Law and Grace - An Essay by Renee D Matilla

After the death of Jesus many of his apostles carried on spreading the new teachings. The transition from a religion centred on God and his “people”, the Hebrews, to a religion that accepts men whether they are born Jew or Gentile, was understandably difficult. Many issues arose that needed to be discussed and addressed. Apostles, such as Paul, communicated their encouragement and guidance through letters to various Christian communities. In his letter to the Romans, Paul separates and defines both law and grace. Paul defines the law as traditional Jewish rules that help humankind in living a good and righteous life while God’s grace saves all humankind from their inevitably sinful nature and the punishment of death.

The law that Paul discusses in Romans is the law of the Hebrew God and is comprised of rules of conduct communicated by God to Moses and Abraham in the Old Testament. Paul is not discussing the laws of the Roman Empire or any other human civilization. Paul focuses on God’s law as it is presented in Genesis, Exodus and other books of the Old Testament. These laws have a wide scope and include regulations regarding actions, clothing, food, worship and emotions. A man who is obedient to God’s law would be seen as a righteous man. Abraham was seen as a righteous man under God’s law because of his faithful obedience to the law. The law is very stringent and inevitably every person falls short of the expectations of God’s law. For instance, it is nearly impossible to refrain from ever having angry thoughts or from ever uttering a profanity. The law considers humankind’s imperfection and prescribes only one punishment for sin – death. Death is the original punishment for Adam and Eve’s transgression in the Garden of Eden. The law prescribes prayer and blood sacrifices for the righteous man to atone for his personal sins but he has already been condemned by original sin. According to Paul, and Jesus before him, God arranged for an everlasting sacrifice that would alleviate the need for strict adherence to God’s law and atone for original sin.

Paul acknowledges the inability of men to ever earn salvation and relies on God’s grace for forgiveness. The key to the grace of God is that it is given from His divine love and has no relation to what fate sinful men deserve. In God’s wisdom he saw that all people are imperfect and incapable of following all of His laws so he provided another path to salvation. Paul says that the new path to salvation came through the sacrifice of God’s living son, Jesus the Christ. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:17). Adam brought death to the world through his sin and Jesus brought eternal life to humankind through his sacrifice. The man Jesus was not only an example of righteousness and faith, but also a blood sacrifice for the atonement of all humankind’s sins throughout time. This ultimate sacrifice and the teachings of Christ shifted the focus away from the law and towards faith. Through the sacrifice of Christ “we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). Thus, salvation is available to everyone and it is not necessary to either be or become Jewish. According to Paul, faith in Jesus leads to salvation through God’s grace. Strict adherence to the law is no longer a prerequisite to forgiveness and salvation.

Paul does not suggest that the laws of God should be abandoned simply because salvation can be received through faith and God’s grace. Instead Paul says that the law is meant to provide guidance, not to facilitate judgement. The reasons the law cannot be used as the sole tool of judgement is multi-faceted. Firstly, knowledge of the law is not the only way to learn how to lead a good life. Paul states that many men can be moral by abiding by their own conscience (Romans 2:14-15). Secondly, the law was available previously only to Jews. Because many people were not aware of the law or the law was not available to them it would not be reasonable judge them by the standards of the law. Furthermore, the law cannot be used as the sole tool of judgement because knowledge of the law does not guarantee that an individual will choose to live a good life. Some people act sinfully despite their knowledge of the law while others commit righteous acts as their conscience dictates. The one man cannot be considered righteous while he studies the law but does not practice it and the man who acts righteously cannot be condemned for lack of religious learning. Paul focuses on the importance of faith and the acceptance of God’s grace over religious learning. He explains that strict adherence to the law is less important than faith and gratitude for God’s gracious gift.

This belief is illustrated in Paul’s response to the growing controversy surrounding the necessity of circumcision. Previously, all Jewish men were circumcised in accordance with Abraham’s covenant with God. God Proclaims to Abraham “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you” (Genesis 17:11). God’s law dictates that all male children who are eight days old, whether they are Jewish offspring or simply living within a Jewish household, be circumcised to symbolise God’s covenant with Abraham. When Christ brings salvation to all people through the grace of God, the necessity of circumcision is called into question. Many Jews who followed the teachings of Christ believed that Gentiles who also followed Jesus should be circumcised as God’s law required. Although Paul upholds the law as a guide to righteousness he points out that faith and good acts are more important than physical circumcision. “And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision doth transgress the law?” (Romans 2:27). Paul suggests that outward acts, such as circumcision, are of less importance than the faith that each person fosters in their own heart.

In his letter to the Romans Paul upholds the value of God’s law while emphasizing the amazing gift that humankind has received in the form of God’s grace. Paul elucidates the meaning of both law and grace in his letter to the Romans. The law that Paul refers to is the traditional set of Jewish rules of conduct, as laid out in the Old Testament, that help humankind in living a good and righteous life. Paul defines grace as God’s forgiveness, which is given through unconditional love and saves all humankind from their inevitably sinful nature and the punishment of death. In his epistle to the Romans, St. Paul effectively illuminates the importance of faith and love in accepting God’s grace and incorporating the law into the altruistic lifestyle encouraged by Christ’s teachings. By shifting the focus away from restrictive laws and towards love and grace, Paul spreads the message of salvation for all people, Gentile or Jew.

Works Cited

Holy Bible. King James Version. London: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 1977