
05 Oct Paul’s Footsteps #280
Romans 4:13NLT Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith.
Footsteps # 280. The patriarch Abraham didn’t know how God would fulfill His promises, but he believed that the Lord could and would. His faith transcended his sight. It is that dynamic faith expressed though-out his life that made Abraham the recipient of God’s promise, that made him the father of those who live by faith. Likewise, your salvation is not based on anything you can do. It is based on the promise that if you believe in Jesus you will have eternal life. The promise is not something you earn or deserve, it is God’s gift to you in Christ.
Paul is telling us that there are not two ways to the kingdom. There is only one – for us to rely on God’s promise with all our strength. The way of law and the way of promise (grace) are incompatible. Of course, Paul is not against God’s law, but he is opposed to its use as a means of salvation. In v15 Paul again deals with the function of the law. One role of the law is to erect boundaries. “This is where you need to stand,” says the law, “this is how you must act.” Thus in the ten commandment law, we read that we should not steal, or commit adultery, and we must honour both God and our parents. The law sets standards of conduct or boundaries.
But not everybody is happy with boundaries. That brings us to the word “transgression”. Transgression is sin, but of a particular type. We employ transgression to indicate the over-stepping of a boundary line. Thus it can be used when someone breaks a clearly defined commandment.
V15 reads that “Where there is no law, there is no transgression.” Paul appears to be using a negative statement to confirm the truthfulness of the fact that where law does exist it reveals transgression, with wrath as the final result.
Paul is not suggesting that the law has anything wrong with it or that there is something wrong with law-keeping. By no means. Rather he came to teach the obedience of faith (Rom.1:5; 16:26) and he claims that the law is good, just and holy (Rom.7:12).
Calvin Hunter
Posted at 08:48h, 06 OctoberWell said Rosd