9 Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!
11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
A Sign of Faith
If only we could learn from the past. If only we’d stop having the same disagreements and battles within the Church. If only we’d stop pointing fingers. I’ve said it before in this devotional, and I’ll probably say it many more times, but those who are quick to judge others clearly do not have a good grasp of grace in their own life. If you saw your massive debt paid off by a stranger (to use yesterday’s example), you would not look at someone else’s debt and tell them how foolish they are. Instead, you would look at them with empathy and then tell them about the one who pays off people’s debt.
In the New Testament, Jesus encouraged us to be baptized in water. Baptism wasn’t done in order to be saved. Rather, it was a symbol of the change that had already happened. It is an outward, visible sign of a transformed heart. Paul suggests that circumcision was no different for Abraham. It was a sign of the faith he had inward.
As soon as you make the outward act — whether it is circumcision, water baptism, or something else — a requirement for salvation, then grace is no longer unmerited. You have to do something to earn it. Paul is making it clear to the Jews in Rome that they cannot require the Gentiles to be circumcised in order to be part of the Church. To do so would negate the power of grace for all of them. It must be avoided.
I have no problem with encouraging people to respond outwardly as a sign of what has happened inwardly. (Of course, I’m grateful that I’m part of the era of water baptism rather than circumcision!) However, when we do a water baptism service, we make it clear, baptism isn’t saving anyone. It’s declaring what has already happened.
My prayer: Lord, help me. It seems so easy to fall back into the trap of pointing fingers. It seems to run in my nature to want to earn my salvation. And yet, I know I can’t earn it. Help me see when I’m shifting my focus from gratitude to trying to earn your love. I need to be reminded often of the grace that is mine simply by receiving it. Amen.
Until tomorrow.
