Devotionals by Alistair Begg

No one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.

Romans 2:28-29

Every kingdom has citizens, and the kingdom of God is no different. Who, then, are citizens in God’s kingdom? Who are God’s people?

The people of God comprise all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. These people are not a part of God’s kingdom because of their intellect, power, or any other external factor, but simply and only because God has chosen to love them and so has given them the gift of faith in His Son. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for assuming that they were members of God’s family because of their lineage: “If you were Abraham’s children,” He said, “you would be doing the works Abraham did” (John 8:39). And what did Abraham do? He trusted in the promises of God; he “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Galatians 3:6).

We are full members of God’s family, then, not because of something we do but by the work of God’s Spirit in convicting our hearts, causing us to believe, and leading us to repentance. We don’t need to undergo the ritual requirements of Jewish law or be physical descendants of Abraham to be included among God’s people. In Romans 2:29, Paul essentially asks, Who are the children of Abraham? The answer is: anyone who undergoes “circumcision … of the heart, by the Spirit.”

As we consider these truths, we may wonder whether Paul thought there was any benefit in being a Jew. Paul explained that there was actually a phenomenal advantage, because the Jews were the first to receive God’s promises, giving them a unique opportunity to understand the signs that pointed forward to fulfillment in Christ (Romans 3:1-2). But that understanding itself does not make anyone a citizen of God’s kingdom. That is open to, and reserved for, those who become subjects of its King. Whether we are Jews or Gentiles—whatever our background, wherever we were born, and however we were raised—God offers salvation to all who come to faith in Christ. Our citizenship in God’s kingdom is not tied to ethnicity or externals but to humble, childlike faith in the Messiah.

The world is full of people struggling to find where they fit or striving to maintain their position in a company, society, friendship circle, or even their own family. God does not ask you to struggle or to strive but simply to enjoy. If you belong to God’s people by faith in Jesus, then you have been rescued by His name, you have been freed from shame, and you are part of His people. It is here that you fit, here that you find your home.

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Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotional by Alistair Begg, published by The Good Book Company, thegoodbook.com. Used by Truth For Life with permission. Copyright © 2021, The Good Book Company.