Weekly Devotional - January 1st

Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, “Faith

was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”    How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;   and

he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had

while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,   and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.

Romans 4:9-12

Paul is, of course, referring to the blessing of God forgiving sin through His good pleasure. It

can be challenging to find contemporary application in every verse of scripture. In this case, the circumcised refers to the Jewish community, and the uncircumcised is everyone else. So, with that in mind, these verses imply God’s removal of all social distinctions from receiving His grace, be it physical, cultural, ethnic, economic, or any other difference. As a result, the gospel is proclaimed universally but received only through faith in Christ.