04.15. LESSON 15

LESSON 15 The discussion of Justification closes with Romans 5:1-21, and the discussion of Sanctification follows in the next three chapters. To keep this and the fact that Romans was not divided into chapters until about 1250 A.D. in mind will help in studying these profound exceedingly important chapters. As we have seen, Romans 6:1-23 teaches that sinners upon becoming identified with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection are justified, and dead to sin. No matter how Christians feel about it, or what their experiences may be, they are to believe and count on these two things unfalteringly. They know by faith that they are justified, that hostilities between them and God have ceased, that the peace treaty has been signed, and that they, reconciled to God, are standing in grace. Therefore, their roots having struck down to living water, their souls, rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God, are at rest. Any doubt, or uncertainty, about free, full pardon, and death to sin, betrays a defective faith that prevents going on with God in assurance, and at least retards, probably defeats entirely, Christian sanctity, peace, and service. It dishonors God to remember and worry about what he forgets and expects us to forget; moreover; it is foolish, for it means frustration, unfruitfulness, and unhappiness.

Law and Gospel

Paul has made three statements in Romans concerning the relationship that exists between law and grace, which the Jews in their ignorance, pride, and prejudice considered very derogatory to their law. First: "By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20). The Jews twisted this into meaning that Paul taught the Law itself was sinful. Second: "The law came in besides that the trespass might abound" (Romans 5:20). To the Jews, this questioned the priority and moral utility of their law; such they could not tolerate. Third: Christians "Are not under law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14). Paul’s enemies slandered him by accusing him of teaching that Christians, because they were not under law, had license to sin. That these are the objections to which Paul replies indicates that the Jews made them. To orthodox Jews, Paul was a great heretic. Even to many Jews in the church, he was either a heretic, or dangerously near being one. The mere thought of the time when these "false brethren" (Galatians 2:4) who followed Paul over Asia and Europe doing their utmost to pervert his work, and Paul meet for judgment at Christ’s coming is enough to make all Christians exceedingly "slow to speak." Paul earnestly wrote such men: "Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God" (1 Corinthians 4:5). Even, were Paul’s foes honestly mistaken, will they on that great day be like Paul the apostle, or Saul the persecutor?

Paul had not stopped to explain fully these statements, but, now in chapter seven, he is ready to discuss all three. Let no man think that an understanding of the difference between the respective working principle of law and grace is of small importance. Law is man-centered and turns on human wisdom, effort, and merit; grace is God-centered and turns on divine wisdom, love, and activity. Under law, justification depends upon desert; under grace, it is conferred as an undeserved gift. These two kinds of religion (they exhaust the category) are poles apart in power, manner of working, and results. The church had never committed her greatest sin and blunder, nor suffered her greatest failure and defeat had she not faithlessly combined the principles of law and grace to concoct a law-gospel, which is neither law nor gospel. Paul’s description of this bogus gospel reads: "Which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach unto you any gospel other than we preached unto you, let him be anathema" (Galatians 1:7-8). Romans 7:1-25 might disclose to Christians today, who little suspect it, that they are afflicted with man-centered law-gospel, which is a deadly foe to sanctification and holiness.

Christians Are Dead To Lam

We are beginning a new chapter, but not a new subject. That men in becoming Christians are set free from one master, not to be idle, but to serve a new Master is taught in Romans 6:1-23. By changing from slavery to marriage, because it better shows the nature and function of law, Paul teaches the same lesson in Romans 7:1-6. The two metaphors are united in the slave-wife Romans 7:6. With a rhetorical question first, Paul emphasizes the common knowledge "That law hath dominion over a man for so long time as he liveth." Then, further to emphasize the truth that death ends the claims of law, he introduces his figure of marriage. This figure in its application, though a mixed metaphor according to many commentators, makes clear to all commentators, so far as I know, Paul’s point that death dissolves legal obligation. He wants the Jews to see that sin and law are so closely interwoven that they cannot die to sin without at the same time dying to their law also. To the Galatians in plainest language, without metaphor, "For I through the law died unto the law, that I might live unto God. I have been crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:19-20), Paul writes in this most personal way the same thing. Thus, he unequivocally teaches, once for all, that men cannot be alive to both God and a legal system at the same time.

Paul in Romans uses the simple truth that when a wife is left a widow, though dead as wife, she survives as woman, and is free to marry again to convince the Jews, especially, that in becoming Christians all men must die to law as well as to sin. Inasmuch as wives do not marry law, and instead of law dying, Christians die to law, to make law the first husband seems unwarranted. Although the argument does not require that the first husband be identified, it seems to me that to make him "Our old (natural) man (that) was crucified with him" (Romans 6:6) is consistent with the context and with Christian truth. In both wedlock and Christianity the emancipator that liberates from the law and gives freedom is death. "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the (slain) body of Christ that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God" (Romans 7:4).

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