In last month’s article, we began a study of Paul’s reasoning in Romans 9:30-10:21. We discussed three points in Paul’s reasoning:
- Scripture links the righteousness of God with our salvation.
- Faith comes from hearing the word of God, the word of faith, which has been preached by the apostles.
- If we believe with our hearts and confess with our mouths, then we shall be saved.
In this article, we continue our study by reviewing two additional points:
- We are saved by our faith in Christ and what he has accomplished.
- The Jews misunderstood these principles, seeking instead righteousness by works, apart from faith, thus proving themselves disobedient to God’s way of imputed righteousness based on faith in Christ.
Through Christ
It is our faith in Christ that is counted for righteousness. Christ can be a stumbling stone to some. Christ is the end of the law, the man who kept the law. He obeyed the law and was raised as a result. Only God could provide a way for our salvation. Only God could send Christ, and only God could raise him from the dead. We must confess our faith in the Lord Jesus whom God has raised from the dead. Such faith is the basis of righteousness and salvation.
Christ the stumblingstone
“For they stumbled at that stumblingstone as it is written, Behold, I lay in Zion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed” (Rom. 9:32-33; 10:11). This stumbling stone is Christ. If we do not believe in him, then he will destroy us. But if we do believe on him, he will save us.
Peter reasons similarly: “The Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen [elect, RV] of God, and precious…Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious; and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient…The stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and…A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed” (I Pet. 2:3-8; Isa. 28:16; Psa. 118:22; Isa. 8:14).
So Christ becomes a test of faith. In other words, a person’s reaction to Christ, whether belief or disobedience, determines whether Christ is a precious cornerstone or a rock of offence to that person.
Christ is the end of the law
Next, Paul quotes two passages from the Torah to prove that “Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4 RV). He quotes Leviticus 18:5 to prove Christ is the fulfillment of the law: he obeyed the law so he was raised to everlasting life. Then Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:12-14 to prove faith in Christ brings righteousness and salvation.
When Paul says “Christ is the end of the law” (10:4), he does not mean Christ put an end to the law; rather, he means Christ is the goal, the aim, the fulfillment of the law. This principle is made clear in Paul’s other letters. “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made…The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ” (Gal. 3:19,24). “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [that is, the substance, the reality, the thing itself as opposed to the shadow] is of Christ” (Col. 2:16-17). Paul himself is following Christ, who declared, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Mt. 5:17).
The man that doeth righteousness
To prove this point, Paul quotes from the Torah: “For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby” (Rom. 10:5 RV). “The man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law” is Christ. Note the word “for” which indicates a proof — in this case, a proof that Christ is the fulfillment of the law.
The full quotation from Leviticus is: “Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the Lord your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord” (Lev. 18:4-5; cp. Ezek. 20:11,13,21; Neh. 9:29; Rom. 10:5; Gal. 3:12).
These words describe exactly what in fact Christ did. He always did the judgments of God. He always kept His ordinances and His statutes. He walked in perfect obedience to his Father’s will, trusting that God would faithfully keep His promises. God’s Holy One, the Holy and Righteous One, a lamb without blemish and without spot, was tempted like as we are, yet without sin (Acts 2:27; 3:14 RV; I Pet. 1:19; Heb. 4:15).
Shall live thereby
Consequently, Christ now lives for evermore, even as God promised, saying, “If a man do, he shall live thereby.” Because he was obedient, Jesus was raised from the dead, becoming both Lord and Christ. This principle is taught throughout the New Testament using passages from all three parts (Psalms, Prophets, and Torah) of the Old Testament as evidence.
Peter quotes Psalm 16 to prove this point. “God hath raised [him] up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be Holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him…thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption…[David] seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses” (Acts 2:24-25,27,31-32; cp. Psa. 16:8-11).
Then Peter quotes Psalm 110:1, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand,” concluding his speech with, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:33-36). So, because Jesus had been obedient to Him, God raised His Son from the dead, thus making him both our master and our savior.
Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 to make the same point, “Being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11). See also Isaiah 45:24.
In Romans 10, Paul makes this same point in his exposition of Deuteronomy 30:12-14, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shah be saved” (Rom. 10:9).
So, we understand Jesus is “the man” who fulfilled the law and was raised from the dead, thereby providing salvation and righteousness to us if we believe these things and confess our faith in him and his Father.
Only God could provide a savior
Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30 to prove our righteousness and salvation result from our declared faith in God’s spoken word concerning Christ (10:6-11). It is helpful to note the small Greek word “de” translated “but” at the beginning of verse 6 can, and probably should in this case, be translated “and” or “moreover” in order to indicate a continuation and elaboration of verses 4 and 5.
Paul interprets the words of Deuteronomy, “Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead)” (10:6-7). No man could have done these things. God only could provide the way for our salvation. Thankfully, God sent His Son, and God raised him from the dead. We are commanded to believe and confess that He has done these things (10:9).
Israel’s Disobedience
The Jews misunderstood these principles of justification by faith. In its place, they created a philosophy of justification by works, by which, ironically, they condemned themselves.
Paul highlights the failure of Israel’s man-made principles throughout this section in Romans. “Israel… followed after [a] law of righteousness…they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law…they stumbled at that stumblingstone [i.e., Christ]…they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant…and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves…They have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?…But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily…I say, Did not Israel know?…to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (9:31,32, 10:2,3,16-21).
The law is a teacher
Paul’s quotation here from the Torah (Rom. 10:6-10; Dt. 30:12-14) shows that, now that his eyes had been opened, he no longer believed the law taught justification by works. This false idea arose because Israel was ignorant, zealous but without knowledge. Their eyes had been blinded. They could not see the true teaching of the law and the prophets. They did not understand the basic principle that God imputes righteousness on the basis of faith, not works.
God intended the law to be a teacher. It was to convince its followers that they were exceedingly sinful. It was to lead its hearers to faith in Christ. It provided sacrifices, which if offered with faith in the one to whom they pointed, would bring forgiveness. That is, the offerings under the law were effective only if they were accompanied by faith in the coming Messiah, who would offer the once-for-all-time atoning sacrifice. Without such faith, the sacrifices were useless. They did not automatically make the offerer righteous. In fact, the offerings under the law, by themselves, without faith in Christ, could never take away sin, nor could they truly cleanse the conscience of the sinner.
But the offerings could foreshadow the one true sacrifice who would bring forgiveness and a clean conscience to those who believe. They could teach the hearers of the law about Christ, provided those hearers had faith.
Unfortunately, the Jews were ignorant of these ideas. They replaced them with principles of their own invention. Instead of faith, they created a check-list of works, combined it with “If a man do, he shall live,” and missed the essential ingredient — faith in the serpent on the pole, which was Christ.
If by law, then the promise is of no effect
It is important to realize that there were never two ways to righteousness: one by works, and one by faith. Faith was always the requirement. Those who think otherwise make the promise of salvation of no effect.
“Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness…For the promise, that [Abraham] should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the law be heirs. faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations)” (Rom. 3:31-4:3,13-17; cp. Gal. 2:16-5:15).
Abraham’s faith was counted, or imputed, or reckoned, to him for righteousness. He was not justified by works, but by faith. The promise was through the righteousness of faith, not through the law. If it had been through law, then the promise would be of no effect. Therefore, it had to be by faith. As a result, the promise applies to all of the seed of Abraham, not just his natural seed who were under the law until Christ, but also including those who are his seed by faith. This explains why God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, because he was to become the father of many nations (including Gentiles!). How? By faith. He was to become the father of the faithful.
“The covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect. For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise” (Gal. 3:17-18).
From the beginning, the promise of salvation was always based on faith. The law did not change that essential principle.
“Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?…I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Ye are severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace” (Gal. 4:21; 5:3-4 RV).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One