Romans 10:5 – Earned or Received?
For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “the man who does those things shall live by them.”
Truth to Learn
Eternal life can’t be earned by obedience.
Behind the Words
“Does” is from the Greek verb poieō, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it can be translated as “having done.”
The word translated “live” is dzaō, meaning “to live” or “to have life.” It is expressed here in the future tense. In other words “he will live” or “he will have life.”
Meaning Explained
Paul is quoting from Leviticus 18:5 which says, You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. Also in his treatise to the Galatians, who had tried to add works of the Law onto faith, Paul quotes this same passage.
Paul’s point is that the zealous Israelites who went about to establish their own righteousness by keeping all of the Law, were trying to fulfill the command of God who declared that the person who has kept all the commandments of the Law throughout his or her life shall live in them. Notice that this quotation does not declare that the person who has kept the entire Law “is alive,” but “shall live in them” (future tense).
The problem is, as Paul told us earlier in this letter, no one can keep the whole Law. Remember back in Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And if we look at the Galatians passage, we see that Paul is contrasting faith and works of the Law. In the book of Galatians he says,
So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “The just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “The man who does them shall live by them.” (Galatians 3:9-12)
In order to receive future life (that is, eternal life) from the Law one would have to keep the entire Law for their entire life, which is not possible for any man with a sin nature. But since the only man to ever live without a sin nature is Jesus Christ (as Paul explained earlier), it is impossible for any of the rest of us to fulfill the entire Law.
Therefore, no one can attain the righteousness of God by keeping the Law. And no one can get saved by following any methodology of any church, or by going through any kind of classes taught by a church, or of partaking of any sacraments of any church. Salvation (and God’s imputed righteousness) can only come through faith, that is, believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross to pay for our sins. The perfect, sinless, Lamb of God was slain for us imperfect, sinful, human beings.
Application
We can’t satisfy God’s righteousness by obeying the Law or all the rules of our church. His righteousness is only granted by faith to those of us who know we don’t deserve it.
Thank you, Lord, for faith and for the sinless Lamb of God!
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2010 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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