12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
The connection of the law to sin is one that sometimes confounds me. For instance, those of us who follow the Lord God aren't bound by the law, but that doesn't mean we can do whatever we want. We aren't bound to the law, but those who who obey it, who obey the law, are justified before the Lord God.
In fact those who obey the law of God without even knowing, show that the law of God is written on the hearts of people. WOW. just think about that for a minute eh? God's law is written on our hearts already. He put them there. This, this is why there is only excuse for folks to not obey the law. It's there, we just make choices to follow it or not. It's our bad decision-making that is to blame, not the law. It is this bad decision-making that brings us before the Judgement of God.
17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
This section seems to start off well eh? Folks who know the law and do it, doing what is excellent and right according to the law, Paul has some hard questions for these people.
When you teach others, do you do what you teach?
- When you teach staying faithful to your spouse, do you?
- When you say don't take things that aren't yours, do you take your own teaching to heart?
- If you abhor idols, do you take from the temples?
When you boast in the law and don't do what you teach, then you bring dishonor to God and his ways. You cause his name to be blasphemed by the non-believers. If you say God and his ways are important then do so. Model what you teach!!
This brings to mind how I'm trying to teach my lad to spend time in god's word daily. If I ask him to do so and I don't, then what am I truly saying? I want to be honest with him. To that end we'll be working on holdING each other accountable, talking about what we are learning at supper time. This gives us the whole day to get our devotions done. :) and if we don't get them done, we talk to God about it rather than apologizing to each other.
25 For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. 26 So, if a man who is uncircumcised keeps the precepts of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27 Then he who is physically uncircumcised but keeps the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28 For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Take for instance here circumcision. It's something that all Jews do. It's supposed to be a sign of covenant between God and his chosen people. But if you don't live out that covenant, so,if you as a Jew, don't live out the law that is already written on your heart, than what point is the circumcision? Those that obey the law without being circumcised condemn those that are circumcised but don't act it.
I found this statement interesting. "But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God." So does that imply that those who follow God truly, who live according to the law written on our hearts, that in essence we are Jewish within? I know it means we are true believers, true children of God. I just found the statement curious. It doesn't really ,after in the end does it though? The important thing is, do you live by the Spirit, following what is written on our hearts in both word and deed?
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