Paul was writing at a time when the Jews considered themselves special merely because of their cultural heritage. Early in biblical history, God declared the Jews to be His people, set apart to proclaim His glory to the world. He made a covenant with them that He would bless them if they obeyed His commands. Of course, throughout the Old Testament, we see the Jews struggling to keep their end of the bargain, and by the time of Jesus, there had developed an elite class of Jews who believed and taught that being a Jew meant merely following certain rules. What had been lost down through the centuries was any sense of a relationship with God.
Christian religion, since the time of Christ, has made the same error. The emphasis is on doing outward things such as going to church, following certain rituals like Confirmation or Catechism, baptism and Communion, being a good person, etc. And to many, the fact they are born into a “Christian home” makes them Christians.
Jesus said, “Come follow me.” He was not calling people out of one religion into another. Rather, He was calling people into a personal relationship with Him. He was calling them away from empty rituals to a change of heart and allegiance.
It is quite possible to go to church faithfully, to be a good person, to be baptized, but still have an unchanged and unsurrendered heart. In following Jesus, that is impossible. To paraphrase Paul, a Christian is not one who merely does what’s perceived as “Christian” things. Rather, he is one who has surrendered his heart to Jesus and lives in allegiance to Him.
Today, take a serious look at your heart. Do you merely look like a Christian, or are you truly one who has surrendered your life to Him? The latter is the one that will gain you His praise.
© Jim Musser 2015
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