“True Circumcision Is of the Heart”

(Romans 2:25-29)

I. Introduction.
A. Why are believers and unbelievers different?
1. Why do they live such different lives?
a. Why do unbelievers live for self, for their own pleasure, rather than for God?
b. Why are their minds filled with ungodly thoughts, rather than godly?
c. Why do they say things that are evil, rather than good?
d. Why do they believe that there isn’t any god, or in evolution, instead of the
true God?
e. Why are believers just the opposite – living for God, thinking God’s
thoughts, speaking God’s words, believing in God?
f. What makes them different?

2. It’s a matter of the heart: the unbelievers hearts are uncircumcised, while the
believers hearts are circumcised by the Spirit.
a. Unbelievers are in a state of nature – dead to the things of God, alive to the
world.
b. Believers are in a state of grace – alive to God, dead to the things of the
world – even though not perfectly.
c. The Spirit makes the difference; He circumcises/regenerates the heart; He
removes the stoniness and softens it.
d. Unless He does, a person can do nothing pleasing to God.
e. Even religious observance – receiving religious signs or sacraments, such as
circumcision or baptism – mean nothing, unless the heart is changed.

B. Review.
1. Paul has been pointing out the sins of the Jews:
a. They practiced the things God hates (vv. 1-3), the very things the Gentiles
were doing (1:28-32).
b. They were storing up wrath (4-8).
c. They thought God would be partial to them because they were His covenant
people – but He doesn’t show partiality to anyone (vv. 9-11).
d. They were only hearers, but not doers of the Law (vv. 12-16).
e. Far from being the light of God to the nations, they gave the Gentiles an
excuse to blaspheme God through disobedience (vv. 17-24).

2. This morning, Paul points to the root cause: their hearts were uncircumcised.
a. They thought the rite of circumcision was enough, but God wanted their
hearts, not their flesh circumcised (vv. 25-29).
b. Paul points to their disobedience as the evidence that they weren’t.
c. This morning, I want us to see two things:
(i) First, how we respond to God’s Law shows the condition of our hearts.
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(ii) And second, the true Jew, the true son of Abraham, is one who has had
his heart circumcised, and not merely his flesh.
(iii) Remember, Paul was seeking to drive the Jews to Christ.
(iv) But this can have the same effect on us: If our baptism is only external,
only water applied to our flesh, it won’t do us any good. Our hearts must
be baptized, washed with the water of regeneration by the Spirit, or our
baptism or anything else will do us no good.

II. Sermon.
A. First, Paul tells us that the sign/sacrament of circumcision/baptism is of value, only
if you obey the Law, otherwise it isn’t (vv. 25-27).
1. First, he says circumcision is of value if you practice the Law (v. 25).
a. Circumcision was only a sign pointing to the need of an inward change.
b. The Lord said through Moses, “So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your
neck no longer” (Deu. 10:16).
(i) The Jews of his day weren’t obeying.
(ii) A stiff neck showed a disobedient heart – an unwillingness to bend the
neck under the Lord’s yoke.
(iii) A bowed neck was a submissive heart – a willingness to obey.
(iv) Circumcision of the heart would bring this about.
(v) The heart makes the difference.

c. If they obeyed, they would show themselves to have a circumcised heart, if

not, then uncircumcised.
(i) The obedience he speaks of here is not external; the Jews could do this.
(ii) It refers to obedience from the heart.
(iii) To have the sign without the reality would only mean greater
condemnation.
(iv) But to have the sign with the reality, was to have God’s blessing.
(v) What good would circumcision be, if the heart is dead?
(vi) In the same vein, what good would our baptism be, if we’re
unconverted?
(vii) The answer is no good at all; it would only make us guiltier.
(viii) Paul says that if we practice sin, our circumcision/baptism becomes
uncircumcision/baptism.
(ix) But if we obey, then we show that we have the reality behind the sign,
that we are God’s children.
(x) Remember, it is the doer who will be justified, not the hearer only (v.
13).

2. Obedience is what really matters (v. 26):

a. Christ came into this world to redeem a people zealous for good works (Titus
2:14).
b. James has told us that faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
c. If we disobey, our baptism becomes un-baptism, just as circumcision
becomes uncircumcision.
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d. But on the other hand, if even while uncircumcised/baptized, we keep the

Law from the heart, we show that we have the circumcision/baptism of the
heart.
e. God will even regard it as such.
(i) This doesn’t mean we don’t need to be baptized. We still must obey.
(ii) But it shows we have the reality.
(iii) The thief on the cross wasn’t baptized, but he was saved, because his
heart was baptized.

f. More than this, a person who is uncircumcised/baptized who obeys, will

judge those who have the sign but don’t obey.
(i) They will vindicate the truth of God and judge them through their
example.
(ii) Paul says true believers will literally join in judging unbelievers (1 Cor.
6:2).
(iii) This is why Paul pointed to the Gentiles earlier: when they are
converted by the Gospel, they obey (vv. 14-16).

B. The point is that God is interested in the reality, not the sign (vv. 28-29).
1. Religion is not an external thing (v. 28).
a. Paul says that being a Jew is not a matter of birth: “He is not a Jew who is
one outwardly.”
b. And circumcision is not a matter of having the foreskin of the flesh removed:
“Neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.”
c. Religion is not just what we do, it’s also why we do it.

2. Religion is a matter of the heart (v. 29).

a. The true Jew, the true child of Abraham, is one who is a Jew inside: “He is a
Jew who is one inwardly.”
b. True circumcision is that of the heart, by the Spirit, not by external
obedience: “Circumcision is that which of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the
letter.”
c. The true believe is the one who seek praise from God, and not from men, and
who receives it, because he sets his heart to glorify Him: “His praise is not
from men, but from God.”
d. The reason God stresses obedience so much, is that it shows the condition of
the heart.
(i) The circumcised/baptized heart obeys God.
(ii) The uncircumcised/unbaptized heart doesn’t.

III. Application.
A. What does your obedience say about the condition of your heart?
1. God gives this as an indicator; we need to listen to what it says.
2. Does it say you have a sick heart – struggling with sin, falling to it frequently,
not much obedience, etc.
3. Let it drive you to Christ for strength.
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B. Does it tell you that you have a dead heart.

1. You know what you’re doing is sin, but you’re not fighting it, you live in it,
you’re going deeper and deeper into it.
2. Let this warning drive you to Christ for life. He alone can circumcise your
heart.

C. The apostle reminds us that externals aren’t that important. It’s what’s in our heart
that is.
1. The externals – the signs, sacraments, ordinances – of religion are important, but
they’re of no use without the reality.
2. God looks at the heart. Don’t work on the outside – the Pharisees were white-
washed sepulchers. Work on the inside –the virtues of godliness.
3. Youth – don’t work on the outside of your cup – as Peter says the braiding of
hair and putting on clothes and jewelry (1 Pet. 3:3-4) – let it be the hidden
person of the heart, a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the eyes of the
Lord (v. 4). Your goal should be to please God, not yourself or others. He loves
godliness, not vanity.
4. Let these be words of admonition to all of us. Amen.