Romans – La Vista Church of Christ

Works

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 18:45:14 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

In Romans 3-4

We are justified “by faith apart from the deeds of the Law” (Romans 3:28). To be justified by means of the deeds of the law, one would have to be perfect and never sin. Break one law and being justified by the deeds of the law is all over.

Jews trusted in circumcision and being the ones favored with a written law code from God, and wrongly concluded that this was proof that they were God’s favored people. Paul pointed out that circumcision would indeed be profitable “if you keep the law”(Romans 2:25), but said if you break the law, circumcision does you no good. So, since all have sinned (violated the law), then “by the deeds (works) of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20).

Paul then points out two cases, neither of which was justified by the works of the law. Abraham was pronounced right before God, before circumcision, and before the Sinai law was written in stone. He was blessed to have forgiveness through faith. No one who needs forgiveness can be justified by works. The second case was their favorite king, David. Was he justified before God on the basis of circumcision and the law? No! He too broke that law. He talked about the “blessed” condition of those who have faith and have forgiveness of sins. Thus, “works” in Romans 3-4 are works whereby one could boast and where God would owe us (Romans 4:4). Thus, works of perfect law-keeping are a program where grace and forgiveness are not needed from God. If there are no law violations, then there is no sin and no need for what Jesus offered on the cross.

I’m in the same boat with Abraham and David. I have “worked not.” I have sinned. (Romans 3:23; 6:23). I count it a blessed condition to be on the program of grace through faith. In this program, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:3,7).

One gets “in Christ” at the point of baptism within faith (Galatians 3:27). The Roman brethren and Paul himself had, by an obedient faith, died to sin (repented) and were “buried with Him in baptism” (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12). Repentance and baptism are not “deeds of the law.” They are open admissions that we have failed the law and need mercy. They are the appeals of faith for mercy (Acts 2:37-41). At this point in faith, God washes away our sins in the blood of Jesus. (Acts 22:16). If this does not happen in this order, one has simply not believed in the words of Jesus and remains under the condemnation of the law. Enter the blessings of Jesus to escape.

In James 2

As we have seen, the context of a word determines its meaning. In Romans 3-4, Paul was discussing the works of perfect law-keeping, wherein a person could boast in self and need no grace for forgiveness. But this is not the kind of “works” that James discusses.

James discusses works of faith, not works of merit. He addressed the nature of faith. It is not a stagnant, inactive faith. It is a faith that proves itself by works.

Abraham was justified before God when he demonstrated his faith, but would cease to be justified if he disobeyed. Thus, justification is an ongoing thing between man and God. When God commanded Abraham to offer his son Isaac, there was a test of the measure of Abraham’s love for God. James said, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). If Abraham does not put God first and obey even in regard to this most severe test of his faith, he will have a “dead” faith. A dead faith does not remain in a “justified” state before God.

But James goes on to tell us that Abraham passed this test. He was “justified by works” (James 2:21). Works of faith, not works of merit or perfect law-keeping. “Faith was working” (James 2:22). “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only” (James 2:24). James wanted to squash the notion that a man can be justified by “faith only.” It can’t happen. That doctrine is not to be found in the scriptures.

So, the rhetorical questions that James asked at the start can be clearly answered: “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?”(James 2:14). The necessary inference is that such a faith “does not profit” self or anyone else. He also asks, “Can faith save him?” And, again, the answer is no! A faith that does not work is a faith that will not save.

Now, in conclusion, let us remember that Paul was speaking of “works of the law” (keeping the law perfectly). No man is justified by keeping the law perfectly. All have sinned. James is on a different topic from Paul. James is speaking of “works of faith” and whether faith alone can save. The answer to that question is: Faith alone, if it does not have works (actions of obedience and mercy), is dead and cannot save. James is not discussing the same kind of works as Paul discussed in Romans 3-4. But, Paul, in harmony with James, speaks of “obedience of faith” and “faith working” (Galatians 5:6). Thus, Paul and James are in perfect harmony.

How to Handle Romans 14

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:30:55 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

In studying this chapter, the tendency that appears to me is to drag all disagreements among disciples into this context, including things specifically condemned by the scriptures.
Yet, there are plain declarations in other scriptures that put boundaries on our understanding of the limits, at least some of them, on the application of Paul’s teaching here. In your study of this text, consider:

Romans 16:17-18 — "Watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the teaching you have learned; avoid (ekklinete) them." The teaching in question is the apostolic deposit received, not personal scruple. The motive Paul identifies: such people serve their own appetites and use smooth speech to deceive the naive.
I Corinthians 5:9-13 — Paul distinguishes between immoral people in the world (with whom normal contact is unavoidable and expected) versus a professing brother who is sexually immoral, greedy, idolatrous, slanderous, a drunkard, or swindler, and who refuses correction. The latter calls for exclusion from table fellowship. The purpose, notably, is redemptive (I Corinthians 5:5 — "that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord").
Galatians 1:6-9 — Paul invokes the anathema (let him be accursed) on anyone — including himself or an angel — who preaches a gospel different from the one delivered. The severity is unparalleled in his letters. The issue: the sufficiency of Christ's atoning work versus the addition of Torah works for justification. This is not a matter of conscience; it is the gospel itself.
Titus 3:10 — The hairetikon anthropon (factious/divisive person) is to be warned once, then twice, then "have nothing more to do with" (paraitou). After two warnings, the person has demonstrated self-condemnation. This applies to divisiveness as a pattern of conduct threatening the community.
II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 — Disorderly conduct (here, idleness and refusal to work) warrants withdrawal of normal association, but Paul explicitly says not to treat such a person as an enemy — "warn him as a brother." The separation is meant to produce shame leading to repentance, not permanent excommunication.
I Timothy 6:3-5 — Those who teach otherwise (heterodidaskalei) and do not consent to sound words are described as conceited, knowing nothing, and diseased with controversies. The implied response is withdrawal.
Matthew 18:15-17 — The graduated discipline process: private confrontation, then two or three witnesses, then the assembly, and finally treatment as "a Gentile and a tax collector" — which in context means exclusion from the covenant community.

Therefore According to Romans 12

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:11:43 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1-2).

As we finish Romans 1-11, we finish what many have called the ‘theology’ section and now turn to the ‘ethical’ section. We have seen that our former life was one of ignorance, sin, and the facing of the wrath of God. But! But while we were in such a state of rebellion, God acted graciously and mercifully provided that Jesus would die for us. We then put our trust in Him, turned from our sins in repentance, were buried with Him in baptism, and were raised to walk in newness of life. Now we consider ourselves dead to sin rather than our previous situation of being dead in sin. We now are slaves of God and righteousness rather than of sin and death. We were… but now!

All of this is summed up in the opening verses of Romans 12. Having been enlightened, forgiven, and made alive through Jesus, we should have undergone a complete change of character, thought, and attitude. We are no longer conformed to the world and its thinking, but we are transformed, changed, made to be different. What does such newness of life look like? What changes does it entail? These last chapters of Romans will present this very picture to us.

The biggest fundamental change is: ‘Who are we listening to?’ Who decides what is morally correct and ethically right? Does such come ‘from God’ or from ‘man’, i.e., the ‘world’?

Listening to the world, thinking like the world, and acting like the world is what has brought such ruin and degradation to God’s creation. It was that mode of living and thinking that brought our spiritual death and necessitated the death of Jesus.

Transformed, renewed, regenerated, made alive, sanctified; these words all indicate that there should have been a radical change in us. Read and reread Romans 12! Memorize it. Conform to its instructions.

Beware, such a change will put you at odds with the world! Paul warned that all who live godly (as taught in Romans 12) will suffer persecution. To be transformed into the very image of Jesus will bring about the same opposition from the world that He faced:

"The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil” (John 7:7).

"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18).

"If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, 'They hated Me without a cause'” (John 15:24-25).

This is what walking in newness of life looks like. Here are the instructions on how to walk in the newness of life. Does this chapter describe your way of thinking and acting?

Confession Is Made Unto Salvation

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:39:36 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

Paul writes: “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Yes, one must believe, but one also must confess that Jesus is Lord in order to be saved. Paul said so. Jesus said so: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Such promise of salvation is said to be for all who call on Him, for whoever (Romans 9:11, 13).

But how will they come to do this? Note, by arranging the text of Romans 9:14-15, the inverse arrangement:

How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? [They won’t and can’t.]
How can they believe in Him whom they have not heard? [They can’t.]
How will they hear without a preacher (i.e., if the message is never preached)? [They can’t.]
How will they preach unless they are sent (if God never reveals this saving message through His chosen messengers)? [They can’t.]

Now, just invert this. God revealed His message of salvation through Jesus. Upon hearing this, people have believed in Jesus. In believing, they have called upon the LORD. In calling upon the LORD, they will be saved.

Paul himself experienced this when he was told: “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16)! He did, and he was saved.

Since you are reading this, you have also heard. You can be saved. You need to believe with the heart, confess with the mouth, and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. The question is not ‘if you can’ but ‘if you will’. Will you?

God’s Right to Choose

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 22:09:24 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

Turning the page from the end of Romans 8 and beginning our reading of Romans 9, we don’t forget all that we have already learned! Chapter 9 is about God’s sovereignty to choose. But the debate among people is: Who did God choose? What purpose did He choose them for? So, Robert Turner reminds us that the rest of Romans serves as our ‘safety rope’ for reading Romans 9. In particular:

Whoever – All who believe – Everyone who believes

The gospel is God’s power to save all who trust in Jesus (Romans 1:16).
God’s wrath is displayed against all who sin (Romans 1:17-18).
God’s judgment is always just and fair and according to truth (Romans 2:2).
God’s judgment is righteous (Romans 2:5).
God will render to each person according to his deeds (Romans 2:6).
God is no respector of persons (Romans 2:11-12).
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus is for all those who believe, for there is no distinction (Romans 3:22).
All have sinned – (Romans 3:23).
God is the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26).
Abraham is the father of all who believe ... that righteousness might be credited to them (Romans 4:11).
Abraham is the father of those who “follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham" (Romans 4:12).
The promise is to those who are of the faith of Abraham (Romans 4:16).
Righteousness will be credited to "those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead" (Romans 4:24).
Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6) [not ‘some of’ – but ‘the ungodly’]
All who have been baptized have been baptized into His death (Romans 6:4),

This concept continues after chapter 9:

The conclusion of chapter 9: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed" (Romans 9:33).
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Romans 10:4).
The Scriptures say, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed" (Romans 10:11).
It is "the same LORD who is LORD of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him” (Romans 10:12).
Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13)

Then, this great section (chapters 1-11) ends: For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all (Romans 11:32).

In such a salvation story, God used people (individual and national) to accomplish this eternal purpose (cp. Ephesians 3:11 – Jew and Gentile reconciled through Jesus in one body. Whether Jew (ethnic) or Gentile (also ethnic), you can be saved in relationship to Jesus, and only in Jesus: "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me'" (John 14:6). And again: “He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:11-12).

Such is the simple thrust of the great commission: “And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned'” (Mark 16:15-16).

The Jewish Advantage

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 27 May 2026 00:36:01 +0000

by Hugh DeLong

Text: Romans 3

Was there an advantage to being a Jew versus being a Gentile? The question here concerns the Old Testament period, and the answer is yes. The Gentile world did not have the revelation of God in a written, codified form. That meant that the Gentile world, as we read in Romans 1, had to rely on its own efforts to figure things out. As Dr. Phil would often ask: “How’s that working for you?” Answer: not very well. For the simple matter that God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts. What man thinks falls short of and is different from the mind of God.

The Jewish revelation was God telling them what He specifically wanted. So, the biggest advantage is simply that they (as a people, a collectivity) were entrusted with the oracles of God.

But, with greater privilege and advantage comes greater responsibility! This is where the Jews failed. The rest of Romans 3 will show how many ways they failed to live up to this revealed knowledge. The conclusion then becomes “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Thus, the need for Jesus and the Gospel message that explains how we can find forgiveness through Jesus.

We have been blessed with the gospel! With that comes the responsibility and obligation to know its message and conform our thinking to its teaching. As it was stated in the Great Commission: ‘teach them to observe all that I commanded you…’ (Matthew 28:20).

As we follow Jesus, there remains the openness of forgiveness as John wrote: “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:7-9).

Such walking in the light is not being perfect, but it does involve recognizing when we sin and repenting and confessing such to God. In this, we find forgiveness.

Are you walking in the light?

Shall We Sin? The Real Point of Romans 6

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 01:10:13 +0000

by Randy Blackaby

Virtually any survey of Bible teaching on the importance of baptism includes an examination of Romans 6:3-4, which demonstrates how baptism connects the believer with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. This passage illustrates how baptism imitates and is, in fact, a pattern of our Lord's sacrifice.

However, while these two verses certainly demonstrate these points, the primary point of Romans 6 is not to establish the necessity or function of baptism, but to highlight its implications. This first becomes evident in verse 4, where the Apostle Paul averred that since Christ was raised to new life, "even so we also should walk in newness of life." Baptism implies that our "old life" has been buried with Christ, and that the future should be a new way of living, a new lifestyle.

Paul said in Romans 6:5 that if we have been united in the likeness of Christ's death, we also should be united in the likeness of his resurrection. Again, the implication is a "new life." This is what Jesus was teaching Nicodemus, as recorded in John 3, when he insisted that becoming part of God's kingdom requires "being born again." Many use the phrase "born again" without fully appreciating that this second chance at life demands a different way of living. This is what Paul declared in Romans 6:6, when he said, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

Baptism, in part, represents a death. According to Colossians 2:12, baptism is a "burial." You bury what is dead. And Paul declared in Romans 6:7 that "he who has died has been freed from sin." This freeing from sin is both a freeing from the consequences of past sins and from the practice of sin. Paul continued in Romans 6:8 by saying, "if we died with Christ... we shall also live with him." Many new converts (and some who are older) fail to recognize that baptism not only "washes away our sins" (Acts 22:16), but it also implies that we are committed to live according to Jesus' pattern, teaching, and demands.

Paul emphasized this when he said, "Likewise, you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God, as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans 6:11-12). Sin is not to "reign," that is, rule or have control over the way we live, after we are baptized. We are to use our body members to do good, to live righteously. Baptism implies this change, not merely the removal of accountability for past sins.

Some have misunderstood the concept and purpose of "grace." Paul declared, "For sin shall not have dominion (rule) over you, for you are not under law but under grace." (Romans 6:14) In other words, you don't have to face eternal condemnation because you have in the past, or may occasionally in the future, commit a sin in ignorance or weakness. Forgiveness is available. Before Christ's death, sin controlled one's eternal destiny. That is no longer true.

If forgiveness is available, does that mean we don't have to be concerned about whether we sin? Some in Paul's day, and many of today's Calvinists (teachers of the "once saved, always saved" doctrine), seem to be unconcerned about sinful living. But Paul again declared our baptism implies something different. Paul asked, rhetorically, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?"

His answer: "Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?"

In other words, baptism links us with Christ's sacrifice, and that sacrifice offers us a new life. The kind of life we have depends on the choices we make. You can be a servant or slave of sin and return to the "old life," or you can become a servant or slave of Christ and live a "new life." Which course does baptism imply we should take?

Paul quickly declared, "But God be thanked that though you were the slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became the slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18). When Paul spoke of "obeying from the heart," he was alluding to that which must precede effective baptism into Christ—repentance. Not only is repentance the expression of sorrow for past sins, but it is also a turning toward God—a willingness to submit to or serve God and His will.

The apostle concluded Romans 6 by demonstrating the benefit of living a "new life" after baptism. He asked us to consider the "fruit" of both the old and the new life. What did a life of sin bring us? What will life in Christ produce? Of the old life, Paul said, "for the end of those things is death." Of the new life, he said, "You have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life."

In the last verse of Romans 6, he repeated this emphasis on the outcome of the two ways of living. He said, "For the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Therefore, it becomes clear that Romans 6 is not merely about the necessity and form of baptism, but about what it implies for our lives after baptism.

Is It “Taking It Out Of Context”?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 22:09:45 +0000

by Bill Jackson

A few days ago, some publicity was given to a gentleman in our area who was posting religious messages on a well-traveled highway, but on property owned by his religious group, and with their consent. The point of the article was that his messages were resented by much of the populace, and this was especially so when he posted a condemnation of homosexuality, based on Romans 1:26-27. The writer then made the point that “there is a difference among many scholars” as to whether this condemns homosexuality or not.

The writer then cited a professor at a local theological seminary who had replied that “the verses should be seen in the bigger argument Paul makes, over three chapters. In these chapters, Paul doesn’t build a case against homosexuality, but rather against humankind’s rebellion against God. The chapters lead in the direction of grace and forgiveness. Romans shouldn’t be taken verse by verse out of context and used as condemnation of anyone.” Those are his words: Romans has no message of condemnation of anyone!

I wrote the gentleman, wondering if he had found something in his study of Romans that I had missed. He was prompt and gracious in replying, but was no more decisive than when the reporter quoted him. It is amazing that one who is a teacher of preachers in one of the larger denominations could have missed the points in Romans 1 that speak of

The wrath of God (Romans 1:19);
Those given up by God to uncleanness (Romans 1:24);
Those who change the truth of God into a lie (Romans 1:25);
Those who worship the creature and not the Creator (Romans 1:25);
Those with vile affections among women who follow a course against nature (Romans 1:26);
Men burning in lust toward other men, and due to receive recompense for their error (Romans 1:27);
Those given over to a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28);
Those filled with all unrighteousness, with this and 21 other sins specified;
And these are worthy of death and face the judgment (Romans 1:32).

How could this teacher have missed it?

It is freely granted that Romans deals with the plan of God whereby all men can be justified before God. But, within that context, the sins of men are dealt with, so that the reader may see why the forgiving plan of God was needed! How could any man state that “Romans doesn’t condemn anyone, and it’s taking it out of context if one points to any condemnation?” We would, and have, direct the professor to see the wording “women changing the natural use to that which is against nature….men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burning in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly….” Does the learned professor think Paul is speaking of chess or horseshoes?

It all proves that men will freely change any matter from God, freely insert their own wills into any area wherein God has spoken, freely sanction what they will, and freely mislead others under the influence of their false teaching. The pity of it all!

What does “counted” mean in Romans 4:5?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 03:00:02 +0000

Question:

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness" (Romans 4:5 KJV).

I'm trying to figure out what the word "counted" means. Does the word "counted" mean "considered?" When it says “his faith is counted for righteousness,” does that mean his faith is considered righteous?

Answer:

Paul repeatedly stated that we are credited as righteous. That word, "credited, reckoned, or counted," is significant. It means we are treated as righteous even though we are not actually righteous. All of us have sinned, and so we don't deserve to be called righteous. This is different from Jesus Christ, who never sinned and is righteous. If we could live perfectly and never sin, then we could also claim to be righteous. However, even after being saved, sin remains a problem for the Christian. "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us" (I John 1:8). The only reason we are being treated as righteous is that God grants us the gift based on our faith, which includes our obedience.

Examining This More Deeply

In Romans 4:1-2, Paul addresses the question: "Did Abraham earn his justification?" The answer is that God said Abraham's justification came about because of his faith. Abraham's justification was not earned.

A second illustration is based on a person's job (Romans 4:4-5). "When a person works at a job, is his wage earned or due him?" If you are an employer, what would happen if you did not pay your employee? You would end up in considerable trouble because that employee earned his wages. "You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him. The wages of him who is hired shall not remain with you all night until morning" (Leviticus 19:13).

Is righteousness earned or owed to a person? The answer is "no." Consider that if righteousness were owed, then what has every man earned in light of what Paul proved about the Jews and Gentiles? "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). The only debt we have incurred before God is that of death for our sins. We cannot earn righteousness. Any righteousness on our part comes from God forgiving our sins (Romans 4:6-8).

To emphasize the point, Paul addresses the question in Romans 4:9-13, "Is it possible for the law to make a person righteous?" Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, where God declares Abraham to be righteous. Yet Abraham was not circumcised, as the law required, until thirteen years later, as recorded in Genesis 17. Hence, you cannot say that Abraham’s declared righteousness came because he kept the provisions of the law.

If Abraham’s justification came solely from the things he did, there might be occasion to boast about his personal accomplishments. In other words, was Abraham justified because he was circumcised? It was, after all, what the Jews took pride in (II Corinthians 11:18; Philippians 3:3-4; Galatians 6:13). But such a boast cannot be made before God since all, including Abraham, sin. Circumcision was a part of God’s law, but it didn’t make a person righteous according to the law because the law wasn’t just about circumcision.

Nor was the fact that Abraham was circumcised the cause for God to credit him with righteousness. Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, which plainly states that it was because of Abraham’s act of believing that God credited him with righteousness. This same passage is quoted in James 2:23 to illustrate the importance of works in demonstrating one's faith. Paul and James argue against the idea that faith and works can be separated: Paul deals with works without faith, and James with faith without works.

We should also note that when Abraham was told this, it wasn’t because he had been an alien sinner who never obeyed God in the past. Melchizedek had previously called Abram a follower of the Most High God (Genesis 14:19), and Abram had been following God for years. What Paul is proving is that it wasn’t because Abram kept a work of the Law, such as circumcision, that made him righteous. It was because of his faith that God declared him righteous, even though he had sinned.

To further prove his point that faith makes a difference, Paul cites David in Psalm 32. A man who has been forgiven of his sins is in a happy state. It doesn’t mean that he did not do wrong. Instead, they are buried and not charged against the man. Matthew Poole notes:

“The same thing is expressed three several ways; there are three things in sin to be considered:

There is an offense against God, which is said to be forgiven.

There is a filthiness in sin, which is said to be covered.

There is guilt in it, which is said not to be imputed.”

It is God who chooses not to hold men accountable based on their faith, not man earning God’s favor or putting God into his debt. However, we must note that we are not discussing the initial forgiveness of an alien sinner. David has been following God most of his life. David’s quote from Psalms 32 is in the context of a man who has been obedient to God but has fallen short of perfect obedience.

I hope this clarifies the passage a bit.

Response:

Thank you for the response. This helped a lot.

The Romans Argument

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 28 May 2025 02:09:58 +0000

by Doy Moyer

Scripture shows that one of the earliest and potentially most devastating problems faced by God’s people in the first century concerns the question of how Jews and Gentiles should relate to one another. After Peter taught Cornelius and his household, some among the Jews demanded answers from Peter regarding why he would associate with Gentiles (Acts 10-11). Then came the Judaizing teachers who argued that the path of salvation for the Gentiles was for them to be circumcised according to the Law. In essence, they needed to accept the Law first, and then they could properly be Christians. This error led to the conference in Acts 15, which focused on Cornelius and his conversion, as it had significant implications for all Gentiles. This problem did not go away quickly. The division between Jew and Gentile was strong, but the answer was not to try to make Jews out of Gentiles. The answer was to show how all can be disciples of Jesus Christ by faith through God’s grace. What held true then holds true today. Salvation is available to all by faith through grace (Eph 2:1-10). Let’s consider one book in particular that is devoted to this point.

The book of Romans is the leveling of the playing field for Jews and Gentiles. Think of how the argument flows. The letter starts by showing that all (Jew and Gentile) are sinners (chs. 1-3). Then, all who come to God do so through faith, not Law. The proof of this is that Abraham was justified by faith well before the giving of the Law (ch. 4). Justification, then, is not available just to the Jews because they had the Law (though they were blessed by receiving it as God’s chosen people to bring about the Messiah). Rather, Gentiles can also come to Christ, without the Law, by faith. Indeed, anyone who comes to Christ must do so by faith rather than works of the Law. Just as all are guilty of sin, so all who are saved are saved the same way: through faith. Thankfully, because it is not through the Law, but through faith, God’s grace is also available to all rather than limited to a small elite group (cf. Acts 10:34-35). Because of this, Paul argues that we are under grace rather than Law (chs. 5-6).

Yet, the grace of God is no license to sin, but is incentive to recognize that we have died to sin and are alive to God (ch. 6). The old fleshly man, while constantly wanting to rear his ugly head, is to be put to death daily so that we may live by the Spirit. There is no life apart from the Spirit of Christ (chs. 6-8). Indeed, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ; these have been set free from the law of sin and death (ch. 8).

The Jews needed to understand that though God granted them special favor as His people, they were supposed to be lights to the Gentiles. Yet by rejecting the Lord, the gospel went to the Gentiles, who began to see what many of the Jews did not: Christ was indeed Lord, and the essence of the gospel leads to this confession (chs. 9-11). This, in turn, would bring many Jews back to accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Then we see the practical effects of how God’s people are to behave toward one another. Chapters 12-15, in particular, show that Jews and Gentiles are not to despise one another, but are to see that Christ died for the same “all” who are guilty of sin. Consequently, they are to love one another as those for whom Christ died. They are to respect one another’s conscientious practices, be at peace with each other, and live in society not as rebels, but as obedient servants of the Lord who bought them. They are all living sacrifices to Him. Coming to the Lord by faith through grace entails a recognition of responsibilities to both God and one another.

Romans levels the playing field in salvation by showing that everyone is not only guilty of sin, but they all share the same access to the Lord. Faith is the key, and this can only come through hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). This runs hand in hand with Galatians and is also, essentially, a grand commentary on the nature of the gospel as it is extended to all alike. For this, Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17). There is no justification through works of the Law; that was not to be an end in itself. There is no life apart from faith, and there is no salvation apart from grace. God’s word ties all of this together and weaves a beautiful picture of what it is to be God’s people in Christ. “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel…” (Romans 16:25-27).