Light Brings Salt
Volume 2, Issue 47
Iron Range Bible
Church
Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God
Grace in the Book of Romans
Part 3
Romans and Legalism
The relationship between the
gospel and the law of Moses constitutes one of the
most important doctrinal questions in the New Testament. Legalism, or Galatianism, seems to be the most persistent and widespread
of all errors. It is the only error against which a whole book of the New
Testament is written. While the citadel of defense against legalism is
Galatians, it will be discovered that Romans contains also a rather complete
doctrine of anti-legalism. The law is mentioned in all but two of the first
eleven chapters of Romans.
Legalism generally appears in one
of two ways. First, it may be claimed that the law is the means of
justification, or at least one of the conditions of salvation. This form of
legalism is most easily answered. It is disposed of indirectly by Romans 1:16,
which teaches clearly that the one condition of salvation is faith. It is
disposed of directly and decisively by Romans 3:20, 21, 28.
Verse twenty presents the negative point of view, namely, that no flesh can be
justified by the law, while the other verses present the positive point of
view, namely, that justification is by faith apart from the law. All of this is
further enforced in chapter four by the example of Abraham, the father of the
faithful from both Jews and Gentiles, who received the promise through faith
and not law, Romans 4:13–16. Moreover, it is only by the principle of grace
that God could make the promise sure to Abraham and his seed.
Second, it may be claimed that the law is a means of sanctification, that the believer is not justified by the
law, but his life is to be governed by the law after he is justified. This form
of legalism is refuted indirectly by Romans 5:2, where it is taught that the
justified believer stands in grace and not law. It is refuted directly by
Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not be master
over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. ”
It will be conceded that the subject of this chapter is sanctification.
The subject of the believer’s relationship to the law is continued in chapter
seven, where it is pointed out that he is “dead to the law” and “delivered from
the law,” verses 4–6. There are some who seek to escape Paul’s conclusion here
by stating that his argument is directed against only the ceremonial law and
not the commandments. Others say that he speaks only against the laws of the
rabbis, the man-made laws, which encrusted the pure law of God. Both of these
loopholes are closed by the seventh verse where Paul quotes one of the
commandments of Moses as a part of “the law” about which he has been speaking.
Before leaving this subject it may be well to deal with an honest
difficulty. Some feel that to teach we are not under the law is to let down the
bars to license, or at least to leave the Christian without regulation for his
conduct. This objection would vanish if it were understood that abolishing the law of Moses does not abolish divine morals, or principles
of righteousness. Divine morals were not originated with the law
of Moses. Before the day of Moses it was wrong to lie and steal and murder, the
same as it is today. It was “the law” which was given by Moses, and not any new
principles of righteousness. What Moses did-as directed by God-was to fix
divine principles of righteousness in a setting or framework of law, so that every transgression and disobedience would receive a just
recompense of reward. At the cross the law was abolished, but not the
righteousness of the law, which reappears now in a framework of grace.
President Lewis Sperry Chafer has pointed out that all of the moral principles
of the ten commandments, except the fourth, have been
restated with increased emphasis under grace. Moral principles are as eternal
as the character of God, but they may appear in a setting of grace instead of
law.
Suppose a tourist, driving his car, comes to the city limits of a
town. There he observes a traffic sign: “City Ordinance, Speed Limit Twenty
Miles per hour, Penalty for Violation.” The motorist has been informed about a
traffic law to which he is subject. That traffic law is based upon the moral
principle that reckless or unsafe driving is wrong. Suppose a little later the
same motorist approaches another town. At the city limits of this second town
there is a traffic sign which reads: “Please drive carefully, Courtesy prevents
accidents.” That is not a law but a gracious suggestion. However, this
suggestion contains the same moral principle embodied in the traffic law, that
reckless driving is wrong. In the first case the principle was contained in a
setting of law, while in the second case it was contained in a setting of grace.
Because we are not under the law of Moses
does not mean that we are without moral principles to guide our conduct. In
fact we learn from Romans 8:3, 4, that the very
purpose of the law being done away was that the righteousness of the law might
be fulfilled in us by the power of the Spirit of God.
Eternal Loving Favor
The eighth chapter of Romans is a favorite chapter with many
Christians. The reason is doubtless found in the truth it contains, namely,
that God’s grace or loving favor is eternal. The chapter begins with no
condemnation and ends with no separation. No attempt is made here to give an
exposition of the entire chapter, but only to speak briefly of the truth that
concerns our theme.
We have noted that grace is God’s loving-favor to the hell-deserving.
The eighth chapter of Romans enables us to add to this definition and to say
that grace is God’s eternal loving-favor to the hell-deserving.
In Romans 8:29, 30, we learn that the child of God is foreknown,
predestinated to be like Christ, called, justified, and glorified. To us these words
represent God’s relationships to us in the past, present, and future. But past,
present, and future are all comprehended in eternity. Do we not have here,
then, the statement that God’s grace is eternal? God’s grace here sweeps from
foreknowledge to glory without any allowance for human failure or volition.
“What shall we then say to these things?” What can we say except that we are
the recipients of the eternal loving-favor of God? This should be sufficient, but
more is added to overcome our dullness and slowness of heart to believe. What
is added is presented by a series of questions with the answers given or
implied: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” The answer is self-evident
to all except those who may still question whether or not God is for them. Such
a question is answered by what follows: “He that spared not his own Son, but
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things?” If we are not satisfied with the plain
statement that God’s grace is eternal, then God will condescend to contend with
us about it. Here is reason enough to satisfy both the mind and the heart. The
greatest favor that an infinite God could bestow upon sinners He has already
bestowed. He has given his Son. The cross is the supreme manifestation of the
favor and love of God. As John says, “Hereby perceive we the
love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (1 John
“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that
justifies” (Rom
“Who is he that condemns?” This
question is answered by a reminder of the effective work of Christ in disposing
of the sin question. Christ died for sin, rose again,
ascended, and intercedes. Thus He hath “put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself” (Heb
“Who shall separate us from the
love of Christ?” (Rom