The Chicken and the Egg

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. ¹⁰ Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, 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. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised~ Romans 4:9-12

It's the age old question of what comes first.

Ok, not so much chicken and egg here, but you get the idea. The debate as to what came first here (Circumcision or belief) could not have a clearer answer.

It is interesting that if we look at James, faith and works must be simultaneous , and never mutually exclusive. In fact, quite the opposite. True faith can only be proven if it bears fruit in good works (like an egg bears the fruit of a chicken).

And, yes, that is a separate issue, but it is also the same issue.

You see, circumcision is a work.

It is a work that is born out of faith. At least it certainly is in the case of Abraham.

But faith will always out itself in works.

As James so astutely observes; faith without works is no faith. It is a dead faith.

And of course the converse can be stated as truth too. Works without faith are also dead.

So to be pedantic, although faith seems to come first, it is perhaps better to say that  they come together, the inward reality and the outward expression.

Let us just take a step back to Romans 2:29

No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God.

 And we see that this work of circumcision of the heart (which will itself bear fruit) is done not by human hands, but by the Spirit of God. It is God's work.

Faith is a gift of God, not that we should boast.

If your heart is alive to God then that is a divine and sovereign work of the Living God. We are God's own workmanship, his masterpiece, his poema, created for good works in Christ which he purposed in advance for us to do.

We just have to stand in awe that God is at work in us. We are receiving SO great a salvation.

How majestic.

How humbling.

How marvellous, How wonderful,
And my song shall ever be,
How marvellous, How wonderful,
Is my saviours love for me.