“25 For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore if an uncircumcised man keeps the laws requirements, will his uncircumcision not be counted as circumcision? 27 A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision. 28 For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. 29 On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart — by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.”

Romans 2:25-29

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This theme will continue to be echoed throughout the letter, the heart is what matters. This life we live in Christ isn’t a walking through a series of religious rites or ceremonies. It isn’t a simple matter of doing things, as if our actions purchase the favor of God. His concern is for our heart. It has always been about giving Him our heart. The heart is the seat of emotion, the heart speaks of the true motivation of an individual. We can walk through any activity repeatedly and never engage with it. You can do most anything without a true concern or a modicum of passion. So, God is looking for the full engagement of our heart, not just our time or resources. Legalism doesn’t indicate that we have given our heart over to God. Doing all the ‘right’ things isn’t a sign of humility or submission to His Lordship. 

God’s call for our heart has been echoed all throughout His Word, the heart that follows Him moves beyond the basic appearance of religion and into a life of true devotion. This is where a daily, intentional engagement with God helps us to maintain the direction of our heart in a way that honors Him. Moving beyond ritual into the practice of the presence of Christ involves our heart in constant conversation with the Father. Paul’s later call to pray without ceasing points toward this internal positioning.

It’s hard to be cold and passive when you are engaged in conversation with someone. You could live in the same house with them, going about your daily tasks, and never really engage with them. But when you open up, taking time to talk, time to listen, things naturally move toward relationship and a deeper life. This circumcision of the heart that Paul is talking about is a condition of the heart that reveals a relationship far removed from ritual. It isn’t about what the individual can do, but about the interaction with God that creates space for Him to reign over them. It’s the difference between appearance and reality, an acquaintance and love. 
Paul was having to confront the long running attitude of his own people. He was combatting the life he used to live as a Pharisee. He was living evidence of the circumcision of the heart winning out over the controlled legalism of religion. God never intended for the Jews to go in the direction they did, but the human heart likes to rely on itself more so than on anyone else. But if we are going to be effective in answering the call to GoLove others, we must understand that lives will only be changed by the circumcision of the heart, not by entering into simple repetition of ritual. A circumcised heart is a heart that is engaged, intentional and that desires to be changed by the experience. The religious heart thinks it is in control of what goes on, and pride rules the day. 

The love of Christ moves so far beyond this shallow interaction and into the deeper enegament that we find when we walk in the daily rhythms of grace with Him in the Holy Spirit.