From Law to Faith

 DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS

FROM LAW TO FAITH

Rom 3:27-31

27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

NIV

There is a lot to digest within these words, and we have to remember this is a portion of Paul’s argument about faith. Within the context, we know the Law reveals our sin and thus points us to the justification and redemption by God through faith in Jesus Christ. Now Paul asks the question about where is boasting. Can we boast because we observe the law? Of course, we do not have the law that was given to the Jews. Yes, we have the complete Old Testament which contains the law God gave to Moses for the people. However, as New Testament, new creation believers, we have concluded that if we are in Christ then we have fulfilled all the law that was given to the Israelites because Jesus came under the law and he fulfilled it completely, and perfectly. However, the problem that we might encounter is in our passion to have rules and regulations to live by. We remember some of those we were introduced to in order to be a “Good Christian”. No smoking, no drinking, no dancing, no movies, no roller rinks, no slacks for women, and not too much makeup either. But how is that being a “good Christian” when Paul says that all we can boast about is our faith in Jesus Christ. We cannot boast about our not doing anything, but about what we can do, and that is to have faith in Jesus. The law or any such rules we think we find in the scriptures cannot render us innocent, for it is only by faith that God justifies us, or as the Greek says, render us innocent. This applies to the Jews as well as to us who would be considered Gentiles, although we have already concluded that because God has circumcised our hearts, we are Israel. However, the biggest question that remains is that because we are rendered innocent by God because of our faith, does that make the law useless. It is interesting the Greek word translated here as nullify, carries the meaning of useless, or idle, unemployed. That is not the case whatsoever, as the law is still useful and is not idle and is employed by God to reveal man’s sins so that they will seek out being rendered innocent through faith in Jesus Christ. We know that Jesus said he did not come to cancel the law, but to fulfill it. Therefore the law is good as it serves to point us to faith.