Welcome to ‘June and Jesus’ where I share my ‘walk and talk’ with Jesus. Today’s reflection is on Romans 2: 29
29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
If you believe in Jesus Christ—His death on the cross for your sins, His resurrection, and the eternal life He offers—then you are saved. Whether you came to believe in Jesus at 15, 28, or 60, that moment secured your eternity because of what He did, not because of anything you could earn.
But now that you’re saved… What comes next?
Do we go on living the same way as before? Do we as believers truly grasp the magnitude of the exchange that happened on the cross? Jesus took your place and saved you and me from eternal fire and gnashing of teeth in agony! He bore your sin, your shame, and your curse so you could walk in freedom as a child of God. He gave everything—out of love.
“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
So here’s the question: What are you doing in response to that love?
Do we live life just the way we did before we got saved? Do we really comprehend the exchange that took place on the cross? Do we dive deep into that love, whose depth and length and width and height we can possibly never comprehend? The love that was so profound that God who made the heavens and the earth clothed himself in the body of one of his creations , an earthly human being and endured life just like the rest of us. What made Him do that? Love….because He first loved us while we were yet sinners. So, it begs the question- What do you do for Him? Now. Today.
Some of us may say, “Oh I serve in the church, I usher, I preach the Word of God, I attend every Bible study, I go to a Christian conference every year, I go to the Holy Land on pilgrimage, I tithe, I help the poor, I do good things for others, I read my devotionals everyday and I read the Word, the Bible”. All of that is good but what is it doing to you? To your heart? Are we doing these things to feel good about ourselves, or earn brownie points with God or just check off our checklist of being a so-called Christian. A religious Christian. The real question is, “Has all of the above changed you? Has it changed your heart ? Has it chopped off (circumcised) the scum, the dark, the ugly, the distaste, the pride, the anger, the fake facade, the lies, the pretense, the curse words, the disdainful attitude, the bitterness, the unforgiveness, the unkindness,the haughtiness, the hard heartedness, the fornication, the sexual sins, the betrayal, the selfishness, the unholiness, the interest in the things of the world and the fleshly desire of your sinful nature to finally seek the things of God…….to be the true Son or Daughter who seeks the heart of the Father. Proverbs 4:23 says Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
Today’s scripture clearly says the circumcision of the heart is produced by the Holy Spirit. ‘The Helper ‘whom the Lord left behind to help us – to not be sifted by the enemy and the fleshly desires that Satan puts in our heart and mind. God’s original plan when He created man and breathed life into him was this – “Let us make man in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”. When people see you, do they see the image of God? You may say “I haven’t seen God, how can I be like him?”. Well, that is why Jesus came to the earth – to reveal the Father. To reveal His nature through His actions on earth, through His Words to guide us in truth and above all the Holy Spirit who convicts us when we have the urge to sin, whereas all the enemy does is condemn us of our past sins. When you know the Truth, the truth will set you free. How much time are we spending in reading the Word which is the compass to our day to day life. Time spent in the Word is time with God – it is God speaking to us, holding up a mirror to see our blemishes, correcting ourselves to align with His image. You can see the mirror and the big black blemish on your face and not wipe it off – it is still your choice, even if you are saved. God is a gentleman, who stands at the door of your heart and knocks for you to let him in. The Holy Spirit is that still small voice who whispers to you and me , “Uh uh”, no no” , “Not that way, go this way”, “Don’t get angry, hold your tongue”, “Oops you said it, say sorry now”, “What would Jesus do?” Tune to His frequency in this noisy world.
How will you know your heart has changed? Today’s verse says that you would know your heart is changed if you seek to please God and earn his praise and not man!
Soon this life would vanish like a vapor, and you would be standing before God your Creator. You will realize that every word that you uttered in your life was noted, every secret thing you held in your heart will be exposed, the moments you glorified His name with your talents, the times you praised him in the valleys, the testimonies you shared for his glory and the worship from your heart was duly noted. Isn’t it better that we get a grasp of this truth now rather than later ( a later, that may not come even as early as tomorrow!) Let us remember that we serve an Audience of One! Do you want to hear a “Well done my good and faithful servant” from God himself or soak temporarily in the empty praises of people who flip opinions of you like a chameleon. Will you allow the Holy Spirit to change your heart from inside out rather than try to impress God with your outside-ins? Let us focus on what really matters for eternity – an undivided attention to the One who loves, leads and changes hearts everyday! Seek Him first Matthew 6:33. Let us yield our hearts to be circumcised daily to conform into His image! Is your heart right with God?
❤️ Love you – Dr. June