Rom 4:2-6 KJV For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (3) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (6) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Legalism is heard far and wide by many Christians.
Legalism is CONFORMITY TO LAW. Now, conformity to law is good.
And when it comes to LAW in the Bible, law was salvation by works.
First of all to understand legalism, you have to familiar with the term RIGHTEOUSNESS. Deu 6:25 KJV And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. Psa 45:7 KJV Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Mat 5:6 KJV Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. God looks for it: Isa 5:7 KJV For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. Preach it: Psa 40:9 KJV I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. Follow it: Isa 51:1 KJV Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Seek it: Zep 2:3 KJV Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. Righteousness is being RIGHT with God. But what makes us right?
Everyone knows we need to obey God.
Tit 3:5 KJV Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Eph 2:8-10 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. That verse says a mouthful!
Let's unravel this whole ball of yarn. Legalists are separated from true believers right here in this issue of what place good works have in relation to salvation.
Romans 3 taught that nobody could keep the LAW of the Old Testament.
Jos 8:31 KJV As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings. Romans 3 actually quotes the Old Testament in 9 of it's verses. All the verses from the Old Testament say the same basic thing.
Rom 3:10 KJV As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Now righteousness is obedience to God's Law.
Rom 3:19 KJV Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. DO we all know who the people were that were NOT UNDER THE LAW -- and by LAW we mean the OLD TESTAMENT? GENTILES.
That is why we read: Act 15:10 KJV Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Gal 2:21 KJV I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Verse 19 again: Rom 3:19 KJV Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. This makes perfect sense.
Verse 20 gives a conclusion. Rom 3:20 KJV Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Forget about law, then.
So what good is such a law, then, if it's own people cannot be made righteous by obeying it?
Now Paul says something awesome. Rom 3:21 KJV But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; He speaks not just of righteousness, but of the righteousness of God!
Then... Rom 3:22 KJV Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: He says that the righteousness of God outside Law is what we have come to be blessed in knowing today as the righteousness which is NOT BY LAW, but INSTEAD BY FAITH.
Paul says this is because there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, since we already proved that when we thought about how not even the jews under law were called righteous, since they could not obey the law adequately enough. the only way anyone is going to become righteous, if God gives a law to obey to become righteous, and nobody can obey it, is by something other than obedient works.
Nobody can work good enough to be righteous.
We know everyone is guilty due to verse 19.
Rom 3:23 KJV For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; We know gentiles came short of glory, because they were not even under law to be able to try to keep it and become righteous.
So since by faith we are made righteous, and as far as WORKING TO become righteous, Paul says it happens like this, ... Rom 3:24 KJV Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: IT IS FREE! Free things are unpaid for things.
Rom 3:25 KJV Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Jesus was set forth by God to declare GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS.
And verse 26 repeats this and hereby emphasizes it to drill it into our heads. Rom 3:26 KJV To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. So what can we brag about? Rom 3:27 KJV Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Eph 2:(9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. People boast because they have done something better than others could.
Tit 3:5 KJV Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; HIS MERCY saves us! Verse 28 sums it all up and makes this conclusion: Rom 3:28 KJV Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Now, he begins talking about giving righteousness to jews and gentiles both by Jesus, which Jews might disagree with, and proves this is what God is doing now by talking about by pointing to TWO PEOPLE the jews highly admire!
Rom 3:29-31 KJV Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: (30) Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. (31) Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. (Jews thought He is only God of the jews, and not gentiles. Paul proves that ALL Wrong.) Rom 4:1-2 KJV What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. We now come to the place where some Christians are discovered to be legalists.
Rom 3:27 KJV Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Rom 4:3 KJV For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. The Old Testament (Scriptures) actually said that Abraham was counted righteousness by his FAITH. Gen 15:5-6 KJV And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. (6) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. Rom 4:4 KJV Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. If Abraham had been justified by works, the blessings he received would have been given to him as a reward for those works.
Rom 4:5 KJV But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. So when the bible said HIS FAITH was counted for righteousness, then that means the ones who are justified do not work for it, but BELIEVE FOR IT. Did you know that this is saying ABRAHAM WAS UNGODLY when God called Him?
Paul explains that Abraham's case was a PATTERN of how everyone will ever be made righteous. Now the next man the Jews adore.... Rom 4:6-8 KJV Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, (7) Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. (8) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Did you read verse 6?
Psa 32:1-2 KJV <A Psalm of David, Maschil.> Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. So Paul asks if this blessing comes on the jews alone or not. Rom 4:9 KJV Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. If we read Abraham was reckoned to be righteous by his faith, then is there some indication in that statement -- some hint and clue -- that answers the question of whether or not gentiles can be made righteous by faith?
Here is how Paul did it.
Since THE CIRCUMCISION refers to the jewish people, and the UNCIRCUMCISION refers to everyone else, the gentiles, then lets look at how circumcision applied to this issue of when Abraham was counted righteous. Rom 4:10 KJV How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. When God counted Abraham righteous in Gen 15:6, Abraham had not yet been circumcised. Gen 17:26 KJV In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. Not until chapter 17!
Rom 4:11 KJV And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: Circumcision was only a SIGN.
So if Abraham was in a state of uncircumcision when God counted him as righteous, what do we call one how is THE UNCIRCUMCISION?
Paul used circumcision because he was trying to prove that the New testament was not a bunch of nonsense, and that the Old Testament itself witnesses very clearly to that effect. Now, in our cases, no one here thinks they need to be circumcised in order to be righteous.
Tit 3:5 KJV Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Paul applied circumcision to David's statement that God imputes righteousness to a man without works.
Substitute any obedient act for circumcision to be righteous and you violate grace. Eph 2:8-10 KJV For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. We need obedient works, BUT NOT TO SAVE US. Some might say that if they do not save us, then who cares about them, since we just want to be saved.
But although Paul said works do not save, he still said we are saved so that AFTER we are saved we do good works, and God ordained that we walk in good works. Tit 3:5 KJV Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit 3:8 KJV This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. And the fact remains that the kind of faith that moves God to save us and count as as righteous people is LIVING FAITH that PRODUCES WORKS.
SO RIGHTEOUSNESS COMES BEFORE WORKS, NOT AFTER. |