Apart from Works of the Law

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  Romans 3:28 

Romans 3:27-4:12 – Romans: The Righteousness of God
Fourth Sunday in Lent    – March 19, 2023 (am)

Over the years as I’ve talked with non-religious people about the gospel, one of the biggest stumbling blocks has not been the existence of God or the deity of Christ or even the exclusivity of Christianity, saying that Jesus alone can reconcile us to God. Bigger than any of these, more frequently cited, has been the fact that it’s not fair for one Person to receive the penalty for the sins of another, for Jesus to pay for my sin.

By nature—fallen nature—we don’t like to receive charity. We just don’t like to appear needy. As we used to say it down south: We don’t wanna be beholden to nobody! I’ve actually had people get indignant with me at the mere suggestion that they need a substitute sin-Bearer.

But, make no mistake, as we saw in Paul’s summary description of the gospel last Sunday (3:21-26), if there’s no One to absorb the just wrath of God against our sins and remove them from us, we’ll receive that wrath ourselves and still never be free of our sins. Our offense against God is infinite because it’s not measured by the finite flaws in our intentions, but by the limitless perfection of His nature.

Bottom line, deep down we really want to believe that somehow our salvation, our reconciliation to God, is deserved. He chose us because He wants us on His team. Or we’re just a bit less odious to Him than some others. Or maybe we’re a bit more insightful, or a bit more humble, or even just a bit more lucky than others. But for whatever reason, we’ve embraced the gospel and they haven’t. And because of that, we have grounds for boasting. Here in DuPage County we’d never do that out loud; that would be impolite! But in the depths of our hearts we believe it’s true. And we’re pretty confident others can see that it’s true as well. Paul’s response: There’s no basis for that!

Let’s look at this passage in three parts.

The Exclusion of Boasting – 3:27-31

As Paul was opening his rich statement on the gospel (3:21-26), he spoke of the righteousness of God that has been manifested apart from the law (3:21). And he went on to explain that we’re justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (3:24). So, the natural follow-up question that opens our passage today is: 3:27 Then what becomes of our boasting? Many think he’s returned to addressing the Jews here because of their tendency to boast about their heritage and their belief that faith and obedience worked together to set them right with God. But I believe this is a broader picture than that, one which also spotlights the boastful, prideful tendency we all feel that recoils from anything that reeks of charity (Moo 2018 266-8). 3:27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law, meaning what kind of [principle] or what kind of [rule]? Although Paul likely used νόμος intentionally to recall the Mosaic Law (Moo 2018 268-9). We can see that he’s not just speaking here of two contrasting interpretations of the Mosaic Law, but of something quite different, because he finishes expressing his desire not to be perceived as trying to overthrow the law (3:31), but to affirm exactly what the law was always intended to affirm. 

So, what kind of [principle] excludes human boasting in their justification before God? [The principle] of works? No, but by the [principle] of faith. This is the [principle] Paul is using to set up a contrast with the law, which demanded works. He’s doing this to distance his argument from the law without overthrowing it. He wants to use it the way it was always intended to be used—to point to the need for faith since there was no way to be justified by works of the law (3:20). 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

If one [were] justified by works of the law, the clear insinuation would not only be that justification is not by faith, but that God is the God of the Jews only, because justification came through the law and He gave the law specifically to the Jews. But even though the law came through the Jews, God is the God of the Gentiles also (3:29), 3:30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith (no difference intended). Thus, the law serves its purpose of revealing the righteous standard of God or, better, clear knowledge of how we all fail to meet God’s righteous standard. It gives knowledge of sin (3:20). So, by no means does Paul overthrow the law by this [principle of] faith. On the contrary, [he] upholds the law (3:31). And boasting is excluded (3:27) just as it always has been from the very beginning.

The Examples of Faith – 4:1-8

Justification has always been received by faith apart from works of the law (3:28). We see that in the examples of both Abraham and David (4:1, 6). 4:2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God, because surely God would never have set up justification in such a way that any part of it would depend on human effort. For one, fallen human beings just wouldn’t be capable of contributing even a small part to their salvation transaction. But also, doing that would compromise His glory, which the salvation transaction was intended to magnify! (cf. 3:23; 5:2; 6:4; 9:23; 11:36; 15:7; 16:27; cf. Eph.1:5-6) 4:3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness,” quoting Gen.15:6, the first place in the Bible where believe appears.

And as we move into vv.4-5, we see that Paul draws two theo-logical consequences from what is said about Abraham’s justification in Gen.15:6: (1) works have no part in justification; and (2) this is so because God’s justifying verdict is not earned, but given freely (Moo 2018 284)— 4 … to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due; the employer is obligated to pay the employee. But surely that’s not how salvation works. There’s no sense in which God is obligated to save. Abraham’s faith is, by definition, free of works. So, it’s not itself a work but is simply an expression of trust, of belief in the promise of God, in the grace of God to keep His promises. And the basis of God’s counting his faith as righteousness is wholly an expression of His grace (cf. 4:16) freely given as a gift. Thus, 5 … to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.

This word counted—variously translated accounted, considered, credited, reckoned—is used a dozen times in cc.4-5, eight of those in our text today. Paul argues that the “reckoning” of faith for righteousness—in Abraham’s life, or in anyone else’s—is a reckoning that is wholly of grace and must be… based on faith. Viewed in this light, Paul’s point does not rest on an alleged Hebrew concept of reckoning; nor is he arguing that grace is the necessary consequence of reckoning, or of faith. Grace is not the end point but the beginning of his logic; from the fact of grace comes the conclusion that the faith that justifies must be a faith that is “apart from” all works (cf. 3:28) (Moo 2018 286). This is precisely what he meant as he opened this new section saying: 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law…. It is, by definition, free of works. This counting is a gift! (cf. 4:4)

David is the second example here. Paul has already quoted from his most familiar Psalm of repentance (Psa.51:4 [3:4]). Now he quotes from his second most familiar (Psa.32:1-2 [4:7-8]). 4:6 … David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Here is where we see an amazing affirmation that, this side of the cross, we can read right past without drinking in its meaning. This is an example of why some might have charged God with being unrighteous (3:25-26). David didn’t have to suffer the penalty of the law for his transgressions. He should’ve been put to death for adultery and murder! Yet, we read in Psa.32 what we see here: 4:7 Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; 8 blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. We saw last week that David was 3:24 … justified by [God’s] grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. We saw that: This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

David was saved by the sacrifice of Christ just like we are! So was Abraham! And although it may be a bit harder to tell from Abraham’s story, it’s not from David’s—there’s just no way he was saved by works of the law! Under the law he would’ve been executed! Just as we all would!

The Explanation of Circumcision – 4:9-12

9 Is this blessing then only for the Jews, the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised, Gentiles, the nations? For we say that faith, not circumcision, not works of the law, was counted to Abraham as righteousness. And clearly he was counted righteous before he had been circumcised (4:10), and that centuries before the law was given. No: 4:11 [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision like we receive baptism under the new covenant, as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well. In other words, God orchestrated salvation history in this way so that we wouldn’t be able to miss the fact that salvation has been by faith, apart from works of the law, from the very beginning. 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes only the knowledge of sin. And, just as with David, just as with Abraham, we 3:24 … are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. …

Conclusion

So, what difference does all this make to us? We get a detailed lesson—at least the beginning of one, since Paul continues on this subject—on the fact that every part of our relationship with God—from realizing the need for it to receiving His gift of redemption to growing in His grace—becomes ours only through faith in Christ. There is no way either to be reconciled to God or to grow in that grace except by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is all by God’s grace alone through faith alone. Whatever the question regarding our relationship with God, the answer always begins by looking to Christ—always has, always will. There’s just no room for boasting. The whole of our relationship with God is accomplished to the praise of His glory alone (cf. Eph.1:[3-]14).

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Resources

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Sproul, R. C. 2005. The Gospel of God: An Exposition of Romans. Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus.

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NEXT SUNDAY: Romans 4:13–25, Kipp Soncek