Advent Reading Reflections (11/25)

"A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God." (Romans 2:28-29)

Paul is making the case in Romans 2 for the universality of the condition of sin. During Advent, we do well to remember that apart of the incarnation and the coming of Christ, Romans 2 would still describe our present reality. And until the "second Advent", that is Christ's return, we live in this continued tension of the already and not yet.

Within that paradigm--living in the already but not yet--I think we can swap the term "Christian" for "Jew" in Romans 2 and get a pretty good idea of what the implication is for us today.

What does it look like to be "only a Christian outwardly"? What does this look like.

We talk of "nominal Christians"--literally, "Christians in name only". But is it proper to even call such a person "Christian"?

Unlike a Jew, you can not be born a Christian--only reborn. Until one is reborn or born again, perhaps they are only Christian on the outside...

Certainly something to ponder.

What are your thoughts?