17 Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18 if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19 if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24 As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”
Paul was speaking, once again, to the falsely religious Jew, and he destroys their false security. But it applies to us now just as much as it to them then.
The Jewish leaders thought they were secure in three things - their heritage as God's chosen people, in the law that they'd been given and in the sign of circumcision (tomorrow's passage).
The Jews thought they were secure in their heritage, just like some people now feel secure in their heritage - maybe they were raised in a religious home or went to church every Sunday or even had parents who were diligent in teaching them the gospel. But heritage does not save us.
The self-righteous Jews thought they were secure in the law. They knew the law of God, and even taught the law - but didn't practice it themselves. They were supposed to be guides to the blind and a light in the darkness - and they thought they were. But they were not. They thought they were the ones to correct fools and train up new converts. But they were not. They were hypocrites.
MacArthur...
security does not come in what you know, it comes in what you do in response to what you know. In fact, again if you don't do what you know to do, you simply end up in a greater state of guilt.
They even twisted the law to suit their fancy. For example - instead of committing adultery, they divorced their wives for no reason and then got married again. Which was still committing adultery, but in their minds, they were justified. They were teaching something (not even always the right thing!), but they were not living it out. What good is it to teach something you don't live? In v21 Paul confronts them and says the issue is not what you know, it's what you do; it's not what you teach, it's what you do. And he sarcastically tells them maybe they should start teaching themselves.
They bragged about the law and then broke it, completely dishonoring God. All sin is sin against God and brings dishonor to Him.
There are numerous people today who go to church every week and claim to be Christians, but they don't live it. They don't live it. Some, very sadly, are even teachers and preachers, but they don't live it. And when they claim Christ but live like an unbeliever, they bring dishonour to God and His name is blasphemed. When He has to chasten those who claim to be His people He appears to be unfair, judgmental and impotent. When those who claim to be His people do evil, it reflects upon His character.
If you think you're secure because of what you know or what you've taught, but you haven't lived it, not only are you not secure but you're not helping anybody else and you're certainly not enhancing the reputation of God....No, there's no security in what you know, you only fall into a place of greater condemnation if you don't live it.
It's not your physical heritage that saves you, it's your heart that's important. You need to be a person of God on the inside, not the outside. You need to be a child of God spiritually, not physically.
Tomorrow's scripture focus: Romans 2:25-29
1 comment:
Great post. "What good is it to teach something you don't live?"
No good at all.
Post a Comment