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 When
Martin Luther sought to counter the R.C. over-emphasis on “works”
for salvation, he adopted such an emphasis on “grace” that
his followers practically lost sight of the necessity for
obedience. And the pendulum continues to swing! Judging by
public prayers and careless statements made in articles and
sermons, some seem to think Christ died so that a new “set”
of laws could come into effect, by which we are saved. And
others react so violently to this that they practically deny “law”
under Christ.
In
Rom. 7:7-f. Paul says that having the law of God was not enough
— that it did, in fact, “work death” in him. The fault was
not in the law, which he says was “holy, just, and good;”
but the trouble lay in Paul. “I delight in the law of God
after the inward man,” Paul says — affirming that his spirit
was wholly desirous of life; “But I see another law in my
members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me
into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
(7:22-25) He says the answer to this — a joyous answer indeed
— is Jesus Christ, who makes forgiveness possible
through His sacrifice on the cross. (See Rom. 3:23-f)
The
answer was not a new set of laws, although that difference
certainly does exist; but the blood of Christ, by which
forgiveness is possible. The inadequacy of “law” — any
law — is affirmed in Rom. 3:20 where Paul says, “therefore
by the deeds of law (no article here in Greek, rt) there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight: for by law (again, no
article, rt) is the knowledge of sin.”
The
next verse reads, “But now the
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righteousness of God without law (no article
here, rt) is manifested, being witnessed by the law (article
here shows us Paul refers to the law as given through Moses, rt)
and the prophets.” The law of Moses and the prophets foretold
justification in Christ, through forgiveness. (3: 23-25;
4: 6-8) The obvious contrast is between a system of works
and the system of faith.
Does
this mean there is no “law” — no necessity for obedience
— in the Christian system? On the contrary, Christ “became
the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him,”
(Heb. 5:9). We are married to another “law” (Rom. 7:4) and
God will punish those who “obey ‘not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ.” (2 Thes. 1:8) In fact, Christ expects more of
us than did the legalistic Jews. He expects us to cleanse the heart,
to get to the core of matters, rather than being satisfied with
external obedience. (Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28, etc.)
We
are not exempt from obedience — our King has many commands
that must be heeded to the best of our ability; and an effort to
minimize or judge against (rule out) any one of His
commandments, is a denial of God, the source of divine law.
(Jas. 2:10-f.)
But
there is some inherent, basic weakness in a concept of salvation
in Christ that can not afford to place proper emphasis
upon Christ. Neither faith nor baptism are Saviours. They
“save” only in their divinely given role of bringing us to
the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.
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