Religion vs. Covenant
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Mar 21, 2023
- 2 min read
And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:27-29)
Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, trying to get them to understand what true circumcision was. He explained it was not meant to be simply an outward physical act, but an inward transformation of the heart. According to Paul, righteousness is not about following a set of religious rules and customs; it is about having a genuine relationship with God through faith in Jesus.
It's important to understand that Christianity is not a religion. It is a living experience with a living God - His name is Jesus! There are many religions in the world that have sets of rules and customs that people must follow to be considered righteous. But Christianity is different. It is about having a personal relationship with God.
We become righteous by acknowledging Jesus as Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. This is the heart of the Gospel message. It is not about following a set of rules or trying to earn our salvation through good works, but about trusting in the work Jesus has already done on our behalf. We may go to church and do all the right things, but if our hearts are not truly transformed, we are missing the point.
If you want to please God, be a faith person! In Mark 11:23, Jesus taught about the power of faith. He said if we have faith and do not doubt in our hearts, we can speak to mountains and they will be cast into the sea. What a powerful illustration of the power of faith words!
Practical Application
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please God.” So, don’t do things to try to please God, just live by faith!
