Studies in Romans

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Feb 12, 1908

Studies in Romans

Rom. 4: 1-8.

THE study in Romans last week called attention to the last part of the third chapter, in which are presented the promises of the righteousness of God as a free gift to those who accept Christ. The method by which this desirable gift is bestowed is stated in the following verses:

“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God. For what saith the Scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. Even as David also pronounced blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works, saying,

“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, “And whose sins are covered. “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.” Rom. 4: 1-8.

Abraham was not justified by “works.” “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.” In other words, the Lord came to Abraham with certain promises of what He would do for him, and Abraham accepted those promises, then the Lord did the “reckoning;” His reckoning was that the righteousness of His own character must flow into the life of Abraham in answer to his faith.

And it should be observed that God does not give His righteousness as ordinary hire or wages to Abraham in order to get him to exercise faith. But it is a divine law that the free gift of righteousness comes to every one who accepts the promises of God. And it would be well in this connection to refer again to the following verse that was in the lesson last week:

“Where then is the glorying? It is excluded. By what manner of law? of works? Nay: but by a law of faith.” Rom. 3: 27.

Then there is a “law” of faith. God has established a law for the operation of faith, and it is as positive and as certain in its action as any of the other laws that He has established. We are likely to look upon the laws that God has established in the physical world as being more positive in their action than the laws that He has established in the spiritual world. But such is not the case. If we put our hand in fire, we know that we will get it burned. This is a natural law that is always sure to act promptly. Water will always flow down-hill when left to follow its own course; a stone thrown into the air will invariably fall to the earth again. Every one recognizes these unfailing “laws of nature.” But they are not one particle more unfailing in their nature than is the Lord’s “law of faith.”

Do not neglect to notice that the text just quoted above (Rom. 3: 27), presents a “law of faith.” Our heavenly Father has established a law to govern the workings of faith just as surely as He has established a law to govern falling bodies or to govern anything else in what we call the “natural world.” We recognize the law in the natural world because we have cultivated our minds in that direction. But if we will put forth the same effort to cultivate the mind in the realm of the spiritual we will find that God has spiritual law that governs just as positively as does His natural law.

God’s “law of faith” is for the purpose of maintaining righteousness, or right-doing, which are one and the same thing. The angels of God and the inhabitants of the worlds that have not sinned are kept in the realm of right-doing by faith. They believe God, and therefore they do not go wrong. Our first parents did not hold to their faith in God. They allowed themselves to doubt the rightfulness of God in forbidding them to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They dared to exercise their unbelief, and we have the result of it in all the sin and wrong-doing that have come upon this whole world. If they had cultivated faith in God instead of cultivating doubt they would not have sinned. For we may cultivate doubt just as well as we may cultivate faith. “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.” Rom. 1: 16, 17.

The righteousness of God is revealed “from faith unto faith.” From one step to another in faith we are to progress. The pathway of God is the pathway of faith, and note that it is also a pathway of progress.

The law of faith is not only for the purpose of keeping those who have not sinned in the path of righteousness, but it is also provided that the sinner may avail himself of the law of faith and be cleansed from the sins that are past. This point was quite fully covered in the lesson a week ago, but it is well to refer to it again here. After the individual has received pardon and cleansing from past sins, then the law of faith is for the purpose of keeping him in the path of right-doing.

If we will but exercise faith in God as He would have us, this law of faith will keep us right in a much broader field than we are likely to think. We are likely to think that the law of faith is only for the field of spiritual things; that it only applies to the right-doing of religious duties. But the religion of Jesus Christ has a much wider application than most people give it. The religion of Jesus takes cognizance of our temporal affairs as well as of the things that we denominate religious.

When the mechanic is doing a piece of work he must have right measurements if his piece of machinery, or his building, or whatever he is constructing, is to come together properly. He needs righteousness in this the same as he does in telling the truth in a trade or deal he is making with a neighbor. We look at a falsehood as something very wrong, and if we cut a piece of iron or wood wrong that is going into any piece of work, we call that a mistake. But both these things violate the principle of perfect right-doing. The falsehood is a moral wrong and a grievous sin because it violates one of the plain precepts of the Ten Commandments. But that which we call only a “mistake” is also a wrong, tho of a different character, but it may also be overcome by the law of faith.

But in the exercise of this law of faith we must not become discouraged; we must go on “from faith to faith;” from one experience to another and still broader experience.

Thus may the child of God have Him with him in all things. Whether it is to tell the truth to his neighbor, or whether it is to arrive at right results in his work, he may ever exercise the law of faith that his divine Father has provided for him. But in order to get the good results from this law of faith we must make use of it. God has established the “laws of nature” for the benefit of His creatures, but if we do not take the pains to study and understand those laws we can get but little if any benefit from them. And so it is with His “law of faith.” We must study it and appropriate it if we would enjoy its benefits.