Religious people are often addicted to the signs and symbols of their faith.  They provide physical and visual ways of identifying themselves as adherents and forming a community of co-believers.  The Jews also had many symbols, of which circumcision was the most personal.  Those physical signs, including the tabernacle and temple, priests and sacrifices, were designed to help God’s people remember who they belonged to; but only until Jesus was revealed – because each of the signs pointed forward to Him (Hebrews 10:19-22).

In the early church, those Old Testament signs of belonging became a divisive issue.  Did Gentiles have to become Jews  to follow Jesus properly?  Were the Jews ‘better Christians’ because they had been circumcised?  But when the church leaders met in Jerusalem, they agreed that salvation (of both Jews and Gentiles) is not through any ritual, even circumcision (1 Corinthians 7:19), but only through the grace of the Lord Jesus which was evidenced by the indwelling Holy Spirit in each believer, whatever their background (Acts 15:5-11).

So, Paul explained to all the Christians in Rome that Abraham was not accepted because he had the sign of circumcision. He was credited with righteousness because he believed God's Word (Genesis 15:6), before he was circumcised (Genesis 17:10).  The sign was the evidence that He already belonged to God because he had already believed what God said.  Although God commanded His Old Testament people to have symbols of faith, they were all fulfilled in Jesus (Matthew 5:17).  When Jesus rose from the dead and the church was formed, all the symbols (temple, priestly-mediation, sacrifices, and circumcision) became redundant.  All people could have an intimate relationship with God through Jesus, and receive the Holy Spirit - assuring them that they were children of God (Romans 8:16).

Even today’s believers in Jesus can slip back into 'symbol-addiction'.  Some have tried to restore redundant Old Testament symbols, causing spiritually damaging confusion about salvation, leaving some church-goers ignorant that they are outside of Christ.  A real relationship with God through Jesus does not need symbols - in the same way that the presence of a loved-one makes it unnecessary to clutch their photograph, because they are with you.  Symbol-addiction also undermines the work of the Holy Spirit because it is His job to make Jesus real to us (John 16:13-15) and assure us that we are God’s children (Romans 8:15-16).  So, what about baptism and communion?  Although important, they cannot save us; they are acts of obedience for us to follow because we already believe.  So, whether you have a Jewish or Gentile background, take time to review how you relate with God.  If the symbols are more important than a personal relationship with Jesus, listening to Him and trusting what He says, something is wrong.