Romans 4-1 - Faith and Ritual#
Romans 4-1 Faith and Ritual
(JP Text Group - Organized by Qingqing)
Let's Pray Together
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise you! Every time we seek you, you will supply us and bless us. You are our Lord and our helper. Feed us through your word. I desire to know you more through your word, and may the Holy Spirit personally guide us to receive abundant life and rich blessings from you. Bless the following time. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
Romans 4:9-12
Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
The topic of sharing is: Ritual and Faith
In Christianity, there are many rituals, but in Jesus Christ, there are almost no rituals. For example, saying the sinner's prayer is a ritual. Baptism is also a ritual. Some churches tell believers that worshiping God requires first praising, then praying, followed by reciting the Apostles' Creed, and finally reciting the Lord's Prayer before ending the service, etc. All of these belong to rituals. While rituals are important, they cannot save people; only the main character of the rituals—Jesus Christ—can save people. Do not leave the rituals behind while neglecting Jesus, as this loses its original meaning.
We cannot rely on worship rituals for salvation; salvation comes from believing in what Jesus Christ did on the cross. There are many religions in the world, each with its own rituals or doctrines. On the positive side, these rituals can lead people to think more deeply about the God who is higher than the rituals. What is the negative aspect? These rituals are often seen as a way to gain God's acceptance. For example, some people place great emphasis on baptism, saying that without baptism, one is not saved and has no right to partake in communion.
In fact, believing that Jesus shed His blood for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later is what saves a person. Rituals cannot save you; only faith in Jesus can.
If a person treats rituals as necessary rules for salvation, they lose their meaning. By the time of Malachi in the Old Testament, the people of Israel had only the worship rituals left, and God was no longer with them. When Jesus came, they rejected Him, did not want Him, and clung to the rituals like circumcision, the Sabbath, and the sacrificial system.
Verse 9: Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised?
What blessing? Returning to what was discussed last time, there are indeed people who are very blessed. What kind of people? Those who are justified by faith. Their sins are forgiven and covered, and in God's eyes, they are not counted as sin; such people are blessed.
Are God's various blessings only for the Jews? Of course not. Whether Jew or Gentile, whether circumcised or uncircumcised, as long as one is willing to believe in God and accept His grace, they can receive it.
The first point of sharing: We cannot rely on rituals, but on faith.
Abraham was counted as righteous when he believed God's word. The meaning of "counted" is to credit to someone's account. When Abraham believed God, God credited His righteousness to Abraham's account, and Abraham was justified by faith—not because of good deeds or any good works he did, and certainly not because he underwent any ritual.
Rituals cannot save people. Abraham was counted as righteous before he underwent the ritual of circumcision. In other words, when God justified Abraham, he had not yet been circumcised; he decided to follow God at least 14 years before his circumcision.
In Genesis 15, God, like a very loving father, guided Abraham step by step to know Him. For example, God said, "Abraham, count the stars in the sky; can you count them?" Abraham began to count, one, two, three, four... perhaps he lost count because there were too many. God said, "So shall your offspring be." At that time, Abraham said, "Lord, I believe." Because Abraham believed Him, he was counted as righteous.
But he was circumcised in Genesis 17, about 14 years later. In other words, Abraham was counted as righteous long before he was circumcised. When he believed God, he was already accepted by God. He was pleasing to God not because of the ritual of circumcision, but solely because of his faith.
Brothers and sisters, God does not care whether you belong to a certain tribe or have joined a particular team; He only cares whether you are willing to believe in Jesus. The promises in the Bible are for those who believe. If someone thinks these promises are only for the Jews, then they will not receive them.
Because you believe in Jesus and His work on the cross, no matter who you are or what tribe you belong to, He does not care about your skin color—white, black, or yellow—as long as you believe in Jesus, God calls you righteous. Amen!
The second point: Rituals are an external manifestation of faith.
So are rituals unimportant? Of course, they are important. Life needs a sense of ritual; through rituals, we can reflect on God's works. Abraham accepted circumcision as a physical sign. Because of this sign, he was set apart from others in the world; circumcision is not the way to come before God or the proof of being accepted by God. Circumcision is meant to help Abraham and his descendants understand that they belong to God. Whenever his faith was weak, seeing this sign reminded him that he was righteous and had hope. Amen!
Some may not understand what circumcision is.
It is a ritual in Israel, where on the eighth day after a boy is born, the foreskin is to be removed. This mainly refers to boys; there is no such requirement for girls. On the eighth day, removing the foreskin has medical benefits, as it can prevent many inflammations for both genders. This is not the focus of our discussion; if you want to know, you can look it up online. It is just to say that God had Abraham perform circumcision in the flesh to establish a covenant with him, so that when his faith was weak, he would remember the covenant God made with him.
Genesis 17:9-14
God said to Abraham, "You and your descendants must keep my covenant throughout their generations. Every male among you shall be circumcised. This is my covenant which you shall keep between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. Both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."
God made a covenant with Abraham and his descendants, which was a physical covenant requiring them to be circumcised. Do not think that being circumcised means God is pleased; it is not like that. The key is still believing in God. Because he believed in God, he was willing to make a covenant with God and be circumcised.
People are too prone to forget; many times they forget God's works and easily forget God's promises. Circumcision is both a ritual and a mark, a mark of life change, a sign of being set apart.
Circumcision is a sign, and in reality, it is not just a mark on the body; it is meant to stimulate inner faith. Although circumcision is performed in the flesh, in fact, Abraham kept it in his heart, remembering that God had made a covenant with him and had counted him as righteous. It serves to strengthen his faith, reinforce his belief, and provide him with evidence. It makes the covenant and God's righteousness tangible so that he can see it. Every time he is weak, he can reaffirm that God indeed made such a covenant with him.
But we should not overlook these rituals; they are also important. If through these rituals you can remember Jesus Christ and realize that God has already called you righteous, then that is the purpose of the ritual.
1 Corinthians 11:23-25
For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
The Lord's Supper is also a ritual; this ritual cannot save or heal people. But if during the ritual you reflect on the works of Jesus Christ, meditate on what He accomplished on the cross, that He was wounded for our healing, and that He was punished for our peace, then when people remember Jesus during the Lord's Supper, faith is released, and they receive healing and freedom. Therefore, through the Lord's Supper, we remember Jesus, and this ritual becomes particularly meaningful. But if one partakes of the Lord's Supper to remember something else, then the purpose of the Lord's Supper is lost.
There are other rituals, such as the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover, which also allow people to reflect on God's works through these festivals and rituals.
Exodus 12:14-17
You shall observe this day as a memorial, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations, as a statute forever. You shall eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day, you shall remove leaven from your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day, you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day, a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days, but what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a statute forever.
When God established circumcision as a sign for Abraham to turn to God, it was to remind Abraham of this covenant and to think about it often. And he could live according to God's words.
Today, we are the same. When you believe that Jesus Christ has shed His blood for your sins, your relationship with the Father is completely reconciled. You can receive God's grace and live without relying on your own efforts; this is the result of your faith. In the New Testament, what should we do? Surely we cannot perform circumcision again, right? God has given Christians another external sign—baptism.
When you believe in God and accept Christ's righteousness upon you, you are already saved. You may have made a decision for Christ, but you might still doubt whether it counts. Some extreme people say you must be baptized in their church to be saved or that you must have their pastor lay hands and pray for you to be saved; otherwise, it doesn't count. After hearing such teachings, please stay away from them. This is not in accordance with the Bible.
The moment you accept the Lord Jesus, you are already saved. Then there is a physical ritual, which is baptism. Baptism, as people say, is a ritual. It proves that you are a person of Jesus Christ, already accepted by God, having died and risen with Jesus; now it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. You are a new creation.
When you are weak, you may doubt God and question whether you are saved. How can you remind yourself? You need to remember that you have already been baptized, that you have died and risen with Christ; this is the meaning of baptism. But do not fall into extremes; some people say, "I haven't been baptized, so I can't enter the kingdom of heaven." Brothers and sisters, those who have accepted Jesus are saved.
There was a man beside Jesus who did not have time to be baptized; he had done evil all his life. This is the thief who was crucified with Jesus. He said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom!" Jesus said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." He died without having time to be baptized. This is a very special case because he had no opportunity to be baptized. Of course, if you have the opportunity to be baptized, you should participate in baptism to experience the feeling of dying and rising with Christ!
The third point: Releasing faith through rituals.
As mentioned earlier, circumcision is a sign given by God to the Jews. Romans 2 mentions that being a Jew outwardly is not true Judaism, and physical circumcision is not true circumcision; only the inward circumcision is true Judaism.
True circumcision is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.
Originally, the circumcision God referred to is the circumcision of the heart. It reminds you that you belong to God and that you are in covenant with God. Many times we forget, which leads to doubt in God. But you can reflect on God's works through various rituals, reminding you that God is no longer angry with you, that His blessings are upon you every day, and that He desires you to receive His abundant grace. Many people think they must pray more diligently for God to hear their prayers, or that they must serve God diligently for Him to bless them. In fact, this inadvertently falls back into the law, trying to earn God's favor through the law.
Some people do not understand that these rituals are meant to help people reflect on Christ's grace, yet they strive through various rituals to earn God's blessings. Such service is burdensome. For example, participating in the praise team, ushering, cleaning the church, etc., but they feel very burdened in their hearts, unwilling to do it but feeling they have no choice, wanting God's blessings while forcing a smile to serve. This becomes legalism. If you force yourself to do these things, these rituals cannot bring you faith; instead, they become a burden. In fact, serving should be a joyful thing; you should enjoy the presence of Jesus Christ through rituals.
For instance, when you are feeling down, you can sing some praise songs, meditate on what the scripture is saying, reflect on the intentions conveyed in the songs, and understand the meaning of the songs. Through these songs, you look up to Jesus Christ, and through these joyful songs, you receive joy, driving away sadness and worries. In God's love, we rejoice.
Praise in the church is not a competition. Rather, through these rituals, we enjoy the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, turning our hearts toward Christ.
Colossians 2:11: In Him, you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.
Brothers and sisters, the circumcision we receive in Jesus Christ is not a "circumcision" that can be performed by human hands! This circumcision should be in quotes. Do not think it is the Jewish circumcision; it refers to the circumcision of the heart, where our hearts turn to Christ, different from the world. In Christ, we can put off the desires of the flesh.
The circumcision received by the Israelites was merely physical; if their hearts do not turn to Christ, circumcision is of no benefit to them.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites performed circumcision themselves. But under the New Testament, the circumcision of the heart cannot be done by oneself; it must be done by Jesus Christ. When you rely on Jesus Christ and let the Holy Spirit guide you, you can easily overcome the desires of the flesh.
Deuteronomy 30:6 says: "And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live."
God has already removed the filth from our hearts. This is a fact that must be accepted, meaning that in God's eyes, you are not filthy; you are clean. You are without blemish, not filled with sin. But what are you like now? Through the rituals you participate in, let your heart return to Jesus Christ.
Abraham was circumcised at the age of 99. Brothers and sisters, the important thing is not these rituals but believing. It is not the rituals that please God; these rituals always remind you of the covenant God made with you. From the mouth of Jesus comes grace and truth, always bringing comfort to people, and what He gives is always beyond what people ask or think. This is our Jesus Christ; He conveys the message of grace that can bring true change to people. Thank the Lord!
Although the Jews have physical circumcision, if their hearts do not have God, this ritual cannot save them. Because they cling to these rituals without obeying God's commands. Today, we need someone to correctly explain these rituals. Pointing to Jesus Christ, these rituals can generate faith and be helpful to people. Through these rituals, faith will be released, bringing us closer to God and understanding His grace.
When you accept Jesus, God places the Holy Spirit in your heart, and you are reborn; you have new life. However, many times we cannot see or feel it. What should we do? Through the physical sign of baptism, you know that you have indeed been baptized and have come into Jesus Christ. You are already saved; believing and being baptized will surely lead to salvation.
Look at Abraham's special relationship with the world; he is not only a public figure but also a representative of faith. In human history, he is the father of all who believe in God. We often use Jesus Christ as our example of faith, but we also regard Abraham as our father of faith. God chose Abraham for two special purposes: first, that Abraham would become the father of all who believe in God without regard to rituals and rules.
Look at this passage: Romans 4:11, "And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well."
This passage clearly tells us that even if you have not received the circumcision of the Israelites, you are still counted as righteous by God. Because Abraham bore witness to two kinds of people: one is the circumcised, referring to the Jews, and the other is the uncircumcised, referring to the Gentiles. Abraham not only became the father of the circumcised but also bore witness to them, and at the same time, he bore witness to you. Even if a person has not been circumcised, they can still be justified by faith.
Abraham was not justified by works; when he first believed in the Lord, his works were not good. It took about 40 years for Abraham's behavior to change. When he went to Egypt, fearing that the king would kill him, he lied to protect himself. But God did not say, "You are unworthy to be called my child." Let’s look at this passage:
Genesis 12:10-13
Now there was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, "I know that you are a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, 'This is his wife.' Then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake."
Abraham was very clear in his heart that God's word would surely come to pass in him. Even when there was no hope, he still believed God. So when his wife was taken by another man, he surely prayed to God, asking the Lord to help him.
Our God never left him; it was not because his behavior was good that He drew near to him, nor was it because his behavior was bad that He distanced Himself. God counted him as righteous when he believed in His promises and never left him. God was always waiting for his behavior to change.
Today, we are the same. After believing in the Lord, it is impossible for our behavior to change immediately. But Jesus did not say, "On the day you accept me, you must live a good life; otherwise, do not say you believe in me." Jesus only said to let your good works shine before others, with no time limit. He simply said that after we accept Him, God will renew us through His word, and one day, our good works will shine before others, allowing the light of Christ to shine through us.
Matthew 5:15-16
Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
When the light of Christ shines from within, God will naturally exalt us, allowing our light to be seen by more people. When we live out the glory of Christ in our lives, our Heavenly Father is pleased because not only do we benefit, but those around us are blessed because of us.
Every time you go to church, you are reminded through the preaching that you are righteous in Christ. Such reminders actually allow faith to be released within you. When you participate in prayer meetings, you will feel the presence and comfort of the Holy Spirit. At this time, the various rituals in the church achieve their effect. Through various rituals, faith is released.
When you gain faith through preaching and participate in various rituals that allow us to reflect on Christ's love, each reminder and comfort helps us keep Christ in the first place in our lives. People will unknowingly change and live out the likeness of Christ.
When a person accepts the Lord Jesus, all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places are already theirs. But how do we receive these blessings and see them in our lives? It is through hearing the word and participating in various rituals, all centered on Christ, showcasing His goodness. When we are in them, we see God's goodness and receive spiritual blessings. For example, in evangelistic activities, we will experience God's healing power and see the authority of Jesus manifested.
We often mention the Lord's Supper; who is the Lord's Supper commemorating? If people do not understand, it is just a ritual where everyone receives a piece of bread and a cup of wine, gulping it down. If people do not understand the meaning, it is ineffective; it is just a ritual.
But when you understand the significance of the Lord's Supper, taking the bread, it represents Jesus' body, broken for me, for my body to be healed, for me to receive His health. My health is preserved by God; even if there is illness, through Christ's body, I receive healing. Faith is ignited, and you are healed.
When you lift up the cup, what does it remind you of? It reminds you that in Christ, you have already been counted as righteous by God. Over two thousand years ago, when Jesus was on the cross, you were already counted as righteous. Because at that time, He had already shed His precious blood, completely cleansing you.
You say, "Lord Jesus, many times I forget that you have cleansed my sins, thinking you are chasing me with a stick every day, punishing me for my bad behavior, thinking you do not hear my prayers, feeling you are far from me. I always ask, 'Lord, where have you gone?'"
Lifting the cup is a testimony of my righteousness, a testimony of God's acceptance of me, a testimony that God wants to turn my life around; no one can stop it. So, after understanding all this, when you drink, your life changes.
Because the effectiveness of Jesus Christ is at work within you, faith is correctly released; this is a ritual. But when the ritual exalts Jesus Christ, it can release faith because it is God at work. Hallelujah!
Through this circumcision, Abraham knew that God was pleased with him and accepted him. Since God's word has been spoken, it will surely come to pass. What Abraham had to do was believe in what God said, and as he believed, his behavior began to change gradually, and he came to know God more and more.
Brothers and sisters, what is the covenant we have made with God? The cross. So every time you go to church, the first thing you see is the cross, which tells you that Jesus Christ, with His own life and blood, has established a relationship between you and God; this is also an everlasting covenant. God said to Abraham that this covenant of circumcision would be established with his descendants as an everlasting covenant.
And in our relationship with God, there is a cross in between, which is the everlasting blood covenant established by Jesus Christ between us and God, more effective than Abraham's covenant of circumcision. Amen! Every time you go to church, you are reminded correctly; you see the cross and know that there is a covenant between you and God. God is willing to give you His blessings, and you are willing to give everything to the Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! When you believe this way, you are correctly reminded.
No matter how many procedures there are in the church, each one is for Jesus Christ. Once again, you are reminded that God will hear your prayers, and you praise Him, knowing that God wants to give you joy. You listen to the word because God wants you to correctly understand the words of grace. When you are on your way home, during your meditation, it is because the Holy Spirit is telling you not to believe the devil's words. If Jesus is correctly preached through these rituals, it will reflect Jesus Christ and what He accomplished on the cross. When you think of all this, you will have the strength of faith to walk the path you should take in this world.
If these rituals correctly preach the words of Jesus Christ, you will be correctly reminded every time. You will gain God's strength from them and be strengthened again. Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
If you say, "I am still sinning; I have many problems and am unworthy to come before God," you need to know that Jesus came to save such people. If you say, "I have been weak lately; I am unworthy to come before God," you need to correct your thinking. It is precisely because you are weak that you need to come before God. Through the Lord's Supper, praise meetings, prayer meetings, Bible study meetings, in short, it may seem like rituals. But if these rituals exalt Jesus Christ, they will yield the best results, and those who participate will benefit. Hallelujah!
So no matter how bad your current situation is, what you need to do is turn back and seek Jesus Christ. His arms are always open to you, and He wants to embrace you. Amen! Brothers and sisters, this is the gospel. The Lord Jesus has never left you; many times, we forget. So through hearing the word and participating in some rituals, we can re-recognize the goodness of Christ.
Our final passage, He is the father of the circumcised, not only of those who are circumcised but also of those who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
God wants you to imitate not the footsteps of Abraham after he was circumcised, but the footsteps he took before he was circumcised, when his behavior was not very good, yet he still believed in God and relied on God. These are our examples. God wants us to imitate Abraham's simple faith.
Brothers and sisters, do not say, "My behavior is not good enough." Abraham's behavior at that time was also not good enough, but God had already counted him as righteous. God said He would bless him, and his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Today, God blesses you not because of how good your behavior is, but because Jesus Christ has already done everything; you receive blessings from Christ.
So, you can boldly come before God and say, "Lord! Yes, what I receive today is what Jesus has done. Because I cannot do anything; I cannot do the work of the gospel by myself. I work with the power of Jesus."
Let’s pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank you and praise you for your grace! Abraham simply believed in God, and God counted him as righteous. I am also justified by faith. Through various rituals, let me know you more in my life. Remember your works.
Every time I participate in church activities, I know you want to use these rituals to help me correctly understand you and to let me understand the Father's love through these rituals.
So I am willing to participate in prayer meetings; I know that I am with Jesus. I am willing to participate in praise meetings because I know that God wants to give me joy through this, as I lack such joy. Thank you for blessing me and supplying my needs through your word again. In this new week, I believe it will be a blessed week, and you will bless the work of my hands. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray! Amen!