1Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God is for Israel, that they may be saved. 2For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3For being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they didn’t subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
5For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.” 6But the righteousness which is of faith says this, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down); 7or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead.)” 8But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart;” that is, the word of faith which we preach: 9that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation. 11For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed.”
12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him. 13For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? 15And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News of peace,
who bring glad tidings of good things!”
16But they didn’t all listen to the glad news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly,
“Their sound went out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”
19But I ask, didn’t Israel know? First Moses says,
“I will provoke you to jealousy with that which is no nation.
I will make you angry with a nation void of understanding.”
20Isaiah is very bold and says,
“I was found by those who didn’t seek me.
I was revealed to those who didn’t ask for me.”
21But about Israel he says, “All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”
Circumcision of the Heart
Heart Bound With a Black Ribbon
Circumcision was a surgical ritual that reminded a Jew that he was a son of the covenant, a member of the tribe. Paul spends a lot of time arguing that those who were circumcised were never able to fully measure up to the law, being unable to produce the fruits of righteousness consistently. They couldn’t keep up with the law's requirements. And yet, those who were not circumcised but kept the laws of God were just as good as the circumcised bunch. He ends the chapter saying that all of these outward signs were not to be equated with an inward faith. What is important is that you have experienced a circumcision of the heart. This is a metaphor for having a heart change, which one experiences when believing the gospel message.
As we will find out in the Book of Romans, the gospel message is that Jesus, who was God, came in the form of a man and allowed Himself to be subjected to the cruelty of man. He did this as part of a divine transaction (a sort of exchange), in which he paid (justified) the penalty for the sins of all of his fellow human beings. Jesus, who was all God and yet all man, was showing us what perfect love looks like. He was put to death in our place. And He rose from the dead, so that we might be brought out from under the curse of spiritual death. Later in this Book of Romans, Paul will explain that we avail ourselves of this gift by trusting in, believing in, and relying on the work that Jesus did in our stead. Paul tells us how we can receive this gift. He tells us how we can be saved from sin and ourselves. He says, “… if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 WEB) Friend, when you have done this, you will have experienced circumcision of your heart!