For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith has been made of no effect and the promise been made useless,
Truth to Learn
Righteousness comes either by faith or by works, not both.
Behind the Words
The word translated “of no effect” is kenoō, which means “to make empty, to neutralize, or to make false.” It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating what is done to faith.
“Made useless” is translated from the Greek word katargeō. This is made up of kata, used as an intensifier and argeō, meaning “to be idle.” Hence it means “to render totally inactive, to be completely idle, or to become absolutely useless.” It is expressed here in the passive voice indicating what is done to the promise.
Meaning Explained
Paul now argues the other side of the fence. Having shown that it is through faith that God reckons righteousness, he now makes a counter statement regarding righteousness through obedience.
He says that if righteousness, being an heir of the world (which was promised to Abraham), is achieved by obedience (obeying the law or any other set of rules), then nothing is accomplished by faith, and God’s promise is useless. After all, what value is there in a promised gift to someone if someone else can attain the same thing by working for it?
Do you understand? What value is there in a promise regarding any unearned future gift if that same thing can be earned? Paul says it makes faith “of no effect.” That is, faith would become void of any meaning, hollow, and empty if righteousness can be earned by works. Not only that, but Paul says that the promise that God made to Abraham would be “made useless.” It would become absolutely useless and serve no purpose at all.
What Paul is demonstrating is how righteousness by faith and righteousness by obedience are complete opposites. You can’t have both and you can’t have a combination of the two, it has to be one or the other. Either a person is made righteous by obedience or he is made righteous by faith. This is particularly significant when you consider what Paul told us previously:
As it is written: “There is none righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one seeking God. They all turned away; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)
Faith is a matter of believing, while obedience to the law is a matter of doing. Since none of us is righteous based on our doing (works), our only hope for righteousness (and salvation) is through faith. This renders that righteousness very precious because it can’t be earned; it can only be given to us:
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)
Let’s thank God for this precious righteousness by faith!
Application
If you believe that Christ’s death on the cross paid for your sins, then God has declared you to be righteous; you are saved from your sins. How precious does that salvation feel now?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2017 Will Krause. All rights reserved