p. 19 | Faith vs. Law by P. C. Rodman

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 26, 1872

Faith vs. Law.

By P. C. Rodman

“SEEING it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith. Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.” Rom. 3: 30, 31.

We understand the apostle in this text to teach the only way by which fallen man can be justified and saved, that is, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As another apostle has said, “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4: 12. This makes no difference between Jews and Gentiles; all are justified by faith in Christ, by the one God, the Father, who justifies the circumcision (the Jew) by faith, and the uncircumcision (the Gentile) through faith. Thus he sustains his statement, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3: 23.

This leads us to inquire, What is sin? The apostle answers, “Sin is the transgression of the law. Whosoever committeth sin [Jew or Gentile] transgresseth also the law.” 1 John 3: 4, 5.

And it is by the law that the apostle proves all the world guilty before God, Rom. 3: 9; because all have broken, or transgressed the law, and cannot therefore be justified from their past transgressions of it if they should now cease sinning; for none can do more than his whole duty, and our duty is to “fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Eccl. 12: 13. That the whole duty of man is comprehended in the law of God, further, read Matt. 22: 34–40. Can a man do more than love God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself? Surely, he cannot; yet the Saviour shows this to be the sum of the teachings of the law of God. From this we may learn that without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and is a rewarder of all that diligently seek him, whether Jew or Gentile.

But some have said that by faith the law is made void, and thus excuse themselves from keeping God’s holy day enjoined in the fourth commandment. But did faith release the circumcision, or Jew, from obligation to keep the Sabbath and law of God? Surely not. Then how does it release the uncircumcision, or Gentile, from his obligation to keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, or law of God? Why, the very fact that faith is preached, proves the perpetuity of God’s law, and no more releases the Gentile now than it did the Jew from his obligations to keep the precepts of that law; for if faith releases the Gentile convert, it did also release the Jew; and well may the apostle exclaim, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; Yea, we establish the law.” For if faith does away with the law, then we should have been without law since the days of Abel, at least. Heb. 11: 5.

But is not this the truth, that by faith in the Son of God we may be justified from all our past transgressions, for which we could not atone, and thus, by Christ, be brought where the great God will accept our obedience to his law, and save us if we endure to the end.

P. C. RODMAN.

Ludlow, Mass., March, 1872.