Romans, Chapters Three Through Five

Paul's teaching in Romans, Chapters Three through Five, is the basis for the current Evangelical teaching that Christians are saved by faith in Christ and not by trying to behave righteously. Righteous behavior is always desirable. Any reasonable Christian would agree to this. But, according to today's teaching, righteous behavior is not a necessary part of salvation. We are saved by an unconditional grace.

We find such verses as the following:

However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5 NIV)

However, as we look more closely at Romans, Chapters Three through Five we discover by "works" Paul is referring to the works of the Law of Moses. In fact, it appears Paul was addressing Christian Jews or Christian Gentiles who were being influenced by Jews. Paul was not speaking of moral cleanliness, kindliness, or honesty but of circumcision, the kosher dietary regulations, and other aspects of the Law of Moses.

You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you." (Romans 2:23,24 NIV)

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:20 NIV)

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (Romans 3:28 NIV)

However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. (Romans 4:5 NIV)

It is obvious in Romans, Galatians, and other places where Paul is emphasizing that we are saved by faith in Christ rather than by works he means the works of the Law of Moses.

This fact is exemplified in the Book of Galatians where Paul argues against the need for circumcision, saying if we are circumcised we might as well keep the whole Law of Moses. In this case there is no profit in receiving Christ.

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. (Galatians 5:2-4 NIV)

We understand, therefore, that we Gentiles have woefully misunderstood Paul. We thought Paul meant it does not matter if we behave righteously, which, of course, would contradict the greater portion of his Epistles.

Well, one may say, we are not saved by any code of behavior. This is absolutely true. We cannot save ourselves by rejecting Christ and trying to live righteously.

But there is a big difference between emphasizing that we are not saved by keeping the Law of Moses and emphasizing that it does not matter how we behave.

Our salvation in Christ does not result in our obeying the Law of Moses, such as the dietary laws or the feast days. But our salvation in Christ always results in moral purity, honesty, a loving disposition, self-control. When God's grace in Christ does not produce a new creation of righteous behavior in an individual, then we may safely say that grace has been made of no effect in this instance.

To be continued.