Religious Rituals Don’t Save

In the religion of Jainism, one of the offspring of Hinduism, you are expected to carry a brush to whisk the path before you lest you step on an insect. You must not drink water before daylight lest there be an insect in the cup. And full salvation is only obtained by self-starvation. Can they get right with God by ritual?

The Buddhists have their Noble Eightfold Path—right views, right intentions, right actions, right speech, etc. Can they get right with God by such works?

The Mohammadans have their five duties of prayer, giving, fasting, pilgrimage and belief in the creed. Can they get right with God by ritual?

The Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant churches have their baptism, even infant baptism. Can they get right with God by their ritual?

The Jews have their circumcision—no salvation without circumcision (Acts 15:1-3). Can they get right with God by their ritual?

The Timing of Circumcision

Romans 4:9-12 – Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? For we say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before. And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he is also the father of the circumcised, who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Paul gives the answer to this in Romans 4:9-12 by pointing out that Abraham found favor with God at least fourteen years before he was ever circumcised at 99 years old (Gen. 15:6; 16:16; 17:10). It was simply a matter of history. It is amazing the Jews missed it. Really, Abraham exercised saving faith 25 years before circumcision (Gen. 12:4, 8; Heb. 11:8).

The Purpose of Circumcision

Circumcision was a sign. Just as an employee wears the company sign on his jacket, so also circumcision pointed to the covenant people and also to the spiritual reality, the circumcision of the heart (Deut. 10:12; Jer. 4:14).

Circumcision was a seal. Just as you get a stamp on your hand when you pay at the gate of the county fair, so circumcision was a mark, a proof, of authenticity that one was a Jew.

Conclusions

Religious rituals such as baptism, Lord’s Supper, and circumcision gain no favor with God. How did Abraham get in with God? “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6).

Abraham lived a life of faith. Follow his steps:

• He had faith for conversion—he left his old life.
• He had faith for justification—he saw a coming Messiah.
• He had faith for self-denial—he gave Lot the choice.
• He had faith for loving others, even when disadvantaged by them—he went to war for Lot.
• He had faith for the supernatural fulfillment of the promises—Isaac.
• He had faith to die to his attainments—he offered up Isaac.
• He had faith to continue regardless of his failures—in spite of the blunder before Abimelech, Pharaoh, and then his producing an Ishmael, he kept on.
• He had faith to look for another world (Heb. 11:13).

Are you walking in Abraham’s steps? If so, then he is your father. He is the first classic example in the Scripture of a believer.

Proud man always wants to do it himself, but God’s way is faith—a helpless look to God for sheer mercy and grace. Unbelieving man wants something he can see, but God’s way is believing and beholding the invisible.

“Lord, there is no reason that you should receive me into heaven, but you have every reason to put me in hell. Yet, I believe you graciously provided your Son to die in the place of sinners. I’m trusting Jesus died for me and that his substitutionary death and righteous life alone are my ticket to heaven.”