Cry for help from people living a double life (Romans 2:17–29)

[Stephan Choe]

October 28, 2026

Key verses

21:       “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?”

28–29: “For 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. His praise is not from man but from God.“

If we are not careful, we become “Sunday Christians.” During the Sunday service, we present ourselves as devout Christians and pray the Lord’s Prayer: “...and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors...”

Yet, in our daily lives, we fail to forgive others; instead, we live selfishly and act as if we are above the law. We keep a close watch on those around us and criticize them for not following God’s commandments. People who do not believe in God notice this double life—and, as a result, have no desire to become Christians themselves.

How can we overcome this double life and become sincere, grateful Christians?

Today, we will explore this topic to discover the secret to a sincere, joyful Christian life—and to become truly blessed Christians.

1. A cry for help from the self-righteous believers (17–20)

In this world, there are various types of proud people. Some might say to themselves, “I am a better person than others because I work as a medical doctor.” Others might say, “I am happier than others because I am wealthy.” Still others might say, “...because I hold a high-ranking position,” and so on.

The Jews might have said to themselves, “You may take pride in being rich or powerful—but we take pride in belonging to God’s chosen people.”

In verses 17–20, Paul says,

“17 Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, 18And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; 19And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, 20An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.” (17–20).

Christians are often just as susceptible to pride as the Jews were. The description Paul gives of the Jews can also be applied to Christians. They might say to themselves, “I am proud because I am a Christian. I am a prince of God and possess eternal life. My heavenly savings account is larger than that of the Albrecht family—the owners of Aldi in Germany.”

While it is true that we are God’s princesses and princes, and that we possess eternal life as well as an imperishable hope—and while we strive to lead a decent life—none of this, though it is undoubtedly an expression‎ of our gratitude, provides any justification for being proud or looking down on others. For these blessings are not of our own merit; they are a gift from God.

Yet we tend to tell ourselves, “I am a better person than others because I am a good Christian.”

In this way, we view ourselves as guides for the spiritually blind—as a light for those living in darkness. Furthermore, we see ourselves as mentors for the simple-minded and as teachers for the immature (19–20a).

We seem to have good reasons for this: we believe in God and are familiar with biblical standards and values (20b).

And so, we imagine ourselves to be better than others, and we relish this sense of superiority.

Yet the most essential characteristic of the Christian faith is grace. It is precisely through grace that Christianity distinguishes itself from other world religions. We are not saved—nor do we attain eternal life—on the basis of our own qualities or achievements; rather, it is solely and exclusively through the grace of God. We do not enter the kingdom of heaven through our own efforts, but through God’s grace. Because of this grace, we are profoundly grateful to God. For this reason, we should not be proud in our dealings with others. The following story from the Gospel of Luke illustrates this in a striking way:

He (i.e., Jesus) told this parable to some who considered themselves righteous and looked down on other people:

10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:10–14).

We can also learn humility and gratitude from ears of grain. Young stalks of barley stand upright, but mature ears bow down. This bowing of the head is a symbolic act of humility and gratitude toward others, whereas an uplifted head signifies pride. Those who possess a mature character become humble and grateful—much like ripe ears of grain.

When we are still young in our faith, we often tend toward self-righteousness and are quick to criticize others. Yet, as we mature in our faith, we increasingly recognize our own immaturity and shortcomings; this enables us to become humble and grateful.

Those who have truly understood the grace of God are capable of being grateful and humble. May God help us all to become humble and grateful.

2.  Cry for help from people leading a double life (21–29)

Another problem for believers is the double life that we lead. God has called us to bear a credible witness to Him through our words and deeds, so that those who do not yet believe may see us and come to faith in God. We teach others not to steal—yet we steal ourselves. We speak out against adultery—yet we commit it, whether in our hearts or through our actions. We teach others not to love worldly things—such as money or vain glory—more than God; yet we ourselves love money or vain glory more than God.

Our words may sound good, but our actual lives are not in harmony with them. We boast of God, yet through our actions, we bring shame upon Him.

People who do not yet believe in God observe those who do. They want to find out whether it is worth believing in God. If they see that we are living a double life, they say, "I have no need for a God of hypocrites!" Through our double lives, we become an obstacle to the salvation of those who do not yet believe.

How does such a double life come about? It arises because we do not study God’s Word for our own sake, but primarily to instruct others. While it is certainly right to serve others with the truth of God, the fundamental principle when reading the Bible is that we must first apply its teachings to ourselves.

The Solution to the Problem: Not by the Letter, but by the Spirit

Let us summarize what Paul intends to convey here. He wants to tell us two things:

First, we are to accept God’s grace again and again.

Even as believers, we are not free from the tendency to lead a double life or to judge others. We are all sinners, and without God’s grace, we would be lost. Even when we do our very best, as long as we live on this earth, we cannot completely free ourselves from our sinful human nature. We must acknowledge that we are sinners and are in urgent need of God’s grace. We should gratefully accept God’s grace—time and time again. We should always remain mindful of the high price God paid for our redemption: God sacrificed His Son! For this, we should thank God with all our hearts.

Furthermore, we should approach others who have sinned with love and hope, and share the grace of God with them.

Secondly, with the help of God’s Spirit, we should be better able to leave a double life behind us.

Jews believe that, by virtue of circumcision, they belong to God’s people. Consequently, they view circumcision as essential for their salvation. In Judaism, circumcision functions as a ceremony—much like baptism in Christianity.

The first mention of circumcision is found in the 17th chapter of the Book of Genesis—long after Abraham had already been declared righteous by God on the basis of his faith in the 15th chapter. In other words, Abraham was declared righteous by God because of his faith even before he was circumcised. Nevertheless, the Jewish view holds that one only becomes part of God’s people and attains salvation through circumcision.

This is a misconception! Regarding this, Paul explains:

“For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something performed merely outwardly on the flesh. Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly—and true circumcision is a matter of the heart, brought about by the Spirit, not by the letter of the law. Such a person receives praise not from others, but from God” (28–29).

Our hypocrisy stems from our uncircumcised hearts. Despite our seemingly pious lives, we remain self-centered and headstrong. Because of our unbelief and our self-love, we are hypocrites.

How can we be fundamentally changed?

Verse 29 provides the answer: “A Jew is one who is such inwardly; and true circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual, not literal, in nature…”

When we confess our unbelief and our self-centeredness before God, and believe that Jesus Christ died for our self-centeredness and rose from the dead, God fills us with His Holy Spirit and guides us. As we trustfully follow God’s guidance through His Word and His Spirit, He grants us the joy and the strength to live according to His will. Even if we may not be entirely free from the tendency toward a double life, we receive from God the strength and the joy we need to follow His will. In this way, we are empowered to serve God in the Spirit.

Therefore, we should, on the one hand, be humble and grateful before God, for He has accepted us despite our flaws and our fallibility. On the other hand, we should follow God and His guidance with trust. This is God’s will. To live in faith—that is the path of our sanctification and the way into the kingdom of heaven. Thanks be to God!