Do Romans 4:5 & Ephesians 2:8-9 contradict James 2:17, 20, 22, 25 & 26 about the necessity of works for justification & salvation? (Continued)

Written by: Yeow Chin Kiong

The purpose of Moses’ Law was to be the Israelites’ tutor to bring them to Christ, keeping them under guard for the faith which would afterward be revealed (Galatians 3:23-24).

The law taught people about sin (Romans 7:7-14) and kept them under sin (Galatians 3:22) but COULD NOT remit nor forgive sin (which only Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross could, Acts 13:38-39). As Paul taught at a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, “38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren. that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; 39 and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39).

In Romans 1:20-22, 25-28 we read, “20 Therefore by the deeds of the law mo flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being wjitnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe…… 25 … in His forebearance God has passed over the sins thaf were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” This is the immediate context of Romans 4:5, concerning works (i.e. “deeds”) of Moses’ law which CANNOT save nor justify.

Moses’ law could not justify nor save because it cannot be humanly obeyed faultlessly by anyone, given its width and depth of coverage. Hence, all who have reached the age of accountability have transgressed against the law and thus sinned, (Romans 3:23) and deserve physical and spiritual death (Romans 6:23) if it were not for God’s grace. Also, one error or failure to keep any aspect of the law amounts to transgressing the whole law. James 2:10 says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” Moreover, faith is not mere knowledge, belief, assent, tought or emotion but must be made perfect by appropriate works or deeds (James 2:17, 20. 22, 24 and 26.

So. under Moses’ law or a “law to themselves” for those not under Moses’ law (Romans 2:14), there was a need for everyone, every sinner, for the “accounting” to us of righteousness not actually our own but Christ’s each time we are forgiven of sins. Also, our works of righteousness actually done by ourselves are “cancelled out” by our sins. In the face of unavailed righteousness by works of the law of Moses or its equivalent for non-Israelites, sinners are justified by our faith (or belief) in what God’s grace has done (and works of obedience reflecting that faith, Romans 1:1-5; 16:26).’

Second, many scriptures stress that there is no place for works which men can “boast of” or self-glorify in” in God’s plan of salvation. The effort may be ours but all glory (Matthew 5:16) for the human effort must be God’s alone because, by His grace, He laid down the plan of man’s salvation even before He created man (Acts 2:23; Ephesians 1:3-5; 1 Peter 1:18-21; Titus 1:1-2) and sacrificed His Son to realise it.

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