Would you turn back to Romans
chapter two? I've entitled the message for
this morning, people with a Bible. Now, last week we considered
people without a Bible, and this morning we're going to consider
people with a Bible, with a written revelation from God, what we
have right here. We've come here to hear God's
word, the written revelation of God. People with a Bible. Romans one, we read about those
people without a Bible beginning in verse 18. For the wrath of
God, which comes from his justice, his punishment of sin is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who
hold or hold down the truth and unrighteousness. Because that
which may be known of God is manifest in them for God has
showed it to them. These people who do not have
a Bible. Here's what they see. For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood
by the things that are made. Now, everybody born into this
world can understand that God made this world. It's evident. and that he was before this world. He was before this creation and
he's of infinite power. He made the world. Everybody
can see that from the light of creation, even people without
a Bible, everybody can see that so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became
vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Now, these are these people who
had no Bible. They are without excuse for their
sin. God's creation, that's his book,
is enough to show people that he is. What about people with
a Bible? In verse 17 of Romans chapter
two, behold, he'd been talking about
these men without a Bible. And in verse 17, he says, behold,
thou art called a Jew and restest in the law. the revealed revelation
of God. And you make your boast of God
and you know his will. And you approve the things that
are more excellent being instructed out of the law. He now speaks
of the Jews and especially privileged people who were given the law. Look in chapter three, verse
one. What advantage then hath the Jew or what profit is there
of circumcision? Much, every way, chiefly because
that unto them were committed the oracles, the words, the very
word of God. What a privileged people they
were. Look over in chapter nine. These are the people with the
Bible. Paul said, I say the truth in
Christ, I lie not. My conscience also bearing me
witness in the Holy Ghost that I have great heaviness. and continual
sorrow in my heart, for I could wish that myself were a curse
from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,
the men who had the law, who were Israelites, to whom pertaineth
the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving
of the law and the service of God and of the promises, whose
are the fathers and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came,
who is overall God blessed forever. Now, what a privilege to have
the law. What a privilege to have this
written revelation from God. Now back to Romans chapter two. Notice Paul says, behold, thou
art called a Jew. He didn't say you are a Jew.
He says that you are called a Jew. It does not mean you're a real
Jew, even though you call yourself one. You know, the Lord spake
in Revelation 3, 9 of them who are of the synagogue of Satan,
who say they are Jews and are not. But Paul says, for argument's
sake, let's say you are a Jew. You are someone that God has
given this written revelation to. Behold, thou art called a
Jew, verse 17, you rest in the law and you make your boast of
God. I know God. I'm one of his people.
He's given me his word. You know, his will, verse 18.
Now, when he says, you know, his will, he's talking about,
you've been given the 10 commandments. You know, it's his will. You
know, it's his will for you to be obedient. He's given you this
instruction from the law. Now he didn't know the fellow
he's talking to the man who has this written revelation. He didn't
know the will of God, the way. Paul did when the scripture says,
the God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou mightest know
his will. Paul already knew his will of
command. He already knew the Ten Commandments and the stuff
in the law. He's talking about his will of redemption. That's
what someone who really knows his will is. But he said, but
at any rate, for argument's sake, he says in verse 18, you know
his will. You approve the things that are more excellent being
instructed out of the law. You're not like these people
with no Bible. You know what the Bible says
about right living. You approve the things that are
more excellent being instructed out of the law. You're somebody
special. Verse 19, you're confident. It's self-confidence, albeit
that it is confidence. You're confident that thou thyself
are the guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness,
an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which has
the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law." Now, notice
he says the form of knowledge. Like Paul talked about those
who have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. You have a form of the truth
and knowledge of the law. Now, you know, there's a kind
of knowledge that only puffs up, that only fills one with
pride. It's not saving knowledge. It's
a knowledge that makes one puffed up. You've got a form of the
truth, but not the truth himself. Your knowledge has to do with
the intellect, not the affections. It has to do with information,
but not experience. It has to do with personal gain.
and is a complete stranger to the glory of God. You have a
form of the knowledge that's within the law, but nothing more
than a form. Now look what he says in verse
21. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? I'm glad you've got the law.
I'm glad you're able to teach others, but what do you teach
about yourself? Thou that preachest a man should
not steal. You've been instructed in the
law. It's wrong to steal. Does thou steal? Oh, I've never shoplifted. Have
you ever robbed God of glory? Have you ever taken that which
is due only to God alone and brought it to yourself? Do you
steal? Thou that sayest a man should
not commit adultery. You know that sexual sin is a
perversion. You know that marriage only is
where the intimate act should be in the covenant of marriage.
You know that. You've been instructed from the law. Do you commit adultery? Do you commit adultery in your
heart? The Lord said, all you got to do is lust after a woman
in your heart. You've committed adultery already. You that say somebody should
not commit adultery, how do you line up? Thou that abhors idols,
verse 22, dost thou commit sacrilege? What about idolatry? You're an iconoclast. You hate
idols and you want to get rid of them. Have you committed idolatry
in your heart? Have you forged false concepts
of God in your heart? Have you made an idol of something
other than God himself? Have you been guilty of idolatry? You know it's wrong. Where do
you stand? Verse 23, thou that makest thou
boast of the law. I've got the law. I've got this
written revelation of God through breaking the law dishonorous
thou God, making boast in a law that all you do is break. Every
second of your life, all you do is break it. You know, in
reality, the person with the written revelation has contracted
greater guilt than the person without it. And we're going to
see that as we go on. But remember these people in
chapter two, verse one, after Paul had named all these horrible
things that people without the Bible did, he says in verse one,
Therefore, thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that
commits these things, no, that judges, that looks and says,
these people who do such things are morally reprehensible. He
says, you're inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judges,
for wherein thou judgest another, you condemn yourself, for you
that judge do the same things. But we're sure that the judgment
of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which
do such thing, and you do the same, that thou shouldest escape
the judgment of God? Now, this is where these people
are at. Same place in Romans chapter 2. Thou that makest thy
boast of the law through breaking the law dishonorest thou God?
Look what it says in verse 24. For the name of God is blasphemed
among the Gentiles through you, as it's written, in reality,
You're worse because the Gentiles make fun of you. You talk about
being God's people and having God's law, and all you do is
break God's law. People can see right through
the hypocrisy. And God's name is blasphemed
through you who talk about having the law. For the name of God
is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it's written,
verse 25, for circumcision. Now, circumcision was instituted
by God in Genesis chapter 17. Everybody, I suppose, is familiar
with this. To be an Israelite, to take the
Passover, you had to be circumcised. It was a token of God's covenant
with Israel. It was a sign by which Israel was distinguished
from all other nations. And it's a picture of spiritual
regeneration, the circumcision of the heart. And the scripture
points that out. The circumcision made without
hands, where a new heart is given and sin is seen for the first
time to be sin. And righteousness is seen for
the first time. You see your need of Christ's
righteousness. That's what the circumcised heart
is. It's when God takes away the heart of stone and gives
a heart of flesh. Now, he says in verse 25, for
circumcision, that that outward sign of being the people of God,
verily prophets, the physical circumcision, verily prophets,
if you keep the law. I'm circumcised. Oh, good, good.
Do you keep the law? Do you love God with all your
heart and with all your soul and your neighbor as yourself?
That's what counts. Now, circumcision, physical circumcision
is good if you keep the law. But if you be a breaker of the
law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. It doesn't even
count. It's not even real. Therefore, verse 26, he's giving
us a hypothetical situation here. Therefore, if the uncircumcision,
that person who has never been given a revelation from God.
As far as the written law. But yet, if he is obedient, if
he's somebody who doesn't steal, if he doesn't kill, if he if
he if he doesn't commit all these sins that are forbidden in the
scriptures. And like I said, this is a hypothetical situation.
Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the
law, have you ever known anybody that did that in and of themselves?
No, but he's giving us a hypothetical situation to make this argument.
Therefore, if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the
law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
Let's say someone is not circumcised, but they keep the law perfectly.
They're going to be accepted by God, aren't they? If they
keep the law, they'll be accepted. And shall not, verse 27, and
shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfilled
the law, judge thee and condemn thee who by the letter, by the
letter of the law and circumcision does transgress the law. Now, in reality, Wouldn't that
person be better off than you that has kept the law and hadn't
been circumcised than you who have been circumcised and have
not kept the law? In reality, the people with a
Bible, a written revelation from God, they have greater guilt because
sinning against greater light. People without a Bible, they're
guilty. People with a Bible. they're
more guilty. Now that is the truth. Verse 28, for he is not a Jew,
which is one outwardly. You know, people talk about the
nation of Israel and the Jews over there. That's not what a
Jew is. You can just forget that. That's
not what a Jew is. He is not a Jew, which is one
outwardly that's a member of the nation of Israel, that thinks
he can trace his pedigree back to the original chosen people
of God. As far as that goes, that'd be
impossible. Nobody could do that. I mean, there's no Jews in that
sense that can trace their lineage all the way back to Abraham.
Can't be done. He that is a Jew is not one outwardly,
Neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. Physical circumcision is not
the circumcision of the heart. In Deuteronomy 10, 16, Moses
said, circumcise the foreskin of your heart. There's where
the problem is. And be no more stiff necked,
hard hearted, callous hearted. Now, here is a circumcised heart. Turn with me to Ezekiel chapter
36. Beginning in verse 21, this is
God speaking. He says, but I had pity for my
unholy name. which the house of Israel had
profaned among the heathen, whether they went." Isn't that what we
just read about? He said the name of God is blasphemed by
the heathen because of you. And this is exactly what he's
talking about. He says, but I had pity for mine holy name, which
the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whether they
went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the
Lord, I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but
for mine holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the heathen,
whether you went. And I will sanctify my great name which
was profaned among the heathen, which you have profaned in the
midst of them. And the heathen shall know that I am the Lord,
saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their
eyes. For I'll take you from among the heathen and I'll gather
you of all countries and will bring you into your own land.
Then will I sprinkle water upon you and you shall be clean from
all your filthiness and from your idols. Will I cleanse you?
A new heart. Also will I give you, now that's
what I need, a new heart, not simply an improved heart, not
a reformed heart. I need a new, brand new heart
for God to give me and place inside of me that was not there
before. That's my desperate need, a new
heart, a circumcised heart, a new heart. Also will I give you in
a new spirit will I put within you one that was not there before
and I'll take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I'll
give you a heart of flesh and I'll put my spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes. I need cause and grace that comes
from that new heart where he causes me to walk in his statutes
and you shall keep my judgments and do them and you shall dwell
in the land that I gave to your fathers and you shall be my people.
And I will be your God and I'll save you from all your uncleanness.
And I'll call for the corn and will increase it and lay no famine
upon you. And I'll multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase
of the field and you shall receive no more reproach of famine among
the heathen. Then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings
that were not good and shall loathe yourselves in your own
sight for your iniquities and for your abominations. And this
is what the new heart sees. Not for your sakes do I this
sayeth the Lord, be it known unto you, be ashamed of being
confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Turn to John
16. Here's another example of this
circumcised heart. John chapter 16. Verse eight. And when he has come, speaking
of God, the Holy Spirit, this is the Lord Jesus speaking. When
he has come, he will reprove, convince, overwhelmingly convict. He will reprove the world of
these three things, of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Sin, because they believe not
on me. Now when you're given this circumcised
heart for the first time, you're convinced of sin. And you're
convinced of sin to this extent that you find out that faith
is out of your reach. You can't even believe, don't
even know what it means. Now that's what it means to be
convicted of sin. It's not just feeling guilty
for the bad things you did. You know, I stole something,
I feel bad, or I committed something. That's bad, but that's not, a
lost man has that. I'm talking about the Holy Spirit
conviction. When he convicts you, you find out that faith
itself is out of your reach. What you've been guilty of is
unbelief. And you don't even know what
it means to believe. You become convinced of your
complete sinfulness. And then you're convicted next,
he says, of righteousness. What did he say in verse 10? Of righteousness, because I go
to my father and you see me no more. You become convinced when
you have this circumcised heart, you become convinced that the
righteousness of Christ that he brings before his father is
the only righteousness there is. And you really believe that. And then he says, you'll be convinced
of judgment. Judgment. because the prince
of this world has been judged. You become convinced that judgment
took place on Calvary Street. All God does is right there for
the sinner. You become convinced of judgment.
Now, have you ever been convinced of sin, of righteousness, and
of judgment? That's the conviction. That's
a circumcised heart. You find out what sin is. Look
in Romans chapter seven. Let me show you what a circumcised
heart is. Romans chapter 7. Beginning in verse 7. What should we say then is the
law sin? Is the law an evil thing because
of what it does? God forbid. Nay, I had not known
sin, but by the law. For I had not known lust, except
the law had said, thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion,
using as a base of operations the commandment, wrought in me
all manner of evil desire. All I got to do is say, don't
covet. And what are you going to do? You're going to start
coveting. All I got to do is say, don't
covet. It's wrong. It's sin against God. And all
that that is going to produce for me is covetousness. That's
it. All I got to do is say, don't
do this. And that's exactly what you're going to. That's the law.
The law forbids. And all it does is create this,
this desire to break it. That's just the truth. Somebody
says, well, the law restrains sin. No, it doesn't. It doesn't
restrain any sin. All it does is blow it up. All I got to do
is say, don't. And you know what you want to
do. So he says, but sin, verse eight, But sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law, sin was
dead. For I was alive without the law once. Everything was
fine. But when the commandment came,
sin became alive. And I died. And the commandment which was
ordained to life I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion
by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and
the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which
is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it
might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good,
that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sin. surpassingly overflowing. Now that is a circumcised heart. That's one that God has cut open
and exposed to them what they are. Now let's go back to our
text in Romans 2. Verse 28, for he is not a Jew,
which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is
outward in the flesh, But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly. And circumcision is that of the
heart in the spirit, that new spirit that God gave, that new
heart. Not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but God
praises this true Jew. That's an amazing concept, isn't
it? God actually praises this true Jew. Now, letter is the
Old Testament. Letter has no life. It's the
spirit who gives life. All the letter does is kill.
The spirit makes alive and God praises this one with a circumcised
heart. Now, what does something have
to be for God to praise it? Answer that question. What does
something have to be for God to praise it? It's got to be
perfect, doesn't it? It's got to be holy. Men won't
praise it, but who cares what men praise? I love that hymn
we sing, Rich as I heed not, nor man's empty praise. Human flattery. People love to
be around people who flatter them, don't they? I do. I like
to be around somebody who flatters me, but that is so meaningless. It's so empty. But to have God's
praise, now that's something Do you want to be somebody that
God would actually praise you? It says here, their praise is not
of men, but of God, this true Jew. Now, do I have this circumcised
heart? That's what I want to ask. I
can know from the scriptures whether or not I have a circumcised
heart, whether I'm somebody that God actually praises. Turn with
me to Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter 3, verse
1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. To write the same things to you,
to me, indeed, is not grievous. It's not irksome. For you, it's
safe. You know, if I'm preaching the
gospel, I'm going to be preaching the same thing every time I preach.
Same thing. Same thing. And that is grievous
if you don't have a circumcised heart. It becomes irritating. It becomes annoying. Give us
something else. Our souls loathe this light bread. We want something else. If I
have an uncircumcised heart, it's going to be grievous. But
Paul says to write the same things to you. The gospel of God's grace. How God can be just and justify
the ungodly. Rejoice in Christ Jesus and nowhere
else. To write the same things to you,
to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it's safe. Now the
only safe thing is the gospel. It's safe. Safe. Anything else, watch out. But
for you, it's safe. He says in verse two, beware
of dogs. Now he's not talking about the
kind with teeth that bite you and bark. He's talking about
false prophets. And he calls them dogs. Those who do not preach the gospel.
Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. They talk about good works, but
what they are, are evil workers. Beware of the concision. This
is a play on words. He's talking about the circumcision
and he calls them all they are mutilators. These men who tell
you, you need to be circumcised to be saved. You'll be more pleasing
to God. He says, beware of those people.
Then Paul makes this statement, verse three, for we are the circumcision. Now you want to know what circumcision
is? Here it is. I think it's interesting. People
take circumcision and they say, well, baptism has replaced circumcision. That's why we baptize the infants.
Where in the world did anybody get that? I don't know, but they
do. That's generally the argument for infant baptism. Well, baptism
just takes place circumcision, but I don't know why I said that. We are the circumcision. We are
the truly circumcised in heart, and he gives three marks. We
are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice
in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Now, what's this
mean? We are the circumcision, first
of all, which worship God. You only worship a God that you
cannot manipulate, that you can't get him to respond to you, that
he's God over all. You'll only worship an absolute
sovereign God that you have no control over. Here's a man who worshiped. Behold,
there came a leper and worshiped him. Now he worshiped. The Bible says he did. Say, Lord,
if you will, you can make me clean. I can't make myself clean. I can't get you to do it. It's
all up to your sovereign will. If you will, you can make me
clean. Here's worship. There was a Gentile,
Syrothenesian woman. And she came up to the Lord and
she said, Lord, have mercy on me. Thou Son of David, have mercy
on me. My daughter is grievously vexed
with the devil. Oh, she had a great need. And
the scripture says, he answered her not a word. He did not respond. She kept crying and the disciples
said, send her away. She cries after us. And he said,
I'm not sent, but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Now, I want you to think about this. This woman comes up to
him with this great need. He doesn't answer, doesn't respond. She keeps crying. They say, send
her away. He says, I'm only sent for the
elect. Christ said that. I'm only sent for the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. You know what scripture said
she did then? Then came she and worshipped him, saying, help me. If you don't help me, I won't
be helped. That's where I'm at. If you don't
help me, if you don't do something for me, if you don't give me
a new heart, I will not be helped. And then he said to her, it's
not right. It's not me to take the children's
bread and throw it out to dogs. And she said, that's the truth,
Lord. That's the truth. But the dogs
eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table. I'd be so
grateful for any crumbs that fall my way. That is worship. We worship God. Now, worship is a response to
revelation. You don't just up and, I'm gonna
worship, let's go worship. Worship is a response to God
revealing himself. Turn with me to Exodus 34 for
a moment. We are the circumcision which
worship God. Verse 5, Exodus 34, verse 5. And the Lord descended in the
cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the
Lord. And the Lord passed by before
him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious,
long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy
for thousands. forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty. Visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children and upon the children's children
under the third and the fourth generation. And Moses made haste
and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. Worship is a response to the
revelation of God. Now back to Philippians 3, we
are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit. One thing I know about the flesh,
flesh can't worship God. I've said this before, I never
say, like even when we have the TV program, and I don't say,
you're coming by to worship with us, because you can't worship
unless God gives you the spirit. You have to have the spirit of
God to worship. I'm not going to tell somebody just indiscriminately, come on,
worship with us. Come hear the gospel. Come hear the Word of
God. I want you to hear the Word of
God. Come with us. Like Moses said, we'll do thee
good. I want that. But I'm not going to say come
worship because you've got to have the Spirit of God to worship.
There's no worship without the Spirit of God. You know that,
don't you? If you've got the Spirit of God, you know that
in the flesh dwells no good thing and that the only way you can
worship is by God the Spirit enabling you to respond to the
revelation of His grace. Now that is worship. We are the
circumcision which worship God in the Spirit. And look what
he says next. If we worship God in the Spirit,
you know what we do? We rejoice in Christ Jesus. Now that word rejoice is glory
or boast. It means we have confidence in
Christ Jesus. All I have confidence in. is Christ Jesus being in Christ. The only confidence I have is
that I'm simply found in Him and that when God sees me all
He sees is Jesus Christ only. That's the only thing I have
confidence in. Paul put it this way, God forbid
that I should glory that I should have confidence in. Remember,
this is Paul speaking. This is the man that God used
more than any other man. He said, God forbid that I should
glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. All I have
confidence in is who he is and what he accomplished on Calvary
Street. God forbid that I should glory in anything save the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. And you know what people who
glory in the cross do? Look what he says next. We are the circumcision
which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in the flesh. No confidence. Anything that
has anything to do with me, I have no confidence in. Anything that's
dependent upon me to do something for it to work, I have no confidence
in. No confidence. Here's what Paul
meant by that. Let's go on reading. Verse four. Though I might also
have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinks he is,
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I got more than him. Paul's
doing some foolish boasting now, and he knows it. He says, I was
circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe
of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. As touching the law,
I was a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, I persecuted
the church. Touching the righteousness which
is in the law, I was blameless. But what things were gained to
me, I thought they were in the plus column, those I counted
loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus,
my Lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things and do
count them but dumb that I may win Christ and be found in him,
not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which
is of God. by faith. Now that's what it
is to have no confidence in the flesh. All I trust is the righteousness
of God that I might be found in Christ, not having my own
righteousness. This is one of my many favorite
verses of the scripture. I just love this verse. I want
to be found in him, don't you? When God comes looking for me,
I want to be found in Christ. Outside of Christ, there's nothing
but the judgment and the wrath of God. I want to be found in
him. Now, with or without a Bible. We talked about those people
without a Bible. We've talked about those people
with a Bible. We need the same thing from the
Lord. We need him to do something for
us. I need him to take away my sin,
and I need him to do something in me. I need this circumcised
heart. Paul put it this way in Galatians
115. I want you to listen to the language real carefully.
He said, when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's
womb, and revealed his son and called, he separated from my
mother's womb and called me by his grace to reveal his son in
me. Now it will not do this man any
good for the Lord simply to reveal himself to me because I'll forget
him. I need him revealed in me. Christ in you the hope of glory. I need him to give, I need him
to take away my sins. Whether I have a Bible or whether
I don't have a Bible, here's what I need. I need him to take
away my sins and I need him to give me a circumcised heart that
understands my sinfulness and my need of the Savior, the Lord
Jesus Christ. And you know, when you have this
circumcised heart, you find out both of these things, the taking
away of the sins and the new heart come from the cross, not
from you. Remember, you remember how blood
and water came out of the side of the Lord? Blood and water,
justification and sanctification, sin forgiven, a new heart given,
all come from the cross. May God enable us to see that.
Let's pray together.