“Even the Religious Fall Short” Romans 2:17-29

Introduction

Have you ever noticed that some things just don’t seem to be consistent? For instance, you’re driving down the road and a car passes, clearly going well over the speed limit. As they’re zipping by, you glance at the back of the vehicle and notice the bumper stickers. You realize quickly that person who is a proud supporter of the DPS, the local sheriff and law enforcement in general. The stickers let you know in no uncertain terms that this person is someone who believes in law-and-order, never mind that they are flaunting the laws that dictate the speed limit on the road.

I have a friend on Facebook that perplexes me. I’ve known him since high school days, and I’ve always thought of him as a nice person. On Facebook, though, he spews forth venom and disdain for those who do not share his political views. Several times, he has been suspended from Facebook for the over-the-top posts he makes.

One time, he posted a saying he found that said something to the effect that our world will be better place when we learn to speak and act with respect towards others. I commented on his post, asking if he was going to begin applying this noble idea to those who didn’t agree with his politics.

“Not a chance” was the effect of his reply.

Sadly, it’s not unusual for people to claim one thing only to expose the shallowness of their belief with the things they do. As Jesus pointed out in the Sermon on the Mount, it’s not the things we do or say, but it’s the reason we do what we do and say what we say.

Background

Paul has been writing the reason for the power of the Gospel and the reason why Christ had to die for us all. He told us Christ died for the immoral because they were given over by God to pursue the things of their depraved hearts. Paul then told us Christ died for the moral person, the one who doesn’t live a decadent lifestyle. Even those who are moral fail to live up to the standards God holds for those who would have fellowship with Him.

Today’s passage speaks to why Christ died for the religious. Specifically, why Christ died for the devout Jews.

Recall that throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, He was opposed by the religious establishment of the day. He didn’t follow the Law the way they followed the Law. He refused to do miraculous signs on demand. Jesus’ frustration with the religious leaders is given full voice in Matthew 23, when Jesus pronounces the Seven Woes upon the teachers of the laws and the Pharisees. In these words, He condemns them for their hypocrisy and their own failure to live up to the standards of the God’s laws.

It doesn’t take long in reading the Bible to realize that even the most godly people fall short of God’s perfection, and that even they have the need for salvation through Christ.

Central Truth: Christ died for the sins of those who, though they claim to be religious, still fall short of God’s expectations.

How is true religion measured?

1. Do we practice what we preach? (17-24)

I used to really enjoy politics. I still enjoy the civil exchange of ideas and viewpoints, and I try to respect a person’s right to disagree with me on issues. I find I can learn a lot if I can have an honest discussion with people I may disagree with on issues that deal with our nation and our society.

But the one thing I find disgusting and discouraging about politics is the way it’s practiced. I remember reading on Facebook some comments on people shortly after President Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress. The people I was reading about were conservative in their views, and they were highly insulted that the Democrats in Congress didn’t join in applause like the Republicans did. One of the people who was commenting on how disgusted he was with the Democrats admitted that he had never watched or listened to one of President Obama’s speeches. I remember these same people applauding Republican congressmen and senators for standing up to Obama by not applauding Obama’s speeches. People who griped about the way Obama was treated conveniently forget the way they treated George W. Bush when he was president. And on it goes.

Hypocrisy is a word that is thrown around in matters of religion, too. In fact, hypocrisy seems to be one of the most convenient excuses for not following Christ. The claim of hypocrisy doesn’t quite ring true since most of those who toss the term around have no clear understanding of what the Gospel is really all about. They only have their preconceived ideas and look for excuses to refute their understanding.

Still, there is a degree of truth to hypocrisy within the church. There are many who fill our pews who fail to follow the ways of Christ in their daily lives, and there are those who may have the heart to follow Christ but never take the time to examine His ways and teachings. We know that we all fall short of God’s expectations and that we have to rely on His grace. Unfortunately, there are some that rely too much on grace and not enough on obedience.

I love the way Paul introduces this passage. He begins by listing all the things that make a person a religious person—in this case, specifically, a Jew. He says if you are all these things, and I can almost see heads nodding, hearing “amens” sprinkled through the auditorium. But those agreements come to a sudden halt when we get to v. 24.

Paul rightly sets up the listeners with his series of questions. To get an idea of what he’s saying, substitute the word “Christian” for “Jew,” and substitute “Holy Spirit” for “law” and see how it comes out.

The point that Paul is making is that no one is always able to do God’s will, no matter how well-meaning or how committed to doing so. It is our human nature that gets in the way of our complete compliance to God’s will and His ways. Because of this, we need to constantly examine ourselves. This forces a recognition of how dependent we are upon the grace, mercy and power of the Lord in our daily lives.

It I each Christian’s hope that, when they stand before the Lord on the day of their transformation and glorification, they will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest.” I can think of no more damning phrase than Paul’s words in v. 24: God’s name is blasphemed because of you.

Is that really what we want to hear from the One who died for us, who gave His life for our sins?

1. Do we rely only on sacraments and rituals? (25-27)

So often, people equate ritual for validity. I tease about Texas A&M a lot, in part because it’s fun and in part because of their seemingly strict reverence for Aggie tradition and ritual. But the truth is, I have a great deal of respect for a student body that so admires and holds to their traditions and rituals. It means something to someone to be able to know they are part of a bigger thing, a larger movement, and it is their privilege and duty to carry on that same tradition for future generations.

Up to a point. Sometimes, Aggies go too far in their devotion to their alma mater. The cadet who drew his sword to threaten a student from an opposing school for trying to step on the hallowed grounds of the football field was over the top and too extreme. The former student that feels it his or her sacred duty to “whoop” any and every time the school’s name is mentioned is too much. With tradition should also come a sense of decorum and perspective.

Paul’s words in these few verses reminds us that the doing of religion is not the same as being an obedient follower. Paul uses the specific ritual of circumcision to make his point.

Circumcision was given to Abraham prior to Isaac’s birth at a time when God was reaffirming that Isaac would be born to Abraham (Genesis 17). It was during this time that God informed Abram he was to become Abraham, and that Sarai was to be known from now on as Sarah. God instituted the sign of circumcision as a sign of one’s devotion and obedience to the covenant God was making with Abraham. The significance of circumcision is that it pre-dates the Law given to Moses. It could be argued that circumcision is a greater symbol of Jewishness than the Law is, though both are vital elements of the faith.

There are other passages in the Old Testament when God reminds the people that He demands obedience over ritual. Paul continues that idea with the being circumcised but not being obedient does not make one a Jew. He reminds us that obedience is more an indication of one’s relationship with the Father than obeying a ritual.

I remember when I was in elementary school talking with one of my classmates who also attended a Baptist church. Most of our classmates were Catholic, so there was a kindred spirit attitude between Roy and me. We were talking once about being baptized. Both he and I had undergone the ordinance of our faith and had then become welcome participants in our other ordinance of taking part in the Lord’s Supper. The problem with me, at least, is that my life did not reflect the change that baptism should reflect. The reason is that I was baptized when I had no real concept of what it means to be a follower of Christ. That didn’t come about until I was 16 years old in East Texas.

Just because a person takes part in the rituals and practices of the church, and cites these examples as proof of their relationship with God is oftentimes missing the point that the relationship is not built upon ritual, but upon obedience, fellowship and submission to the living Lord.

1. Is our religion “outward” only? (28-29)

Suppose a person goes to a Texas Rangers baseball game, and the Rangers are playing the Houston Astros. You’re enjoying the game, but you notice there’s this one guy who’s louder than everybody else. He’s hollering and rooting for the Astros. It’s almost a non-stop patter. The noise is coming from behind you, and finally, curiosity gets the better of you. You turn to see who this rabid Rangers fan is, and you spot the guy. When you see him, you’re puzzled. When you see the person, he’s wearing a Rangers jersey, a Rangers cap and he even has his face painted in Rangers’ colors. Everything coming out of his mouth screams Astros fan, but everything else portrays a Rangers fan. What’s going on?

Outwardly, we can appear to be one thing, but it’s what’s on the inside that matters. That’s what God is telling us in these last two verses that summarize today’s passage. Just because someone shows up at church every time the doors open, just because someone carries a Bible in a prominent place, just because someone is actively involved on a committee or board of some kind, doesn’t make a person a Christian.

As I read these words, I am reminded of Jesus’ admonitions in Matthew 6 about praying, giving and fasting. If the reason we do these things is for the praise of men, then we get what we’re looking for by standing on the street corners and loudly praying, by making a show of our giving, by demonstrating our fasting. But if we seek God’s favor, we do these things quietly, in our prayer closet, not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing. We seek God, not the approval of men.

What Paul wants us to understand is that the rituals, practices and trappings of religion don’t mean a thing if God is not in it. If all we’re doing is going through the motions, we’re wasting our time. God seeks circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not the written code. We come to Him by faith, not works. We find God’s favor, not earn it.

And that’s why Christ had to die for the religious.

Conclusion

There are a lot of religious people in our land. I spoke with a person from England when I was at my first pastorate. I commented on how beautiful the churches of England are as compared to American churches. Her response? The difference is that the churches in England are all empty while American churches are full. Sadly, that statement is becoming less true each day, but there is much to be said for the fact that America is, by comparison to most of the world, a highly religious place.

Unfortunately, God doesn’t want religious people. He wants His children. And the only way we can become the children of God is by faith in the Risen Lord, the One who willingly went to Calvary, there to lay down His life for our sins.

Because even the religious need salvation.