"I haven't heard of many churches today requiring circumcision as the initial step for committing to Christ. So how do we lose the message today? Maybe if I ask the question in a less religious way, it will help: What makes you feel good about yourself? Think about it for a second. What genuinely makes you feel good about yourself? A productive day at work? Your children's growth and success? Your husband's care and affection? The admiration of your colleagues? Your parent's approval? Consistent quiet times? The ability to articulate your theology well? If you find the answer to what makes you feel good about yourself, you will be close to finding what causes you to confuse the gospel...
The gospel message, our news is this: We are saved only by faith in Jesus Christ, who died for us and took our punishment upon himself. Only when we believe and trust in Christ will he apply to our hearts the perfect righteousness and forgiveness he won for us. The point is never what you do. The point is what God has done. The point is for him to get the glory. We do not fight our way into heaven by faithful religious observance. It is God who, in his great love in Christ, reached down low to find you."
Mark Dever, The Message of the New Testament, p.223
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