Light Brings Salt

Volume 2, Issue 49 December 26, 2004

Iron Range Bible Church

Dedicated to the Systematic Exposition of the Word of God

Grace in the Book of Romans
Part 5
Roy L. Aldrich

The Law Fulfilled Under Grace

"Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law." (Rom 13:8–10). This passage is of peculiar interest in connection with the theme of grace. It is sometimes quoted as proof that the believer is still under the law. Just what is the meaning of the teaching here that “love is the fulfilling of the law”?

It should be noted first that the forensic purpose of the law was to produce holiness. This is evident from such passages as Numbers 15:38–41 and Exodus 19:4–6, where it is taught that Israel was to keep the law in order to be a holy nation. The Lord upholds this forensic purpose of the law in answering the question of the lawyer, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25–28) The answer is in effect: keep the law of God perfectly. This the lawyer had not done and could not do, and so he tries to justify himself by another question. Thus the Lord by insisting upon the forensic purpose of the law actually accomplishes the practical purpose of the law, which is to bring men to the knowledge of their own sin and shortcoming. The law could never produce holiness because of the weakness of the flesh (Rom 8:3, 4), but by insisting upon holiness the law produces in man the knowledge of his sin and need of grace. This practical purpose of the law is fulfilled when the law was first given, Exodus 20:18, 19. Face to face with the holiness of God the children of Israel recognized they were face to face with death, and they asked Moses to be their mediator. Moses was not able to save them from their sins, but he did tell them of the Prophet to come, who would hear their cry and save them from death (Deut 18:15–18). Thus the practical purpose of the law was that Israel might rest in grace-in the hope of Christ. The sacrifices were also a provision of grace to that end.

This practical purpose of the law is mentioned in Romans 3:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 3:7, 9, and Galatians 3:24. In Romans 3:31 Paul tells us that we establish the law by being justified by faith. This does not mean that we are under the law, but simply that we establish or confirm both the forensic and practical purposes of the law by being justified by faith. We confirm the forensic purpose of the law when we recognize the law demands perfect holiness which we cannot produce, and we confirm the practical purpose of the law by turning to grace for justification. Paradoxical as it may seem, those who would be justified by the law are the very ones who violate the holiness of the law.

The passage, Romans 13:8–10, does not speak of establishing the law, but of fulfilling the law. It has been noted that the forensic purpose of the law was to produce holiness. This purpose of the law is fulfilled under grace and under grace alone, for it is only grace that provides the divine enablement. This is the clear teaching of Romans 8:3, 4, where we learn that what the law could not do, that is, produce righteousness, God has accomplished through the grace of Christ by the power of the Spirit. Thus it is that love-which has been described as grace in action-is the fulfilling of the law. Clearly this does not mean we are under law; but the very opposite. It means that the only way we can fulfill the law is to recognize that we are under grace.

A certain college used what was called the demerit system for discipline. The student who missed class, or chapel, or violated any of the college rules received a demerit, or possibly more than one, depending upon the seriousness of the offense. If any student received more than twenty-one demerits during a year, he was asked to leave the college. This system made practically all of the students transgressors, even including the ministerial students. After a time the college replaced the demerit system with a new honor system. This new system attempted to produce discipline not by penalty, but by appealing to the honor and willingness of the students. The new system worked better than the old. The demerit system was abolished, but it was also fulfilled in the new, honor system.

The illustration is imperfect but it may help to show that the demerit system-the law of Moses-has been abolished. Grace has taken its place. But the demerit system-the law-has also been fulfilled. Its forensic purpose can be realized under grace. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in those who are under grace and walk in the Spirit. It behooves the believer, then, to hold fast to grace, because it is a better system than law. It is the only system that can produce righteousness.

Grace and the Weaker Brother

Chapter fourteen and part of chapter fifteen have to do with the attitude of the Christian to the weaker brother. It should be noted that grace has an important place in this doctrine.

It is failure to understand grace that causes the weaker brother. Failing to understand and experience the fullness of freedom under grace, he has erected certain legal prohibitions for himself concerning eating and drinking and the observing of days. “One man has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.” (Rom 14:2). It is evident from this verse that the one who is weak is the one who has restricted himself by legalism. Legalism always produces spiritual weakness, because it depends upon the flesh and not the Spirit. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh...” (Rom 8:3). The law is weak as an instrument to produce righteousness, since it has only the flesh to work with. Spiritual strength is derived by walking in the Spirit, and this can be done only in the liberty of grace. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal 5:1). The last part of this same chapter in Galatians shows that legalism produces only the works of the flesh, while walking in the Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit, against which there is no law.

The tendency of the legalist is to judge those under grace and say-“Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). This is the kind of a judgment that is evidently referred to in Romans 14:4, “Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” God is able to make him stand, because he stands in grace. The answer to the charge of the legalist is the same that Peter gave to such a charge, namely, “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” (Acts 15:11).

Grace appears again in that it is to be the guiding principle of the strong in dealing with the weak. The strong brother is to limit his freedom, if necessary, to keep from offending the brother who is weak. “It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.” (Rom 14:21). Our example in showing grace to others is Christ himself (Rom 15:1–3). Those who are the recipients of infinite grace through Christ should find it possible to manifest grace to others when necessary.

Finally it should be noted that Paul’s apology for writing Romans is “because of the grace that is given to me of God” (Rom 15:15). He recognized his call to be the minister to the Gentiles as all of God’s grace. He recognized that what he was able to accomplish was also due to the grace of God. “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” (1 Cor 15:10).

Conclusion

It seems fitting that this great doctrinal epistle, which reveals so much about the grace of God, should begin with a salutation of grace and close with a double salutation of grace (Rom 1:7. Cf. Rom 16:20, 24). Grace not only appears in Romans, but grace is the sum and substance of Romans. Romans teaches not only that grace is God’s eternal loving-favor to the hell-deserving as far as man is concerned, but it is an attribute of God which underlies His relationship to all creation. “Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom 11:35, 36).