Getting the Rite Right

For the Jews, circumcision was a rite of passage that permitted them to claim all of the promises made to God's chosen people (Genesis 17:11-14). From Abraham to Jesus, every Jew was required to undergo this procedure or risk being "cut off" from God.

A problem developed however when the people began to place more emphasis on the performance of the "rite" than the performance of "right". In Jeremiah 9:25-26, God warned His people saying, "... I will punish all who are circumcised yet uncircumcised... for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart." God required more than external ceremonial correctness from the Israelites, He wanted their hearts to be right with Him as well.

I believe there is a similar problem that exists with God's people today. For example, we take great care to teach and practice that the external elements of our religion (such as baptism) be correct. However, we fail to recognize that even if the ceremony is performed accurately when there is no burial of the old inner man of sin and resurrection of a new and sincere heart, the rite has no effect.

Paul tells us that the Old Testament was written for our instruction (I Corinthians 10:11). If this is so, it would do us well to remember that there is more to salvation than the right rite.