Made Spiritual Jews By Spiritual Circumcision

In the 64 verses covered by Romans 1:18-3:20, the Apostle Paul is showing us that no other righteousness outside the blood and imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ found in the gospel alone can grant a sinner pardon before God and secure a home in heaven for him. To persuade us of our need for a Savior he systematically removes every boast and confidence we would have in any other form of righteousness. The Jews boasted in the Law, but the very Law they boasted in was their accuser! They also boasted in the covenant sign of circumcision, the sign that they were the heirs of their father Abraham's blessing. It has always been a problem for God's people, even to the present day, to confuse the sign with the thing signified. Some in our day believe and teach the heresy of baptismal regeneration, in Paul's day the unbelieving Jews taught circumcisional regeneration, never realizing that the outward sign spoke to the need for the circumcision of heart: supernatural regeneration by the Holy Spirit of God. In this sermon we consider two truths: 1. Physical circumcision cannot save you. 2. The spiritual circumcision wrought by the Spirit of God can save you.