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Romans 4:5 – Gift of Righteousness

Posted on December 13, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:5

But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,

Truth to Learn

It is our faith that God reckons as righteousness, not our works.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “ungodly” is asebēs. This is a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of sebomai, meaning “to worship” or “to give reverence.” Hence, asebēs refers to one who does not worship or someone who does not revere any god. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary, “It does not mean irreligious, but one who actively practices the opposite of what the fear of God demands … one characterized by immoral and impious behavior.”

“Believes” is from pisteuō. This is the verb form of the word pistis (the word translated “faith” in this verse), meaning “persuasion” or “faith.” Hence pisteuō refers to the act of being persuaded or believing.

Meaning Explained

Remember what Paul has just said? If Abraham earned his righteousness, then God had to give it to him because He owed it to Abraham. But God doesn’t justify those who have earned righteousness! Why? Paul told us earlier that there is no one who is righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks after God. In other words, there is no one who has earned righteousness. We are what Paul calls “ungodly” in this verse. Apart from His grace we are opposed to God, we are immoral and impious. That’s how righteous we are based on our works.

He now says that for the one who does not obtain righteousness by working (that’s all of us) but who believes God’s promises, He reckons that faith as righteousness. Again, it is not because He has to, but because He wants to.

Do you see? It was God’s choice to credit Abraham with righteousness as a result of his faith just as it is God’s choice to credit us with righteousness because we believe His promise to us. It was God’s choice that Abraham is saved, not Abraham’s, and it is God’s choice that we are saved, not ours. God did not have to declare Abraham righteous when he believed, and He does not have to declare us righteous when we believe the gospel message. God did it for Abraham, and He does it for us because he chooses to. That’s why it is by grace and not by debt. We don’t earn our salvation by believing in the gospel, God grants it to us!

That’s what Paul is talking about in the book of Ephesians where he said:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. (Ephesians 2:8, 9)

Salvation is God’s gift to us, not by any deed that we have done, but because He chose to give it to us.

Application

This truth should not make us proud. On the contrary, it should humble us. Thank you, Lord, for crediting me with righteousness. I didn’t deserve it and I don’t deserve it, but you gave it to me nonetheless!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 4:4 – Unearned Gift

Posted on December 9, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:4

Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

Truth to Learn

Abraham did not earn his righteousness and neither can we.

Behind the Words

The words “who works” are translated from ergodzomai, which means “to work or labor.”

“Wages” is from the Greek word mythos, meaning “that which is given in exchange for actions done.” It can mean payment, reward, or retribution.

The word translated “counted” is the same as the one translated “accounted” in the previous verse (logidzomai).

“Grace” is translated from charis, which refers to “a favor done without expectation of anything in return.”

The word translated “debt” is opheilēma, meaning “a debt; that which is owed to someone else.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that according to scripture, Abraham’s belief in God’s promise of a future son was accounted to him as righteousness. Abraham was not declared righteous (justified) by God because of any works, but because of faith. Paul now continues on with his logical argument.

If Abraham was justified by a work of righteousness, then he earned his righteousness. If he earned that righteousness by doing something, then God owed the righteousness to him for doing the righteous act. That is, God owed him a debt. If God owed him that righteousness for doing a righteous act then Abraham earned it; it wasn’t freely given to him.

But that’s not the way it happened according to Paul. Abraham didn’t receive his righteousness because God owed it to him. Abraham received his reckoning of righteousness from God by God’s grace, not because God was obliged to, but because in His great love and by His marvelous grace, God chose to credit it to him.

In yesterday’s study we revealed the background of Abraham’s faith. We noted that Abraham returned to the king of Sodom all his people and all the plunder except the tithe given to the King and Priest of Salem and the portion earned by his two friends. Abraham did not keep any of the “reward.” It was perfectly lawful for Abraham to keep it because he earned it, but he gave it back to the king of Sodom. In the opening verse of Genesis chapter fifteen, God then said to Abraham:

“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15:1b)

Do you see that? God said that He was Abraham’s reward. The Hebrew word translated “reward” has the same meaning as the Greek word mythos, translated as “wages” in this verse. Abraham refused the reward that was due him because he wanted to give God all the credit. Then, when he believed God’s promise, God credited him with the righteousness that he couldn’t possibly have earned. That’s grace!

Application

No matter how heroic our actions and no matter how much we give away of what is rightfully ours, we can’t earn our own righteousness. It only comes as a gift from God when we believe His promise.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 4:3 – Righteous Abraham

Posted on December 8, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:3

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes by believing God’s message.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “accounted” is logidzomai, which is an accounting term meaning “to count out as one would count out money when payment is being made.” By interpretation, however, it means “to put to one’s account” or “to credit to someone.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is quoting here from Genesis 15:6. Let’s set the scene in order to understand the context of this verse. Abraham and Lot have separated and Lot has taken his flocks and has moved to Sodom. Meanwhile a confederacy of kings from the East has come and defeated Sodom and several other cities, carrying off the people of Sodom (including Lot) as captives. Upon hearing this, Abraham gathered the men of his own household along with a couple of his friends and pursued the conquering kings. Taking them by surprise at night, Abraham and his forces defeated the kings and brought all the people and goods of Sodom back with him.

He was met just outside Salem (now Jerusalem) by the king of Sodom. He demanded that Abraham give him his people back but told him that he could keep the plunder. Abraham not only gave back the people but nearly all the plunder as well (he offered 10% of it to the King and Priest of Salem and allowed his two friends to take their share). He did this so that no one could ever claim that they had made Abraham rich. He wanted God and God alone to have that distinction.

Immediately afterwards, God recognized Abraham’s selfless actions and promised him a son. Here’s what it says:

But Abram said, “Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:2-6)

Abraham believed that God would provide him a son and it was because of this faith that God “accounted it” to him for righteousness. In other words, in God’s record book He wrote down the word “justified” next to Abraham’s name. Because of Abraham’s faith, God declared him to be righteous!

This is precisely what happens to us when we believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we are declared righteous.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord through faith, then you are recorded in God’s record book as having the righteousness of Christ himself. This means that you are now completely saved from your sins.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 4:2 – No Bragging

Posted on December 7, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:2

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Truth to Learn

Abraham was not saved by doing good works.

Behind the Words

“Boast” is translated from kauchēma, which is derived from the verb kauchaomai, meaning “to brag” or “to boast.” Kauchēma refers to the object of bragging or “something worthy of bragging.”

The word translated “before” is pros, which relates the object “toward” which something is directed. In this case, Paul is saying that Abraham has nothing about which he can brag toward God.

Meaning Explained

Paul is continuing on with the rhetorical question that he posed in the previous verse. These few verses are where he is demonstrating to the Jewish Christians in Rome the truth about what he has been saying for most of this letter, namely that justification comes by faith, not works.

Although it might look like circular reasoning at first glance, here’s what John Calvin said about the sense of this verse,

If Abraham was justified by his works, he might boast of his own merits. But he has no ground of boasting before God. Therefore he was not justified by works.

You see, if Abraham did have some grounds for boasting, he would have boasted about them to God. But he never did because by his own acts he knew he was not worthy of justification. Hence, he was not justified by works. If you read Genesis 11:27 – 25:10 you will see that, although Abraham did some amazing and faith-full things in his life, he had a problem with lying, especially concerning Sarah his wife. This is not the sort of thing that would qualify someone to be justified by works, is it?

On the surface it may appear that Paul’s and James’ teachings with regard to faith and works are at odds, for James said:

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (James 2:23-24)

This is the problem with quoting Scripture out of context. For you see, James is not teaching that righteousness is achieved by works. He is teaching that works are the proof of faith and its resultant righteousness. If a person has genuine faith in the blood of Jesus Christ then his or her works will give evidence of saving faith. I’m sure that we all can think of someone who claims to be a Christian but doesn’t act like one. James would say that this person has no faith because they have no works to prove it, and Paul would agree.

Application

All Christians should be doing good works. Not to gain salvation, or to receive complete sanctification, and certainly not to keep from losing salvation. We should be doing good works because it’s what our Heavenly Father does and it’s what He wants us to be doing. It demonstrates our family resemblance. It’s part of the family business!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 4:1 – Righteousness by Faith Demonstrated

Posted on December 6, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:1

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

Truth to Learn

The Old Testament has examples of justification by faith.

Behind the Words

“What then shall we say” is a rhetorical question that Paul uses often in this letter to the Roman Christians (Romans 4:1; 6:1; 7:7; 8:31; 9:14; 9:30). He uses this question when he anticipates an objection from his readers or when he is proposing a truth to be understood by the reader.

The Greek word translated “father” differs depending on which manuscript we look at. Some manuscripts have this as patēr, meaning “father,” though it is often used to indicate “ancestor.” Other manuscripts use the word propatōr, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or position,” and a form of patēr, meaning “father.” Hence, propatōr means “forefather.”

“Has found” is the translation of the verb heuriskō, meaning “to find something.” It is expressed here in the Greek perfect tense, indicating a past completed action with an ongoing effect, with the emphasis on the ongoing effect. One form of this word, heureka, is what Archimedes is supposed to have exclaimed when, after a lengthy search, he discovered a method of detecting the amount of alloy mixed with the gold in the crown of the king of Syracuse. Subsequently, when prospectors in the Western US found the gold for which they had been diligently seeking, they often exclaimed “Eureka!”

Meaning Explained

Paul is now going to use Abraham, the father of all the Jews, to show how justification has always been by faith. Since Abraham lived before the giving of the Law, Paul will lead his readers to see that he was justified by faith, not by obedience to the Law. This becomes a particularly potent argument since all Jews trace back their ancestral lineage, as well as their spiritual heritage, to Abraham.

The main object of this chapter is to demonstrate that the doctrine of justification by faith, which the apostle Paul is defending, was taught in the Old Testament. The argument is addressed to the Jewish Christians in Rome, but it would apply to any Jew. The argument is derived from the fact that Abraham was so justified by faith rather than works, as we will see in Romans 4:1-5. It was not the merit of his works but his faith (Abraham believed God). Then, in this same chapter, Paul will show that even David, the greatest of all Jewish kings, declared that righteousness results from faith rather than works, as we will see in Romans 4:6-8.

The expression “according to flesh” which is found at the end of this verse has been much debated over the centuries. It could mean that Abraham was the father of the Jews according to flesh. The other interpretation of this expression is that it refers to what Abraham has found. If such is the case, then “flesh” could refer to external privileges and advantages, or to his own strength and power, or possibly to circumcision itself. The last of these seems the most reasonable interpretation; that Paul is referring to what Abraham has found as pertaining to circumcision since this is what much of this chapter is about.

Application

Christians are often prone to ignore the Old Testament teachings because “they only apply to the Jews.” As we will see from Romans chapter four, there is much common teaching between the Old and New Testaments.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:31 – Established, Not Nullified

Posted on December 2, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:31

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

Truth to Learn

Living by faith upholds the law, it doesn’t destroy it.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “we make void” is a form of the verb katargeō. This is a compound word made up of kata, used as an intensifier and argeō, meaning “to be idle.” Hence, this verb means “to render completely idle, useless, or ineffective.”

“Certainly not!” is from the Greek words mē genoito, which we have looked at before. The word mē represents a qualified negation (ou represents absolute negation) and genoito means “to cause to be.” Therefore, a literal translation of these two words is “May it not be!”

The verb translated “we establish” is a form of histēmi, meaning “to cause to stand” or “to establish.”

Meaning Explained

This rhetorical question is one of transition for the Apostle Paul. He knows that any devout Jew would be spiritually put off balance by his previous arguments because the Jews have been taught from childhood that obeying the Law is the only way to be justified. They would very likely be asking themselves, “But what about the Law? Does it mean nothing?” There are even those people today who say that justification by faith only leads to licentiousness because it does away with the Law (both the Law of Moses and the moral law).

Paul does not agree. In fact, he declares, “May it not be!” He realizes that justification by faith alone not only does not negate the Law, in fact it establishes it as true and right. You see, by the Law God demonstrated that there is a penalty to be paid for sin and that the Law had to be satisfied in order for anyone to be justified. Jesus Christ came to show that only He could perfectly satisfy the law and that He is the fulfillment of the Law. He is the Passover lamb. He is the lamb without spot or blemish that was demanded by the Law to be the offering in payment for sins. He, the One who satisfied the Law, is the only offering that could be made to pay for our sins. And His payment is made possible to us only if we believe that He is the sinless Lamb of God who has given Himself in payment for our sins. We can’t satisfy the Law by obedience to it but by faith in the one who did satisfy it.

This is precisely what Paul is showing to the Jewish Christians in Rome and to all Christians throughout the ages. When we believe Jesus Christ died on the cross as our Lord and Savior, we are justified by faith, and we actually establish the Law as good and right and holy.

Having now satisfied the assertion that the Law is good and right, in the coming chapter Paul will proceed to use the patriarch Abraham as the example of righteousness by faith apart from the Law. After all, Abraham was declared righteous by God some three hundred years before Moses received the law on Mt. Sinai. Abraham was even declared righteous by God years before the sign of circumcision.

Application

When we get saved by faith, we aren’t required to keep the law or rules of a church in order to stay saved. Instead, we are to walk by faith, doing the good works that God has ordained for us to do as His children and ambassadors. Do your actions and good works reflect the glory of your Heavenly Father?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:30 – Faith for All

Posted on December 2, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:30

since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Truth to Learn

God will justify anyone who comes by faith.

Behind the Words

The Greek word starting off this verse is different depending on which Greek text is used. Some have it as epeiper, meaning “since indeed” whereas others have it as eiper, meaning “if on the whole.” Although the epeiper is a stronger assertion, they both imply that what follows is a true statement.

The word “by” is from the Greek word ek, meaning “out of, from, or by means of.” In other words, it implies origin.

“Through” is translated from dia, meaning “through,” or “through which.” In other words, it implies instrumentality.

Meaning Explained

Since Paul has just demonstrated that Jehovah is the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles and that man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law, he now takes the next step in his explanation. He says that it is one God who will justify both the Jews and the Gentiles and that justification comes not from keeping the Law but from faith.

The construction of this verse is a little confusing and has been argued back and forth for centuries (in my opinion it is an example of senseless quibbling). Some say that even though the prepositions are different, they are used to express the same thing. They would interpret this phrase as, “… who will justify circumcision by faith and uncircumcision by the same faith.”

Others would argue that the Jews are justified by (out of) the faith which Abraham had and which they now also have, whereas the Gentiles must acquire such faith independently in order to receive justification through such faith. If you think that this is an unnecessary splitting of hairs, I agree with you. The point is that God will declare a person righteous based on faith, whether a Jew or a Gentile.

The two points that Paul has been making all along in this chapter are: 1 – There is no difference between Jews and Gentiles when it comes to justification, and 2 – The only way to obtain justification is by faith.

If you look back through the Old Testament you will see a number of examples where men were justified by faith. For instance, Noah believed God was going to send a flood and demonstrated that faith by building an Ark. Abraham believed that he was going to have a son even when he and Sarah were too old to have children. Moses believed God was going to release the Israelites from bondage when he went in and challenged Pharaoh to “let my people go.”

Throughout the ages, men (and women) have been saved by faith, not by works. That is precisely what Paul is teaching these Jewish Christians in Rome.

Application

The message of salvation is very simple: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. It’s not, believe and keep the Ten Commandments. It’s not, believe and join the church. It’s not, believe and be baptized. It’s simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s all there is to it – just believe.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:29 – Non-Exclusive God

Posted on December 1, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:29

Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

Truth to Learn

No group of people has exclusive rights to God and His truth.

Behind the Words

“Only” is translated from the Greek word monon. This is probably derived from the verb menō, meaning “to remain” or “to stay.” Hence, monon means “that which remains, alone, or only.”

The word “not” is translated from ouchi, which is derived from ou, the absolute “not” in Greek. However, ouchi is a stronger form meaning “not at all” or “no way!”

“Yes” is from the Greek word nai, which implies strong affirmation. We could reasonably translated this as “yes, certainly.”

The word “Gentiles” is from ethnos, meaning “a group of people belonging together and living together, a race, or a nation.” It has been used historically by Jewish writers (as it is here) as a reference to those people, or nations, who are not Jewish.

Meaning Explained

Paul has just stated in conclusion that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. To a Jew this would imply that the Law is void, otherwise why have they been working so hard for all these centuries to satisfy the Law through works.

Paul is saying that if justification could come from the Law (and only from the Law, as the Jews thought) then He must only be the God of the Jews since they are the only ones who had the Law. That’s why Paul asks the question, “Or is He the God of the Jews only, and not also of the gentiles?” He then immediately answers the question, “Yes, He is the God of the Gentiles also.”

The apostle is not making a casual statement here. The use of ouchi and nai indicate that he is making a couple of very strong statements: “Is He not at all also the God of the Gentiles? He most certainly is also the God of the Gentiles!”

The Jews knew that Jehovah is the God of all mankind, but they also knew that only the Jews had the Law. This made them selfish about the Scriptures and their relationship with God. They began to believe that Jehovah was their God exclusively, but Paul is bursting that bubble. Not only is He the God of both the Jews and the Gentiles but, as he will state in the next verse, He justifies (declares as righteous) both the Jews and the Gentiles. That would have come as a shock to many Jewish Christians who believed that God only justifies those who keep the law. It also may come as a shock to Christians today who believe we have to keep a lot of “rules” to be saved or to stay saved.

Application

Once again, we can see a strong parallel between the attitude of the Jewish people at the time of Christ and the attitude of Christians today. The Jews believed they had exclusive rights to God and were unwilling to share Him with Gentiles, building a wall between Jews and Gentiles. Since Christians have been given the Great Commission, we are commanded to share the Gospel with the whole world. But many denominations believe only they have “the correct” truth, thus building walls between Christians.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:28 – Faith Alone

Posted on November 30, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:28

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes by faith and faith alone, not by works.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is from the Greek word oun, which marks a connection between the current phrase and that which proceeded.

The verb translated “we conclude” is logidzomai, which means “to put together with one’s mind, to count, or to make calculations or reckonings in the mind.” When used with oun, as it is here, it indicates “a proof” or “a conclusion.”

The words “apart from” are translated from chōris, which indicates separation of two things in space or time. Therefore, it could be translated here as “separate from.”

“Deeds,” as we have seen before, is from the Greek word ergon, meaning “a deed, a work, something involving labor.”

There is no definite article before the word “law” in the Greek text. Hence, the word “the” has been added by translators.

Meaning Explained

Paul has just gone through a very complete rationalization of why the Jews were falsely confident in the Law, having stated that whether Jew or Gentile we all have sinned and have come short of God’s glory. He further went on to show that the blood of Christ is represented by the mercy seat in that it “covers” our sins, allowing God to pass them by. And, in doing so, He draws attention to His own righteousness as he credits righteousness to anyone who has faith in the covering blood.

He now states the conclusion of this part of his dissertation. That is, that we are justified by faith separate from works of law. In other words, the works have absolutely no bearing on our justification (our being declared righteous).

The Jewish Christians in Rome had always considered their righteousness to be the result of keeping the requirements of the Law. Because of the teachings of the Law and the Prophets, they waited for their Messiah to come. These converts from Judaism considered themselves Christians because they kept the Law AND believed in their Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Paul now tells them that keeping the Law has no effect on salvation, further demonstrating that there can be no boasting in salvation because we didn’t do anything to deserve it.

We can only be justified by the principle (law) of faith. In order to satisfy this principle of faith we must humble ourselves before the mighty hand of our sinless God, agree with Him that we are sinners who are undeserving of justification (salvation), and agree with God (confess) that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

Our justification does not come about because we perform some work or deed. We are justified in His sight because He reveals His son to us and He draws us to Himself so that we believe. It’s all His work and none of ours.

Application

Paul makes it very clear that we can’t do anything to earn salvation; we can only receive it humbly, as a free gift. Are you still trying to earn “favor” with God? Why? It can’t be done!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 3:27 – No Bragging Rights

Posted on November 28, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:27

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Truth to Learn

Salvation through faith in the blood of Christ is nothing to brag about.

Behind the Words

“Boasting” is from kauchēsis, which refers to the act of bragging or boasting.

The Greek word translated “excluded” is ekkleiō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and kleiō, meaning “to shut.” Therefore, this word literally means “to shut out.” In other words, something has no chance of coming in what so ever. In sports, we refer to a team as having been “shut-out” if they have been beaten without having scored a single point.

The word “what” is translated from the Greek word poios, which means “of what sort” or “what kind.”

“Law” is translated from nomos, which refers to “a law” or “a principle.” Paul is using it here, as he does in many places, in reference to a principle rather than a specific law.

The word “no” is from the Greek word ouchi, which is a stronger form of the word ou, meaning “no” or “not.” We might translate this as “No way!”

Meaning Explained

The apostle now goes on to cement in the minds of the Roman Christians that their salvation is not of themselves through acts of righteousness, but completely through the actions of God. He starts off this verse by asking where any of us can find room for boasting. There is nothing to boast about in having been granted righteousness. Since all have sinned and have failed at being able to justify themselves by obeying the Law, and since all are alike, dependent on the mercy of God, any reason for bragging is, of course, taken away. It is shut out.

That’s what Paul is telling us about boasting or bragging with regard to our salvation. There is no way we can brag about our salvation because bragging has been shut-out!

This boasting is not shut-out by the law of works, but by the law of faith. By this Paul means that we cannot be justified by performing any works no matter how unselfish or self-sacrificing they are. We cannot be justified by keeping the 10 commandments, and we cannot be justified by obeying all the rules or ordinances set-down for us by our church. We simply cannot be justified by this kind of law. In other words, there is nothing we can do to earn righteousness, nothing! It can only come through faith.

Back in verse twenty-two we learned that faith (Greek pistis) means “belief in a truth.” But what does Paul mean by “the law of faith?” This is not a written law or set of commandments, but a principle. The principle here is, “believing in a truth.” That is, the truth that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God who, while completely God, is completely man. The truth that He lived a perfect life then offered His life as a sacrifice in payments for your sins and mine.

Application

It’s easy to boast about all the things we have done to earn something, but salvation can’t be earned. It requires humility to accept salvation and become a Christian. It can’t be bragged about. A humble person doesn’t brag about his humility.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –