25 “Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised. 26 So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised? 27 The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker. 28 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”

There is an inward faith and an outward religion. Real faith is not about membership, wearing a distinct name, or ritualistic rule-keeping. Those are all outward things. Outward appearance will not measure up.  It is not about outward expressions such as circumcision, baptism, church membership, or any other thing such as this. You can be baptized and be a “member” and still not be pleasing to God even if the package looks nice but there is nothing inside. In other words, the mark of a Christian is one who is faithful to God from the heart. He is not out to look good to people, but to please God.

Matthew 23:27: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.” Graves were painted white every year so no one would accidentally touch a tomb and be declared unclean. Those involved in ritual and religion were nicely painted on the outside, but were actually dead on the inside, and in their deadness, were defiling others. The word conversion means a change over to something else. When you are converted, you don’t just go to church on Sunday mornings. You completely change your life.

I compare it to the one who puts on a wedding band as he makes a marriage covenant with his bride. The ring itself is nothing but a symbol. It has great value if the vows are kept, but it is an empty if the vows are violated. As one may be married without the presence of a ring, so one may be in relationship with God without circumcision. Any Gentile who could keep the requirements of the Law would be reckoned as one who had received the rite of circumcision because the reality was present without the symbol of circumcision. The symbol apart from the reality is worthless.

So, what is our distinction as Christians? Circumcision went out with the sacrificial system and the temple. Could it be baptism? After all, doesn’t Paul compare baptism to circumcision in Colossians 2:11? There he calls it the “circumcision of Christ made without hands in baptism.” Circumcision was a sign of God’s special relationship with His people. Isn’t Christian baptism like this? 

Paul says circumcision is of value only if you keep the law. If you do not, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. Do you see what is happening? In a similar way baptism is only of value if you obey God, but if you do not obey God, your baptism becomes meaningless.     

The bottom line of what sets us apart as Christians is our loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ. We can’t rely on mere outward marks to identify us as a Christian. If we claim to be a Christian simply because we have been baptized, yet do not live faithfully to Jesus, our baptism means nothing.             

Dale