

GOD’S COVENANT

Genesis 17:10  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

A TOKEN, SIGN, MARK

Genesis 17:11  And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token [sign, mark, as on Cain] of the covenant betwixt me and you. (?? Thy seed)

EIGHTH DAY – NEW BEGINNING

Genesis 17:12  And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

AN HEIR

Genesis 15:3  And Abram said, . . . lo, one born in my house is mine heir.

CIRCUMCISION ANNULLED

Genesis 17:14  And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken [annul, make of none effect, bring to naught] my covenant.

BEFORE THE WILDERNESS - LAW

Exodus 12:48  And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

YOUR EIGHTH DAY

Exodus 12:2  This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

WALK OF FAITH

Hebrews 11:28-29  Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29 By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land:. . .

CIRCUMCISION IS PROFITABLE

Romans 2:25  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law (if you are just): but if thou be a breaker of the law (be unjust), thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART

Romans 2:29  . . . circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

CIRCUMCISION PROFITABLE

Romans 3:1-2  What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? 2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

WALK IN THE STEPS OF THAT FAITH

Romans 4:11-12  And he received the sign [token] of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe [present active participle], though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. (in the flesh)

CIRCUMCISION MADE BY HANDS

Ephesians 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

CIRCUMCISION WITHOUT HANDS

Colossians 2:11-12  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

NEWNESS OF LIFE

Romans 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death [Red Sea, Jordan River]: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

HE CHOSE THEIR SEED

Deuteronomy 10:15-16  Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day. 16 Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

NEW BEGINNING

1 Peter 1:3-5  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

OUT OF THE WILDERNESS - LAW

Joshua 4:23  For the LORD your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over:

NO CIRCUMCISION UNDER LAW

Joshua 5:4-5  And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people that came out of Egypt, that were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. 5 Now all the people that came out were circumcised: but all the people that were born in the wilderness by the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

THE SCARLET LINE

Joshua 2:21  And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line [expectation, hope, thing longed for] in the window.

NOT MIXED WITH FAITH

Hebrews 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

HOPE FROM THE HEART

1 Peter 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: