Unashamed of the Gospel
Glorifying God from the Heart
Romans 2:17-29
Turn in your Bibles to Romans 2.
17 But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God,
18 and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law,
19 and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,
20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth,
21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?
22 You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the Law, through your transgression of the Law, do you dishonor God?
24 For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” just as it is written.
Romans 2:17-24 (LSB)
If the latter half of Romans 1 was attacking those who were outside of any formal religion, specifically Judaism, and the first half of Romans 2 was attacking those who considered themselves to be somewhat righteous or religious, then our passage this morning is attacking the Jew, the one who had and knew the Law of God. And though we are not Jewish or part of the nation of Israel, there are plenty of things that we can relate to the Jewish people and may be very convicted by these words of Paul against the Jewish people. I suppose if we were making this relevant to us, we might read, “But if you bear the name ‘Christian’ and rely upon the Bible and boast in God and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of God’s Word.”
Now, before we think, man, I am glad I am not Jewish, Paul will go on in the very next chapter and speak of the great advantage of being Jewish. And I would suggest that in this chapter, we see some advantages from the get-go (vs 17) they had the Law of God, and they boasted in God. That is certainly not a bad thing, as Paul said (1 Cor 1:31), he who boasts, boast in the Lord. If anything, we are properly guilty of not boasting enough in the Lord. And that phrase (vs 18) “and know His will,” I believe we would understand the great advantage of that, as we might consider the same advantage for believers today that we have. In a sense, we certainly do not understand the full ramifications of His will, but we do know much of what God is doing. As the more we know the Scriptures, certainly the more we know about God, the more we know about the desires of God. I mean, if we sat down with an unbeliever and talked about current-day events, we would have a much greater understanding of what will happen in the future, though we do not pretend to know all the details nor the timing of God.
Now, the person from the culture may have some strong opinions, but in relation to what we know in God’s Word, it is like night and day. We know the Source of life. We know much of creation. We know that God called a people. We know the mystery of salvation and the gospel. We know there is a real heaven and a real hell. We know there are angels and demons. We know that the greatest pursuit in life is to glorify God. We know how we should live ethically. We know the importance of church life. We know that ultimately all things work together for good for those who love God. Much of the world knows nothing of these things. They may have some guesses, they may even think they know, but unless they know God and believe in His Word, they do not. Yet we are not proud to know all this. We are not to be arrogant because we know these things. You know, the world—if they believe in some sort of God—they will leave much room for thought and belief. In other words, they will likely have a broad understanding of a god they hold to. Whereas for the Christian, our beliefs are confined to the Bible, and our God has distinct and defined characteristics. Yet when we know God better, we learn such a depth and vastness about God that the world knows nothing about.
And the final thing (vs 18), we approve the things that are essential. This is a massive privilege, for God has revealed to us what is important in life. Paul will later tell the Philippians:
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ.”
Philippians 1:9-10 (LSB)
Think of the Christian who deeply desires to grow in his or her faith. The advantage of his love growing deeper and his knowledge growing deeper. So that we are able to approve the things that are excellent. May we never become satisfied with a shallow faith that does not desire to know more of God and these spiritual things. And then he says, “in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ.” Right up until the time when we meet our Lord. I mean, that is a road map that very few people in life have been given.
So, now Paul will confront the Jew using a number of things that they would be known for. Many things that they would consider advantages to them. And then each time, Paul will sort of slam the door and come down hard on them. I don’t know if you have ever had a performance review at work where your superior sits down with you and lets you know how you are doing. And even when they are praising you at the beginning, what are you thinking? Is he or she just buttering me up so that he can eventually slam me? In other words, after all the compliments, then the “but I have these things against you!” And Paul, of course, commends them. He says: you rely on God and you boast in the truth; you know His will and approve the things that are essential; you are confident that you are a guide to the blind (not sure that one could be taken as a compliment?) sounds a little sarcastic; you are a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature; and you have the Law, the embodiment of knowledge and truth; and therefore, you teach one another. And the Jews are sitting there thinking, loving this commendation from Paul!
But then Paul will say, you who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who teach that you should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, do you dishonour God? And then Paul will throw down the hammer.
“For ‘the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,’ just as it is written.”
Romans 2:24 (LSB)
And this is not a message to harp and teach how bad the Jew is, as God has His plans for the Jewish people and will bring back Israel to Himself at some point in history, and fulfill the promises that He gave to Abraham. But we do understand here in this passage that Paul wants us, his hearers, to learn from these grave errors and misconceptions of the Jewish people. It is interesting that back in the Old Testament, Isaiah had written the great position Israel had before God. In Isaiah 43, God is making a statement about the people of Jacob, how He brought them out of Egypt, telling them not to fear, for He is with them. And he says this:
“Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
Isaiah 43:7 (LSB)
The people of Israel were created and chosen to be the people of God and were chosen to display the honour of God. And throughout the course of history, it comes to this point where God says that, because of the Jewish people, whereas he had said they were created for His glory, he now says (vs 24) the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. And as we continue our study, Paul will conclude that both Jews and Gentiles are under sin. That the Jews did not bring glory to God, then Paul would blame them for their negative influence on the Gentiles. Look with me at what Paul will write near the end of his letter, as he is writing to both Jews and Gentiles.
“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, ‘Therefore I will give praise to You among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Your name.’”
Romans 15:7-9 (LSB)
Here God has created both Jew and Gentile to bring Him honour and glory. Yet he says in our passage this morning that the name of God is being blasphemed, a word that means spoken evil about or defamed, in other words, it is not given its worthiness. And Paul will eventually say to both Jew and Gentile, for all of you have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Now I want to be careful here this morning that I do not bring an excessive charge against the Jewish people. Remember this entire dialogue of Paul’s from Romans 1:18 all the way to Romans 3:20 is to show that all men and women from every tribe and nation are under sin, not just the Jew. Remember, Paul started out with the great sins of the Gentiles, that He gave them over to sins such as homosexuality, and that they were foolish, greedy, envious, violent, unloving, and categorized them as those who suppressed the truth.
And then last week, Paul would chastise those who lived a little better than that, yet their admonition was that they looked down on others, but they also practised some of the same things. And now the Jewish people who lived a little better again. But Paul is going to get all over them for their hypocrisy, as here they were the teachers, but they also were guilty of many of the same sins of those they taught. And when we address the issue here of the Jew bringing dishonour to God, let us not forget that when Paul was addressing those outside of the Law look what he said, “For even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give thanks” (Rom 1:21a). So, I do not know which group is more becoming, as the point Paul is making is this: that no matter what kind of person you are, that no matter choices you make, that no matter how you may feel about yourself, everyone, the entire world stands guilty before God whether you are a Jew or a Gentile. And all men and women, no matter what nationality, fail to bring glory to God. And therefore, when you and I sin, even when we sin and feel remorse for our sin and we mourn over our sin, and we also realize the damage that sin does to us and to those around us, but ultimately, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and therefore, every sin we commit dishonours God. John Piper describes our sin and evil this way:
“Evil is feeling or thinking or acting is a way that treats God as less than infinitely valuable and infinitely satisfying.”
John Piper
See, every time we choose to sin, we express a dissatisfaction with God. And therefore, we do exactly what Paul is chastising these people for, that even though they knew God, they did not glorify Him (1:21). And though they may have God’s Word, they dishonour God (2:23). Why? For all [Jew, Gentile, and us] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23). So, now Paul will go on and get to the core of the issue.
25 For indeed circumcision. This is in reference to the Jewish practice of circumcision. And this circumcision is of value if you practice the Law, but if you are a transgressor of the Law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. So, circumcision, the mark of the Jewish person that they belong to God and are part of God’s people, is of value if they practice the Law. But if they do not, it is of no value. The key is not the circumcision; the key is the obedience and practice of the Law.
26 So if the uncircumcised man observes the righteous requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?
27 And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the Law, will he not judge you who, through the letter of the Law and circumcision, are a transgressor of the Law?
Paul goes one step further here; he says that if someone is not circumcised and fulfils the Law, that person actually becomes the judge of the one who is circumcised and does not obey the Law.
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Ultimately, Paul teaches that true circumcision is a circumcision that affects the heart and is not merely an outward sign.
So, what I wish to do this morning is go back to the first charge against these people and learn here from Paul what it looks like to have a faith that is merely an outward sign. For notice when Paul goes to (vs 25) after mentioning the above charges he says, “for indeed,” In other words, these things are merely outward signs of your faith. And the one which I want to focus on is, do you not teach yourself? As it seems to categorize the others and ends of course with, do you dishonour God?
Do you not teach yourself? Who is the better teacher? The one who knows the truth or the one who knows and lives the truth. The old saying, do what I say, not as I do. Have you ever taught a Sunday School class and spoken the words, and yet not heard the lesson yourself? Have you ever instructed your children about a moral issue, and yet you disobey it all the time? Could someone preach a sermon and all the while living in the very sin they are condemning? Could that ever happen? James 3:
“Do not, many of you, become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment.”
James 3:1 (LSB)
Now this was specifically written to likely church leaders who often taught, but it certainly could be applied to anyone who teaches children, women, wherever you find yourself giving instruction to others. In 2011, I had the privilege of going to Moody Pastors conference in Chicago. And looked forward to hearing some great speakers such as Steve Lawson, who was known as a tremendous preacher of the gospel, very firm in his biblical beliefs and non-compromisingly taught the truths of Scripture, often to other pastors. Dr. Lawson served as pastor at Trinity Bible Church in Dallas and served at other churches for over 40 years of pastoral ministry. He and his wife Anne have four children. He has written over 30 books such as Foundations of Grace, Pillars of Grace, and The Passionate Preaching of Martyn Lloyd-Jones. He taught at many conferences alongside such men as R. C. Sproul. He served as a dean of the Doctor of Ministry program at Master’s Seminary, the school started by John MacArthur. A few years ago, it was discovered that Lawson had a relationship with a young girl in her twenties when Lawson was 72 years old. Lawson made this statement:
“It is with a shattered heart that I write this letter. I have sinned grievously against the Lord, against my wife, my family, and against countless numbers of you by having a sinful relationship with a woman, not my wife. I am deeply broken that I have betrayed and deceived my wife, devastated my children, brought shame to the name of Christ, reproach upon His church, and harm to many ministries.”
Dr. Lawson was a great teacher, and I am sure there have been many who have come to Christ under his ministry. He preached a number of messages on Romans 1, some entitled: Getting the Gospel Right, Not Ashamed of the Gospel, Having My Feet Firmly Planted, and The Foolishness of the Greeks. Now we might say this is an extreme example—and I hope it is—but it still forces us to ask the question, do you not teach yourself? Here is the issue: because of the sin of not teaching ourselves with the message that we proclaim to others, the name of God is blasphemed, as Paul goes on to name sexual sin, stealing, and dishonouring God in many ways. And closes with, and all these dishonour God.
So, what do we do with all this? How do we respond to this? How do we sincerely look at our own lives and ask do I not teach myself? Do I steal? Do I commit adultery? Do I rob God? Do I dishonour God? In other words, if this were my Bible reading this morning, Romans 2:17-29, what should I take away from the passage? I suppose some might suggest that even if I am a Gentile (non-Jewish), I should adhere to the Law. In other words, it is sort of a moral pep talk. Mark, bear down, be careful that you live what you preach. Do not steal from God, be pure, do not dishonour God in any way. Others have suggested that this section is basically a slam against the Jews, that Paul is trying to prove that the Jew relies on the Law and therefore should be a guide to the blind. They have the truth of God, and they ought to be correcting those who are foolish, but they fail in every way. And some have pointed out the greatest slam is that Paul says that circumcision, the sign of the Jews, means basically nothing, as the primary desire is the circumcision of the heart. And I do believe we could teach this text and give some moral guidelines, and certainly, we could enforce the need to have a circumcision of the heart, but I believe we would then miss what Paul is teaching. One of the things that we must do to help us get Scripture right is to teach what the Bible is teaching. And there are many passages in the Bible that teach on moral issues. In fact, we could turn to Romans 12:
“Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2 (LSB)
I have said before that there are passages that teach of man’s responsibility to obey, and that is what we should teach. Other passages focus solely on God’s election and sovereign choice, and therefore, we must teach that as well. But what is Paul teaching in the passage? What is he trying to explain to us? He is trying to explain whether you are someone who does not have the Law of God (Rom 1) that your understanding of God did not come from a written Word, but should have come from His creation. And your understanding of right and wrong came from your conscience. Paul wants that person to be certain that he has rejected both God’s revelation and his conscience and therefore that person is without excuse. Next, Paul turns to the somewhat religious guy who seems to know enough about God and obedience, but he looks down on others who do not match his standard, and Paul will tell him that he does some of the same sins, and therefore he too is without excuse.
And then now in today’s passage, Paul is using the Jew as the example, of the one who now has the actual Law of God. He knows and understands much of who God is and yet he still cannot live in a way that does not condemn him. Romans 1:18-32, final grade “F” (for failure). Comment from the Teacher, you are without excuse. Romans 2:1-16, final grade “F” (for failure). Comment from the Teacher, you are without excuse. Romans 2:17-29, final grade “F” (for failure). Comment from the Teacher, because of you the name of God has been blasphemed. The Law keeper will seek to find a way to be obedient in this passage. The moralist will seek to find a way to be accepted in this passage. Yet, the true believer will see from this passage that he has received a failing grade, and, as a result, he is condemned. See, there are many things we could take from this passage from Rom 1:18-2:29. But the core issue is our own depravity and sinfulness. And if we miss that, we have failed to understand what Paul is teaching. Why is this so vital? Well, I believe we see the answer at the end of our text, and Paul is speaking here to the Jew, but I believe we can learn from his statement.
“But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”
Romans 2:29 (LSB)
Let me leave you with three statements in closing:
- It is only when we realize our condemnation that we can truly glorify God.
Imagine if we confronted our little guy with something he did wrong, and his response was, well, I will try harder next time. And we said, yes, but you did this. And he said, well, I won’t let it happen again. What do we want from the little guy? Dad, I am sorry, I was wrong. That kind of response brings glory to God. We don’t even want a boast from our son of what he will do. We do not want, Dad, this will not happen again. No, we want a deep heart conviction that what he did was wrong. It is only when we realize our condemnation that we can truly glorify God.
- It is only when we receive the work of the Spirit that we can truly obey God.
This work of circumcision of heart (vs 29) is “by the Spirit.” This is not a “bear down and try harder.” It is a coming before God and asking Him that He might fill us with His Spirit, so that we might be obedient before our Father.
- It is only when we recognize the gospel that we can receive praise from God.
If we are people who focus on our goodness and what we can do for Christ, we have missed the gospel and the whole thrust of Paul’s theme in 1:161-17. For the gospel forces us to realize our hopelessness and depravity. Don’t go looking for merit within yourself. D. A. Carson wrote:
“We human beings are a strange lot. We hear high moral injunctions and glimpse just a little the genuine beauty of perfect holiness, and then prostitute the vision by dreaming about the way others would hold us in high esteem if we were like that. The demand for genuine perfection loses itself in the lesser goal of external piety; the goal of pleasing the Father is traded for its shrunken cousin, the goal of pleasing men. It almost seems as if the greater demand for holiness, the greater the opportunity for hypocrisy.”
- A. Carson, Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, 71.
The little guy who learns that what he did was wrong, has a much greater relationship with his Mom and Dad than the son that just tries harder. So too for the believer. The one who learns of his sin and yet desperately wants a close relationship with God, will repent of that sin and with joy will desire to walk with His heavenly Father.
We hope to have a baptism here at Elim in the next month or so. And baptism could be viewed as an external act, much like circumcision. And I believe this morning we have learned that being baptised for merely external reasons has zero value, but being baptised because we have a relationship with a loving Father has tremendous value. When Paul uses those words at the end of the chapter, “his praise is not from men, but from God,” means that mere external religion may attract the applause of man, but it cannot fool God. Whereas real heart devotion—not to a religion—but to Christ, gains the approval of God. And that heart devotion and that praise from God can only come to the one who genuinely recognizes the truth of the gospel. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God. Let’s pray. Father, for what we know not, teach us. For what we have not spiritually, give us. And for what we are not yet, make us. And all God’s people said, amen.