Sermon: “The Oracles of God”
TEXT: Romans 3:1-2
REVIEW
1. All under sin and all deserve death: Paul’s point in Romans 1 is that all of us have this massive and heinous disease of sin, and that our sin deserves death. Something that Paul calls the “gospel” is the only hope of healing for us.
2. Even the Jews: In Romans 2, Paul is determined to help the Jews within the church by showing them their guilt before a holy God. He is insistent that they will be judged as guilty in the absence of a perfect substitute, a perfect Lamb slain for them. That which is outward, manifest, and known to all cannot save them, and circumcision will save no one. A different hidden work of the heart is most necessary.
TODAY’S PASSAGE:
1
What advantage then has the Jew,
or what is the
profit of circumcision?
2
Much in every way!
Chiefly because to them were committed the
oracles of God.
1. What advantage then has the Jew?
To understand what Paul is writing about in these opening
chapters of Romans we have to remember the word “guilt.” If we think that God is just fine with us,
and that we are OK with Him too, then these chapters will be very
confusing. We need to remember that
after the fall of Adam, human beings are all sentenced to death. The key question for human beings then is
“How can I be saved from death?” or “How can I have life forever instead of
death forever in hell?”
Paul has just
made the point in Romans 2 that the name Jew will not save anyone from the
judgment of God, and that circumcision will not save anyone from death. We need something more than a name or a
ceremony. Because Paul made this point
so forcefully, he imagines his readers wondering whether there is any benefit
at all to being a Jew.
Understand that
to be a Jew was to be a member of something called the “covenant”
community. There were many people in the
world in Paul’s day, but only a very small percentage of them were in God’s
covenant community. It was in the
covenant community where people would gather together on the Sabbath day to
worship God. God had made big promises
to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You heard
these promises in worship if you were a part of the covenant community.
What advantage was there in being a Jew? To be a Jew was to be a part of the Old
Testament church. In the church you had
relationships with others who cared for you.
You were able to worship God, and to participate in the ceremonies that
God had commanded His people to perform.
This worship was a way that God had given for His children to be close
to Him. Clearly there were great
advantages in being a Jew, even though the name “Jew” could not save anyone
from death.
2. What is the profit of circumcision?
In the same way,
even though the ceremony of circumcision could save no one, it did have other
benefits. We need to remember that the
sign of circumcision was the visible sign of belonging to God as a part of His
special people. It was the sign of the
covenant, and spoke of a special relationship between God and His people that
the other nations of the world could not then participate in. It was a visible reminder of that privilege
of being the chosen people of God.
It was a very
personal sign of course, since it was not so much seen as known – particularly
known by the one possessing it. It was a
personal reminder for that man that he was set apart from the rest of the
world. He could not run away from
it. He would always know that he was a
part of a special people, a different people because he was circumcised, and
the other peoples of the world were not.
It was personal, but it was more than personal. It was also communal. This was not just about one person and God. It was about a connection with God as part of
an entire community of people connected to God.
There are many
benefits to such a sign. For us today,
the sign of the covenant is not circumcision.
It is baptism. Some of thinkers
of the past put it this way in one of the catechism questions and answers that
have been handed down to us. We are told
about the ways that we can make the best use of our baptism. They speak about this by using the word
“improve.” How can we improve our
baptism?
The needful but much
neglected duty of improving our Baptism, is to be performed by us all our life
long, especially in the time of temptation, and when we are present at the
administration of it to others; by serious and thankful consideration of the
nature of it, and of the ends for which Christ instituted it, the privileges
and benefits conferred and sealed thereby, and our solemn vow made therein; by
being humbled for our sinful defilement, our falling short of, and walking
contrary to, the grace of baptism, and our engagements; by growing up to
assurance of pardon of sin, and of all other blessings sealed to us in that
sacrament; by drawing strength from the death and resurrection of Christ, into
whom we are baptized, for the mortifying of sin, and quickening of grace; and
by endeavoring to live by faith, to have our conversation in holiness and
righteousness, as those that have therein given up their names to Christ; and
to walk in brotherly love, as being baptized by the same Spirit into one body.
This is a very complex
answer, and we don’t have the time to go through it all this morning, but this
is the point: there are clearly many benefits to baptism for people who are
willing to think through what it means, and to bow before God. This is what Paul is saying here about
circumcision, the Old Testament sign of the covenant. What is the profit of circumcision? “Much in every way!”
Much in every way for
those willing to reverently and faithfully think through what it means. My guess is that the duty of thinking through
and making good use of the sign of the covenant has been “much neglected” in
every age. It appears from the testimony
of the Bible that the right way of considering and improving circumcision was
much neglected by the church of the Old Testament times.
3. Chiefly – to them were
committed the oracles of God.
There was much
benefit to being a Jew, and much benefit to circumcision. Paul begins specifying the benefits, but then
sums it all up in one point. “To them
were committed the oracles of God.” Oracles
are the communications of God. Paul is
referring to the Scriptures of the Old Testament and especially to the promises
of God that have now been fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. This is what we have been saying. Being a part of the covenant community and
having the sign of the covenant is of tremendous benefit for those who are
willing to think through what it means – that is, think it through according to
the Word, the Bible, the oracles of God, submitting humbly to the Lord.
Think of it this
way. Every human being can learn about
God from the things that He has made, but only the people of the covenant
community have the Bible regularly presented to them. This is an astounding benefit. God has given us His word to read publicly
and to preach to all who will hear. We
are to hear it and believe it. We are to
follow it and to love it, because it is the Word of God, and we love God. It is a rock of stability to the people of
the covenant. Paul puts it another way
in writing to the young preacher Timothy:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
It will not be enough just for our ears to physically
hear the words of the Bible. These words
are not magical incantations. Hearing
the Bible does not save us, any more than being called a “Jew” or being
circumcised could ever save anyone. The
Bible testifies to us regarding the One – the only One who can save us, Jesus
Christ. He is the key to the oracles of
God – the
John 5:39-40 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
APPLICATION:
The Scriptures
testify of Jesus. To hear them is a
tremendous benefit. Because of the
Scriptures, being a part of the covenant community and having the sign of the
covenant is a marvelous benefit. Do not
neglect these benefits. Be a part of the
covenant community. Receive the sign of
the covenant. Improve your baptism by
careful consideration of the death and resurrection of the Christ of the Bible.
There is no good
reason for you to habitually stay away from the people of God. The Bible is full of green pastures that I
can lead you to every week. But you must
eat. You must take in the good Word and
let God teach you. He will teach you of
the blessings of being a part of His covenant community. He will teach you of the meaning and benefit
of your baptism. The Scriptures will
testify to you of Jesus Christ. But you
must be willing to keep coming to Him that you may have life.
It was a great
benefit to be a Jew and to have circumcision.
It is a great benefit today to be a member of a Christian church and to
be baptized. However, that great benefit
is more than erased when we habitually reject the Lord of the covenant. Willingly surrender to Him daily.