“Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing,
but keeping the commandments of God is what matters”
(1 Corinthians 7:19).
What makes us Christians?Is it a mark on our bodies? In Paul’s day, the Jew was circumcised and the Gentile was not, and the debate was whether the Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to become Christians. Neither the Greeks nor the Romans practiced circumcision.
Circumcision was considered a physical mark of distinction for the Jews. For some this was a mark that should always be applied, while for others, it was not obligatory as a rite passage in the faith. In the New Testament, baptism replaced circumcision as the act showing commitment to accept the Lord (Col. 2:11-12). Paul says it makes no difference whether circumcision was practiced or not.
Rites must be accompanied by dedication and commitment. It is no use having a cross as an amulet, kneeling down to pray without humbling my heart, or being baptized without committing to live daily with Jesus.
Are we apparent or evident Christians? Sporadic or permanent?
The great paradoxes of our time were notably expressed by Pastor Bob Moorehead:
We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgement, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We… get too angry and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We’ve learned to make a living, but not to live. We’ve added years to life, not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.
We conquered outer space but not inner space…
We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.
We’ve conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small characters… of fancier houses, but broken homes. These are times of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality… and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
How paradoxical that we strive for appearances
and not for being who we are.
Strengthen your relationship of faith and obedience with Jesus,
now and forever.
May the Lord bless you today. Stand for what is righteous…