IN THE WORD DAILY
with Brother Rick
Romans 2: 29
But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and
circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose
praise is not of men, but of God.
In Paul's epistle to the
Roman church, the primary theme would be justification by faith. Paul's message
removes the believer from the bondage of the law and gives them freedom to
serve and worship God outside the letter of the law. Jesus fulfilled the law.
That means he filled it full. Colossians 2: 13, 14 says, “And you, being
dead in your sins, and uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together
with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of
ordinances that was against us, and took it
out of the way, nailing it to the cross.” Paul is making the
point that it is not the letter of the law that takes justifies a man before
God. It is not the ordinances that justify a sinful man before a holy God. It
is not the name, Jew, that makes a man alive toward God. But is is the condition
of the heart which justifies man before God. Paul states that neither being a
child of Abraham, nor having answered the intentions of the law brings a man to
justification. The children of Abraham would do the works of Abraham. Galatians
3: 6 says, “Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for
righteousness.” Abraham had a heart for God. Abraham believed God.
Abraham trusted God. His heart and his spirit was right with God. We no problem
with God's law when our heart is right with God. Psalm 119: 165 says, “Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”
Let's look at the term
“Justification”. It means “acquittal”, “righteous ordinance or judgment”. When
we are justified before a holy God, this means the charges are dropped. God has
us charged with the death of his Son, and we must pay the price. So by faith is
the sacrifice of Jesus, we can be set free from the charges. The supreme judge
has thrown out the case against us when we throw ourselves on the mercy of the
court, plead guilty, and accept the sacrifice that Jesus made at Calvary . Money won't buy your way out of this charge.
Mama and daddy can't help with this case. Dick James can't pull any strings to
help you. There is only one advocate who has access to the judge. His name is
Jesus. 1 John 2: 1, 2 says, “My little children, these things write I
unto you, that ye sin not. And If any man sin, we have an advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for our only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” My
case was thrown out of court, it was dismissed, the very moment I trusted in
the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. When Jesus became my advocate, I was set
free. Friend, don't you dare go before the judge without a lawyer. You will not
go free if you stand before the judge alone. If you represent yourself, you
will not go free. A man who acts as his own attorney, has a fool for a client.
Paul's letter to the Roman
church deals with the condition of the heart. It is the heart that God looks
at, it is the inner man that God sees. It is the spirit of man that makes a
connection with God. Our works can be manipulated. Our outward man can be
altered, but the heart will always reveal the true character of a man. Romans
10: 10 says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” It is not the letter
of the law which gives man access to the God, but a true heart of faith toward
Jesus, which justifies us before God. Hey friend, you will not go before God
without Jesus. You will not enter heaven without Jesus. There is not
justification without Jesus. He is the only way, take him or leave him.
It is the inner man that
moves the heart of God. Let me say this; you know a tree by its fruit. When the
heart is right, the body will do right. The body follows the heart. A man will
do exactly what his heart tells him to do. You may put on a show for a while,
but eventually, the heart will prevail.
Don't go before the supreme
Judge without proper representation. Your justification will only come when
Jesus goes before the judge on your behalf. Any other way will get you an
eternal incarceration. You will pay on your sin debt forever. Jesus wants to
set you free, trust him today!!
