Law – Page 4 – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: Law

Romans 4:15 – Legal Wrath

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Will

Romans 4:15

because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

Truth to Learn

Trying to keep the law causes God’s wrath against us.

Behind the Words

The words “brings about” are from the verb katergadzomai, which is a compound word made up of kata, used as an intensifier and ergadzomai, meaning “to work.” Hence, this word means “to completely bring about” or “to carry out a task until it is finished.”

“Wrath” is translated from the Greek word orgē, which is based on the verb orgēomai, meaning “reaching forth with the mind or excitement of the mind.” Hence, orgē expresses a violent passion either for or against something. However, it is most often used to express extreme anger or wrath.

The word translated “transgression” is the Greek word parabasis, which is a made up of para, meaning “beside” or “beyond” and a form of baino, which means “to go.” So this word means “to go beyond, to cross over, or to overstep.” It is most often used to indicate an overstepping of a legal limit. Hence, it usually means “to violate a law or regulation.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has just been talking about the fact that God credited righteousness to Abraham based on his faith, not on his keeping the Law. He even pointed out that Abraham’s righteousness came well before the Law of Moses (more than three hundred years before) and about fifteen years before he was circumcised. So, it is very clear that his righteousness had nothing to do with obedience to the Law. Now he makes another observation about trying to obtain righteousness by obeying a set of rules or laws. He says that the Law brings about the wrath of God because the Law actually produces transgression (the overstepping of a rule or a law).

Paul even goes on to say that where there is no law there can be no transgressing of the law. Adam and Eve are the perfect example. Before they were told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were free to eat of it, and doing so would not have caused them any consequence. But, as soon as God commanded them not to eat of it, not only was it now wrong for them to do so, but it became something that they suddenly wanted to do.

As a result of transgression (violating or overstepping the boundaries of the law) God’s wrath is produced because He cannot stand sin. Sin, and therefore anyone possessing sin, cannot remain in God’s presence because as a Holy God He must judge sin.

That’s what Paul is saying in this verse; that without law there is no transgression and therefore, none of God’s wrath. It’s actually the Law that produces God’s wrath.

But why would God give something to mankind (the Law) that would cause His wrath against mankind? That doesn’t seem to make sense, does it? Paul will answer this difficult question later in this letter.

Application

It should be getting very clear by now that we cannot be right in God’s eyes by obeying a set of rules. In fact, the mere attempt to do so creates sin in our lives, which brings about God’s wrath. We can only stand in God’s presence as his righteous children through faith.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

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Romans 4:14 – Precious Promise

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Will

Romans 4:14

For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,

Truth to Learn

Righteousness comes either by faith or by works, not both.

Behind the Words

The word translated “void” 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 of no effect” 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 “void.” 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 “of no effect.” 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, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not 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 have been saved through faith, and that 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,

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

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 3:28 – 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,

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

Romans 3:21 – Righteousness Without Works

Posted on November 18, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:21

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Truth to Learn

There is a righteousness, which the Old Testament declared, that does not result from obeying all the rules.

Behind the Words

“Righteousness” is from the Greek word dikaiosunē, a form of dikaios, which we looked at back in verse ten. Dikaios refers to “meeting God’s standard of behavior.” The sunē ending means that this is the characteristic of someone who has met that standard. That is, someone who has obtained “righteousness.”

The word translated “revealed” is phaneroō, which is derived from the verb phainō, meaning “to shine the light on” or “to cause to appear.” Therefore, phaneroō means “to make something apparent” or, as it is translated here, “to reveal.”

“Being witnessed” is translated from a form of martureō, from which we get our English word “martyr.” This word means “to be a witness.” Throughout the history of the church, during times of persecution many people have forfeited their lives because of their faith in Christ. We refer to these people as martyrs because their death was the witness of their faith.

Meaning Explained

In the last verse we said that no one is righteous before God by obeying a set of rules, period. This would have come as a major affront to any devout Jew whether they had become a Christian or not. To them, obeying the Law was how anyone became acceptable to God.

Now Paul is about to introduce the doctrine of justification by faith, but he had to show first that justification couldn’t come any other way. He says that the only true righteousness, the righteousness of God (or from God), a righteousness not resulting from obeying the Law, has already been revealed. Not only has it already been revealed but it has been witnessed to by the Law and the Prophets.

Paul is telling these Jewish Christians that their own Scriptures have testified against them and declared them all to be sinners. Also, he is telling them that the Scriptures have testified about a true type of righteousness which only comes from God.

In the next verse Paul is going to tell us that righteousness can only come by faith. He will also show that it’s not just any kind of faith and not faith in just anything.

And in the coming chapters of this letter, Paul will illustrate how the Old Testament declared and witnessed to this saving faith apart from the Law. He will use Abraham as his primary example and will show how Abraham was not justified (declared righteous) by God because he was obedient, rather he was declared righteous because he believed the message that God gave to him. Here’s one verse that Paul will quote from:

And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

Abraham was not righteous because of any works he did. He was righteous because God declared him to be so.

Application

Do you want to stand before God as a righteous person? If so, then God must declare you to be righteous. He will only do that if you believe the truth about Jesus Christ; He is the Son of God and He died on the cross to pay for your sins.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

Romans 3:20 – Good Deeds

Posted on November 17, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:20

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Truth to Learn

No one can do enough good deeds to be saved.

Behind the Words

“Therefore” is translated from the Greek word dioti, which is a compound word made up of dia, meaning “through” or “by” and hoti, which means “that.” Hence, dioti basically means “through that, because of that, or for this reason.”

The word “deeds” is from ergon which means “a product of labor, a work, or a deed.”

The word translated “flesh” is sarx, which literally means “flesh of a living creature.” It is used here to denote all of mankind, both Jew and Gentile.

“Justified” is from dikaioō, which means “to declare someone righteous” or “to make someone righteous.”

The phrase “in His sight” is translated from enōpion. This is another compound word. It is made up of en, indicating a static position (in, on, over, etc.) and ops (a derivation of optomai – to see) which refers to “sight” or “eyes.” So, literally this word means “in His sight,” though it is often translated “before Him” or “in His presence.”

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignosis, which means more than simply knowing something. It means “to recognize and understand something.”

Meaning Explained

Remember that whenever we see a “wherefore” or a “therefore” we need to see what it’s there for. In the previous verse we learned that the Law was given so that all those who tried to obey the Law would be found guilty before God without excuse. Therefore, that is, in light of this fact, because of this… “by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.”

What Paul is saying is that justification before God cannot be obtained by obeying any set of rules no matter who made the rules. Why? Because it is through rules (Law) that we recognize sin and sinfulness.

If you recall the account of the temptation of Adam and Eve, up until God gave them the command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they were without sin. If they had eaten of the tree before they were told not to, they would not have been sinning; but due to the fact that they had been commanded not to, it suddenly became sinful to do so.

What Paul is telling us in these verses is that we cannot become righteous by following any set of rules, whether God-made or man-made. How then can one become righteous before God? Is it impossible? Paul is going to begin telling us in the next two verses.

Application

Just because we can’t be declared righteous through doing good deeds doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t do them. We ought to do them out of obedience and gratitude. In other words, we can’t be saved by doing good deeds, but once we are saved, we should do them because we want to, not because we have to.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

Romans 3:19 – Guilty!

Posted on November 16, 2009 by admin

Romans 3:19

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Truth to Learn

None of us can live without breaking the rules, no not one.

Behind the Words

The word translated “guilty” is hupodikos, a compound word made up of hupo (hypo), meaning “under” and a form of dike, which means “judgment.” Hence, it means “under judgment, guilty, or condemned.”

Meaning Explained

Paul is talking to the Jewish Christians in Rome who were proud of the fact that they were descendents of Abraham and proud of the fact that the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament) had been entrusted to the Jews. They were believers in Christ, but they still believed they needed to obey the Law.

Paul has just completed a number of quotations from their Scriptures which clearly show that all men are sinners; no one is righteous in God’s sight. The logical argument from a devout Jew would be that they are righteous because they obey the Law. Paul understood that attitude; he felt the same way before his conversion. Here’s what he said about himself:

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. (Acts 22:3)

Gamaliel was a Pharisee, one of the ruling Sanhedrin, a Doctor of the Law, and honored by all the people as one of the greatest teachers of his time. So you can see that Paul was well aware of the attitude that would pervade those devout Jews even after they became Christians.

Therefore, he now shows them why their reliance on obedience to the Law is pointless. Those things that are delineated by the Law are spoken to those who try to obey the Law for one reason,

that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

In other words, Paul is saying that the purpose of the Law is to condemn all those who try to keep the Law. “But that doesn’t make sense,” you may say. “Why would God give the Law to mankind knowing that no one could keep the Law?” Paul will answer that question in the next few verses.

For now I want us all to recognize that none of us is righteous by keeping all the regulations and requirements of whatever church we belong to. Churches today have become very much like the Pharisees of Christ’s time. They imply that you have to obey all the rules and requirements of The Church, become a member, get baptized a certain way, say the right kind of prayers, or worship the proper way, and God will usher you into heaven because you’ve done the right things.

Paul says that’s baloney!

Application

Are you relying on following all the rules of your church or keeping the Ten Commandments in order to get to Heaven? If so, Paul says you’re in for a big shock when you stand before God on the Day of Judgment.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

Romans 2:27 – Judges by Faith

Posted on October 11, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:27

And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?

Truth to Learn

We will not be judge by how well we keep the Law. In fact, we who are saved by faith will judge those who try to keep the Law.

Behind the Words

The words translated “physically” are ek physeōs, which literally mean “by nature.” The point is that a man is born uncircumcised. The Jewish man is also born uncircumcised but becomes circumcised by an act of mankind.

“Fulfills” is translated from the Greek word teleō, which means “to complete or to accomplish.” To complete the Law would require fulfilling every single requirement of it.

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse may appear to be saying the same thing as yesterday’s verse, but it is actually carrying it a little bit further. Here’s what a literal translation of this verse says:

And the uncircumcision by nature, completing the law, shall judge you who with letter and circumcision (are) a transgressor of law?

Since it is marked as a question we need to modify it a bit to make sense in English. Thus:

And the uncircumcision, which is by nature fulfilling the law, shall it not judge you who with the letter (of the Law) and circumcision (in the flesh) are a transgressor of the Law?”

We Gentiles, who satisfy the righteousness of the Law through faith, will one day judge those who, though they are circumcised, try to obtain righteousness by obeying a set of rules. Paul is telling us that we who fulfill the Law by faith will judge the Jews who try to keep the Law. And, there is another passage in the New Testament that talks about us (the saved ones) judging. We will judge the world and the angels:

Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? (1Corinthians 6:2, 3)

We can never be justified in God’s sight by obeying all the commandments because no one can obey them all. The point Paul is building up to (which he will get to in the next chapter) is this:

As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. (Romans 3:10-11)

The Christians in Rome, like their counterparts in Galatia, thought that salvation was obtained by being circumcised and keeping the Law. Paul says that isn’t so.

Application

Are you still trying to be “good enough” for God? If so, it is a futile effort. The only way to satisfy God is by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. And the only way to live a satisfying Christian life is by staying humbled before God. We can’t do either by works; we must do both by faith.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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

Romans 2:26 – Faith, Not Surgery

Posted on October 8, 2009 by admin

Romans 2:26

Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?

Truth to Learn

We keep the righteous requirements of the Law through faith.

Behind the Words

The word translated “righteous requirements” is the Greek word dikaiomata, which comes from the noun dikaioo, meaning “the product or result of being justified, or declared righteous, by God.” The word dikaiomata, therefore, refers to the righteousness declared by God.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse we learned that the Christians in Rome were very proud of their Jewish heritage and the fact that they possessed the mark of a Jew in their circumcision. But Paul also told them that if they don’t keep the Law then their circumcision is meaningless. Now he points out further that the advantage of circumcision is not in the outward appearance, but by the inward faith and action.

The translation of the word dikaiomata is a key in understanding this verse. At least one translation says:

“If then the uncircumcision keeps the ordinances of the Law …”

This makes it appear that it is possible to keep the ordinances of the Law. However, as we read further in this letter we will discover that Paul tells us that no one is justified by keeping the deeds of the Law. We will also learn that the only way to fulfill the righteousness of the law is through faith:

Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; (Romans 3:20-22)

This righteousness does not come from keeping the ordinances of the Law, it comes by keeping the righteous requirements of the Law and those righteous requirements are only kept as a result of faith. This is what the entire first part of Paul’s letter to the Romans is about. Paul will clearly declare this fact later in his letter, taking it all the way back to Abraham:

For the promise that he should be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. (Romans 4:13)

What Paul is saying in today’s verse is, if a Gentile keeps the righteousness of the Law by faith, then he or she becomes one of God’s children. This does not happen because he or she went through some bloody ceremonial surgery, but because he or she believed God and it was imputed to him or her as righteousness. The Jews’ confidence was in their flesh; our confidence is in our faith in the blood of Christ!

Application

Are you confident of your salvation? You should be! Is it because you regularly attend church? Is it because you have gone through the doctrinal teachings of your church and have become a full member? Is it because you obey all the rules of your church? Or are you confident in your salvation because you have submitted your will to God through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and have committed yourself to serving God through faith?

In God’s service, for His glory,

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