Nothing in Romans 2:29 says anything about those who are saved become Jews. Romans 2:12-29 is about God's judgment and the law as He is speaking to the Jews. We are not incorporated into the Kingdom of Heaven as Jews as I am not a Jew or a Protestant, but a child of God through the Spiritual rebirth from above and have entered into the kingdom of God by that of the word of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by God's free gift of grace through faith, which is Christ Jesus who gave His own life so all who will believe in Him will have eternal life with Him, John 3:5-7; Ephesians 2:8-9.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Did you read the whole of Romans chapter 2 or are you simply invested in false doctrine that denies Jews and the Kingdom of Christ?
Indeed the entire chapter addresses the issue of LAW - who obeys it and who does not, it's purpose and it's limitations.
- Jews pervert the LAW to their own ends.
- Gentiles deny the LAW in the baseless hope they'll be able to SIN without judgment.
Are we not all subject to God's will, Jew and gentile alike, whether we embrace it or not? What then is the LAW?
Romans 2 addresses the nature, the very bone, of the LAW. It speaks to gentiles who know it not BUT "
do by nature what it requires" (vs. 14) Does this mean there is no LAW for gentiles? Indeed there is. Read vs. 14 again, dear sir.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A LICENSE TO SIN.
Yet gentiles who deem themselves above and beyond the LAW live each day declaring they aren't restrained by its requirements. These live in deliberate SIN and violation of God's will as revealed in the LAW. Because of this lawLESSness in the church we have called down judgment upon ourselves. (1 Peter 4:17) "
For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household;"
Because of this lawLESSness we entertain false doctrine,
closet SIN,
and support with pride those who do wickedly.
God will judge. Indeed God is already judging the church - whether some choose to admit it or not.
Those who are saved are saved BY THE LAW. Do you not know the purpose of the LAW? (To convict of SIN.) The first step in the journey to redemption is awareness of SIN, defined by the LAW (
many young people today do NOT know what SIN is - by definition). Other steps require repentance, by the LAW, and forgiveness by the LAW.
Many churches today, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist churches preach forgiveness
without repentance. God does not grant forgiveness apart from repentance, yet the "soft gospel" as they call it denies the need for repentance (or so I've been told by a Methodist minister).
SIN remains where it is not denied. Is God a fool who does not see this hypocrisy? He is not. Neither will He forgive the unrepentant.
After being saved a man is granted the gift of the Holy Spirit which enables, by Grace, that man's ability to please God by the LAW.
Do you not know that when a man joins himself to Christ he becomes a part of the Kingdom of Christ? Do you not know that the Son of God is a JEW? Joining one's self to Christ therefore means that person becomes a part of Christ's kingdom - a JEW. Hence Paul writes in Romans 2:29 about who is a true Jew.
He is a Jew who is one inwardly, not by hypocrital actions in church or synagogue or the traditions of man - but in the eyes and heart of God.
The gift of Grace is given so as to promote one's ability to please God by the LAW. Grace and LAW do not abolish one another. Jesus
did NOT come to abolish the LAW, but to fulfill it. (Matthew 5:17) Grace and LAW work together unto redemption, but today's lawLESSness denies that which all previous generations of Christians knew and lived.
Finally I want to ask you if Galatians DENIES the Kingdom of God altogether. Is there now no such thing? THAT attitude is certainly false because what the entire passage is saying is that those who are justified by Christ do not live in fear of the LAW's requirement of DEATH.
Those who are saved are redeemed from the second death. They are NOT given a license to SIN because the LAW still stands. Redemption is a function of both Grace and LAW. If church members are no longer subject to the LAW, then they are no longer able to hope in the resurrection for they have denied it, by the LAW.
For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a tittle, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. - Matt 5:18
What are jots and tittles? Look at Hebrew writing and you'll see tiny dots and tiny lines called jots and tittles. Those are written with the letters so as to clarify and contextualize the meaning of the letters and words. Like punctuation marks in English they enhance and specify the words. If the tiniest jot and tittle don't pass away, then how are we to live before the Lord of Hosts? We will NOT please Him by constantly appealing to hatred of Jews and their LAW and we will never be full citizens of His kingdom until we realize we've been welcomed as a citizen of it - as JEWS.
Finally please consider the Gentile observance of
Pentecost. This event is traditionally said to have happened fifty days after the resurrection, after Easter/Passover. Consider also the Jewish observance of
Shavuot. This event traditionally marks the time when God gave His LAW to Moses. It's observed fifty days after Passover/Easter. Is it a coincidence that BOTH observances of the gracious gift of Grace & Law happen
ON THE SAME CALENDAR DAY or is God saying something important to us about Grace & Law?
God's GRACE gave us the LAW. God's LAW enables redemption. Grace empowers us to live lives pleasing to God by the LAW. Both Law & Grace work together unto redemption. One cannot divide the two apart any more than one can cleave God in two.
that's me, hollering from the choir loft...
