Outward Compliance - Inward Defiance

BIBLE BITES

www.heaven4sure.com

Outward Compliance - Inward Defiance

The pros and cons of medical circumcision can be debated in other forums - not here. But the practise of circumcision is frequently mentioned in the Bible - starting with Abram who was one year away from being a centenarian. (Genesis17)  Every male, eight days and older, living in Abram's compound had the irreversible procedure performed that day.

As for Abram's family and progeny, circumcision was an outward sign of belonging to a people with whom God had made a covenant. It was to be an outward sign of life-long inner heart-obedience and surrender to the Lord. A heart that cut off other affections and desires to focus singularly on devotion to God. It was to be a mark that distinguished them from others around them. So, for the Jews, circumcision was to be both physical and spiritual - an outward expression of an inner reality.

Sadly, circumcision became a mark of spiritual pride. "We are the chosen people. We are right and all others are wrong. We are a notch above others. We're in a class all of our own. 'Special' we are indeed and we've got the outward evidence to prove it." High on God's list of obnoxious things is spiritual pride. In Jeremiah's day, the Lord pronounced judgment on mere outward compliance while inward defiance was the true reality of the person's spiritual condition before God.

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when

  I will punish all those who are circumcised merely in the flesh

 -- Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, Moab,

and all who dwell in the desert who cut the corners of their hair,

for all these nations are uncircumcised,

and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in heart."

(Jeremiah 9:25-26)

The religious leaders in Jewish society seemed to harp away at outward compliance while failing to address the issues of the heart. Apparently everything was hunky-dory with the leaders as long as 'their' people looked good and looked right on the outside. In actual fact, to proudly express an outward profession of devotion and surrender to the Lord while drift and self-will is the dominant attitude within - well, that's still very offensive to our God.

On more than one occasion the Apostle Paul referred to the spiritual pride historically associated with mere external circumcision.  In Philippians 3:3 he says that if you want to use the Old Testament ritual of circumcision metaphorically, then only those "...who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh..." are the real 'circumcised' ones.

We can fall into the same snare today as Christians. Like Jews who tediously adhered to the required outward and physical expressions of their beliefs, we too can think we are pretty good or that everything is copacetic (hunky-dory) as long as all the Christians in the local church comply outwardly. Why did the Jews fall into that trap? For the same reason we do. It's easier to deal with outward compliance - the check-list requirements than to address the issues of the heart.  We can quite easily give mighty messages on outward compliance but the greater challenge and by far, the greater need, are messages that get to the issues of the heart. If the issues of the heart are adequately addressed, the outward expressions of Biblical teaching will fall into place gladly.

How is my own heart today? Am I circumcised inwardly? As Paul said - worshipping by the Spirit of God and glorying only in our Lord Jesus Christ?

Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today,

Warmly in Christ,

Peter Ramsay