Can keeping the law save us?
Can we be saved without keeping the law?
The process by which God confers the gift of salvation to us is well explained by Paul using Abraham and King David as examples:
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Was Abraham perfectly righteous and sinless? Was David? Of course not, else there would have been no need for them to be justified [declared righteous]. Abraham was justified because he believed God. To Abraham, God was like a bosom friend. To Abraham God was so close, so real, he had no hesitation in believing what God promised [Rom. 4:20]. David was a “man after God’s heart”. By this faith God imputed righteousness to both of them. That is why they “died in faith” together with other faithful men and women, all of whom are awaiting a future resurrection [Heb.11 cf. 1 Cor. 15]. We too can and must believe that God will impart the same righteousness to us.
Now, that is but one part of what Romans 6:23 clearly say. The other part is often glossed over or its implication little appreciated. Let me quote the entire verse here:
Note that other part, the first part: The wages of sin is death.
Here death is likened to wages or salary or compensation. Death, like salary, is something we earn or incur by sinning. Acts of sinning result in death. That is very clear. By contrast eternal life is not something we can earn – it is given free.
Since sinning earns death, Paul exhorts us:
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
So sin or sinning is something we must stop or avoid doing, if we want to avoid earning death – and to receive the gift of eternal life.
What do we mean by that? What is sin? How do we know if an act constitutes sin?
Paul wrote:
Paul is saying here that he knew what sin is by the help of the law. He understood what sin is not by what he feels or think. He understood it by looking at the law.
John puts the definition of sin more formally:
In other words, if we break the law, we commit sin – which is the cause of death.
Now, notice what Paul says:
So from Paul’s own words, it is the doers of the law – those who strive to live according to the law – who are the ones who will be justified. They are the ones whom God will declare righteous. They are the ones who will receive the gift of eternal life.
To answer the questions at the beginning of this article:
Can keeping the law save us?
It cannot. Only God can save us, through the sacrifice of His son Jesus Christ. Through faith we are declared righteous – worthy of receiving eternal life.
Can we be saved without keeping the law?
No. God requires obedience to His commandments [Mat.19:17-19]. His kingdom is not for those with corrupted character – the immoral or the lawbreakers [Rev.2:8, Mat.7:23]. If that sounded harsh, it is because of an utter misunderstanding of why God created us in the first place. As explained in the article What is the Purpose of Life?, God created us humans in His image and likeness. We are to grow and overcome to become like God and inherit His nature and character. Christ became human not just to die for us, but to also set an example for us on how we must conduct our life now.
How Christ lived – we are to follow and emulate.
How did Christ live? Next verse:
Christ did not sin – we are to emulate that. But that’s a tall order, you’d say. Of course God understands our human weaknesses and limitation [Heb.2:17]. He knows we would fall at times- just like a baby learning to walk. But does a baby stop trying? Does she stop learning to walk? Does a baby stop growing up – and becoming like her parents?
Understand this: When it comes to keeping the law we are imperfect. We are not able to keep the law 100% right and not 100% of the time. God knows that. What then, do we stop keeping the law just because we can’t do it perfectly? Do we go soft and drop all efforts to avoid immorality just because we can’t do it perfectly? Do we start committing fornication because it is difficult not to? Do we lie if not doing so would cost us lost opportunity?
What God wants is that we conduct our life based on His standard. That standard is none other than His law. He expects us to pursue that standard. We will fail sometimes – in fact a lot of times – but God wants us to do our best anyway. In fact the Bible use the word “overcome” in describing what our conduct should be [Rom. 21:21,Rev.2:7,Rev.2:11,Rev.21:7] . As Paul said in Rom.2:13, the people who does are the ones who will be justified — not the ones who makes no effort to keep God’s laws — and certainly not the ones who declare and teach that God’s law has been abolished!!
Paul says that our ultimate goal is “perfection”:
That’s why God says:
But the “fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars [the lawbreakers!], shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” [Rev.21:8].
Jesus Himself exhorts His disciples:
Growing to become more like God in our ways and attitude is clearly the goal of Christian life. It is what Christ intended us to aim for.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity [against the law].
John further says:
I hope that that helps clarify the role and importance of God’s law in our present life.