2693.-Deeds of the Law. Rom. 3:20

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jan 13, 1909

2693.—Deeds of the Law. Rom. 3:20.

Please explain Rom. 3:20. What are the deeds of the law spoken of here?

The deeds of the law spoken of in Rom. 3:20 are efforts which man puts forth to save himself. Verse 19 declares that all the world is guilty before God, and verse 9, that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin; therefore, no deeds which they can do will meet the requirements of the law. For they are as imperfect as the mortal sinful man who does them. Therefore, man can not be justified by his imperfect deeds. He can only be justified by One who has wrought out for him perfect righteousness, and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. But the Lord places His righteousness upon us for all the sins of the past, and His righteousness within us to change us from sin, in order that we may, by the same grace, walk above sin in the future. Sin has dominion over us when we are transgressing God's law and committing sin, and so only. It is God's desire that His grace shall so fill our hearts, not simply for forgiveness of the past, but for strength to live for Him in the future, "that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:4.