“Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? Yes, there are great benefits! First of all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God. True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him, “You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.” Romans 3:1-4 NLT
The Jews are the chosen people of God, the deal was made a few millennia ago with Abram. Ever since that time, they have made religion a high level profession. Who better to try to outsmart, out maneuver God? They believed they could convince God they were perfect, sinless because they “kept” the law.
Paul, who is Jewish, and a former Pharisee himself, explains their foolishness in this idea. Circumcision, for example, was a physical mark of dedication to God, but it did not make them perfect, not even a little. Then, Paul masterfully walks them through how all people are under the “power of sin.” No work, no act, no effort could ever be enough to break that power and erase the infractions of sin.
It is wild to me that people still believe that actions or behaviors are still the only way to heaven. People, who deeply care about a sense of right and wrong, still struggle to figure out how many kind or good acts does it require to be made right with God and gain eternity? And obviously, there are others who get frustrated trying. They just push past their conscience and “sin-it-up!” Paul addressed this in v5-8. Just giving up altogether risks the hardening of our hearts towards God! This makes it harder and harder to hear the Spirit of God helping us make good choices not to sin.
The old evangelism explosion question was, “if you were to die today and stand before God and He asks you, ‘why should I let you into heaven’? Folks still try to justify or prove they are worthy by talking about the good things they’ve done or by comparing that they are not as evil as the next person. The belief in Jesus, the faith required is that Jesus is the only perfection possible. And, through Him, we are accepted before God and set on a path towards heaven. It is faith alone, it has always been faith in God’s way. It’s not our goodness or even attempts at being good. It is has nothing to do with us better better than the next person. This is the gospel, the good news. Even the chosen people of God (Jews) must come to Him through faith in the Messiah, Jesus.
Prayer
Dad,
I am not only well aware of my sin, I am also aware of my ideals of perfection in me and others. Any goodness that comes out of me is because of you. And anytime I choose to use myself as the standard of goodness as compared to others is just rubbish! It is Christ and Christ alone! My life is hidden within His perfection. And for others, I just want them to see you in my life.