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Does Romans 2:13 Prove We Can Be Declared Righteous by Obedience to the Law and Self-Effort?
In my recent post entitled "Grace Does Away with Free Will Altogether" I had a visitor quote me Romans 2:13 to demonstrate that through self-will we can obey the law and be declared righteous. Lets look at it:
"It is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous." Rom. 2:13
My Response: Yes read in isolation that text would appear to be teaching that someone could be saved by obeying the law, apart from grace. And indeed it is true that we would save ourselves if we never committed sin. But such an interpretation completely misses the context of the verse since you conclude we have the moral capacity to obey the law and live. Jesus alone has this honor. Paul is teaching the contrary to fallen humanity.... He (in Rom 2:13) is middle of building his case that Jews and Gentiles alike are both under sin and have thus forfeited their claims to life by means of obeying the law. And he ends the section by saying just this: "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Rom 3:19, 20). In other words, the purpose of the law is not to show our ability but our inability. And this then shows that Paul means exactly the opposite of what you are trying to make the verse say. Romans 2:13 is not declaring what we can do, but what we ought to do -- and ultimately, as we see later, do in Christ. I fear this is what happens when we read a text in isolation. Rather, in context, it becomes clear that Paul is saying IF you obeyed the law you would be declared righteous. But then goes on for the next chapter and a half to prove that you fail the test.
Here are two articles on the subject of Rom 2 that may help further illumine.
Romans 2:13 and the Covenant of Works
Do Believers "Receive Eternal Life According to Their Works"?
Comments
The law Paul is referencing in Rom. 2:13 is a law that has been added to the law because of a change of the priesthood. See Heb. 7:12 & Rom. 5:20
The law referenced in Rom.3:19-20 is the written code given at Sinai. No one will be declared righteous by God by observing the written code. However a law has been added to the law that for the individual who has the faith to obey this law he will be declared righteous by God. The term rightly dividing the word of truth means correctly identifying which law is being referenced.
Posted by: Theodore A. Jones | December 13, 2011 09:46 PM
You are avoiding the issue.
Posted by: Theodore A. Jones | October 1, 2012 04:48 PM
Theodore. You said, "No one will be declared righteous by God by observing the written code."
Any why is it that no one will be declared righteous by observing the law? The Bible itself answers this. "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."
Men are cursed because they cannot keep the law. Anyone who relies on it will die in their sin because they are morally impotent to "abide by all things written in the book on the law."
Jesus also declares this same principle when he encounters the rich young ruler... "...Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?", he says..."If you would enter life, keep the commandments." Matthew 19:15-17
But the man goes away sad and Jesus declares the impossibility to doing so when he says it is as difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom... The disciples said WHO THEN CAN BE SAVED? Answer: NO ONE. WITH MAN THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE BUT WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE.
This is the same principle in Rom 2. If you read the passage IN CONTEXT, Paul is building his case against both Jews and Gentiles who are alike under sin and, as such, will never enter the Kingdom apart from the grace of Jesus Christ alone.
Posted by: John | October 1, 2012 04:59 PM
Well said John. I just finished a study in Galatians and it has been so helpful to understand both what Romans is say in Paul's argument about the law and throughout including Galatians. The misunderstanding occurs when we think we can meet any of Gods requirements for righteousness through any self-effort. It robs the law of its wrath and judgement and it robs grace of God mercy and forgiveness that is complete in Christ.
The law points us to Christ (Gal 3:21-22) so that we by faith in Christ's finish work we are declared right before God (Gal 2:16, Rom 3:21-28, 4:16, etc) The law is good but met for the lost to show their utter lost-ness (new word to describe how lost we are apart from Christ) so that we would come to Christ who alone fulfilled the requirements of the law.
In fact we must die to the law (for self-effort righteousness) so we can be joined to a Life, the very Life of Christ, (Rom 7:4, 6)
I would rather be made right by Christ and His finished work (2 Cor 5:17-21) then be under something that I could never meet, requirements for a right stand before God so I could be fit for heaven now. Salvation is through Christ and Christ alone, for I am saved by His life (Rom 5:10)
Good news, you bet! For Christ did it all, I by faith in Him have been declared righteous and have received His very Life. Christ lived the perfect life for us, that through His death and burial , we died with Him so that through His resurrection we are raised to life and are new creatures. Gal says in the last chapter his summary of this completed work when he says "But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ", what counts is a new creation. Gal 6:14-15
Now lets walk in that which we became through Christ a new creation alive a child of God.
Posted by: Ken B | May 8, 2013 12:47 PM