While visiting a local business, I noticed a tract rack with several tracts displayed by a local denomination. Upon reading these tracts, I noticed several passages of scriptures taken out of the context to prove a point. After a careful study, I believe a review is warranted.
First, we want to make clear that we love all men of all nations and of all religions. However, remembering the words of Jesus, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"(John 8:32), we realize that we must ever keep before us the import of Jesus' statement: neither love for nor friendship with other human beings should be allowed to take precedence over love for the truth (II Thess. 2:10).
The apostle John instructed us to "believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God"(I John 4:1). That is what we endeavor to do as we review The Romans' Map to Heaven.
The book of Romans was written to the saints [Christians] at Rome (1:7). It was written to establish and to explain the fact that the gospel is God's saving power for all who believe, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. 1:16). The law of Moses is contrasted with the gospel of Christ throughout the book.
With this in mind, we will look at the tract. It states: "Nothing you can do will save you"(Rom. 3:20a, 3:27). "The deeds of the law" in verse 20 are talking about the deeds (rites) of the Law of Moses. "Therefore, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight" (v.20). To take that to say that there is nothing one can do is in direct conflict with James 2:24,26. "Ye see then how by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (v24). "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also"(v26). One cannot earn salvation (Eph. 2:9), nor can he be saved by a dead faith. To say there is nothing one can do, using Rom. 3:20, is misapplying the scripture and therefore, false.
"Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of Works? Nay: but by the law of faith"(v27). The law of faith refers to the gospel system of faith. Paul had just explained that by the deeds of the law of Moses no flesh could be justified. Then he states that boasting is excluded. But, he says, it is not by the law of Moses but by the law of faith. There we have the contrast: the law of Moses with the law of faith, the gospel.
"Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith [the gospel system of faith] without the deeds of the law" (v28), that is, the law of Moses. In this verse, Paul concludes the arguments presented in chapter 1:16, where he emphasizes that the gospel is God's saving power for both Jew and Gentiles. Many have failed to understand Paul's meaning of justification by faith. Remember, he started out to prove that the gospel is God's saving power for all (1:16). Since 1:16, he has established this fact. The conclusion he reaches is that men are justified by faith (v28). Obviously, he did not start out to prove one thing and end up proving something else! Therefore, we conclude that to be saved by the gospel and to be justified by faith mean exactly the same thing! Paul said of the Jews, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel" (Rom. 10:16). To obey the gospel (that is something one must do) is to do the things contained therein.
"Without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb. 11:6). A saving faith is a working faith. "By faith Noah...prepared an ark"(v7). "By faith Abraham...obeyed and went out?(v8).
To say there is nothing one can do is false. I am not making a personal attack on people , but I believe in order to have the unity of the Spirit (Eph. 4:3), we must all teach that which the Spirit delivered.
If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God"(I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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