The phrase “works of the law” appears in key passages in Romans and Galatians, specifically Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16. In these verses, Paul makes an important distinction between trying to earn righteousness through obeying the law, versus receiving righteousness through faith in Christ. Understanding this distinction is crucial to grasping the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.
What Are the Works of the Law?
When Paul refers to “works of the law,” he is referring specifically to the commands and statutes given by God in the Mosaic Law (the Law of Moses, ie the Torah). This includes the Ten Commandments, ceremonial laws about sacrifice and worship, civil laws about Israelite society, and more. Obeying these laws was central to Jewish identity. However, Paul argues that trying to earn righteousness through obeying the law is futile.
Why the Law Cannot Bring Righteousness
Paul gives several reasons why obeying the law cannot make someone righteous before God:
1. No one can obey the law perfectly. Everyone violates the law’s commands at some point (Romans 3:9-20). Therefore, the law only brings awareness of sin and condemnation, not righteousness.
2. The purpose of the law was never to make people righteous before God. Rather, it was given to reveal sin and point to the need for a Savior (Galatians 3:19-25). The law was like a guardian or tutor that supervised Israel until Christ came.
3. Righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not law obedience. Animal sacrifices in the law were a foreshadowing of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, which alone takes away sin (Hebrews 10).
4. Trying to earn salvation by works fundamentally inverts the order – it makes obedience the grounds for salvation rather than a fruit of it. True obedience should flow from grace.
5. Focusing on law obedience leads to pride and self-righteousness. It takes the focus off God’s grace. Paul knew firsthand the futility of trying to earn righteousness through scrupulous law-keeping (Philippians 3:4-6).
In summary, the law cannot justify because obeying rules is fundamentally different than receiving grace through faith. Rules provide a standard but no power to meet it. Only Christ provides both the perfect standard and the power to be made righteous.
What Trying to be Justified by Works Really Means
When Paul speaks against being “justified by works of the law,” he does not mean we should not obey God or live righteously. Believers are new creations who walk in the Spirit and fulfill the law by nature (Romans 8:4, Galatians 5:16). However, this obedience is the fruit of salvation, not the means of earning it.
Paul is arguing against a twisted legalistic mindset that thinks we can earn favor with God. This legalistic view was a constant temptation for Jews because of their great reverence for the law. It led to either pride or despair. The truth of the gospel is that unworthy sinners are counted righteous freely by grace when they have faith in Christ. Obedience then follows as a result.
Two Contrasting Ways of Justification
Paul sets up a clear dichotomy between two contrasting ways of justification:
LAW: Justification by Works
– Earned by meritorious works
– Based on personal performance
– Leads to bondage and burden
– Produces pride or despair
– Focuses on self
GRACE: Justification by Faith
– Received freely as a gift
– Based on Christ’s performance
– Leads to freedom and joy
– Produces humility and praise
– Focuses on God
Paul makes it clear there is no middle ground – it is either grace or works. Justification must be grounded wholly in what Christ has accomplished, not what we do. Even 99% grace and 1% works nullifies grace.
What Does it Mean that We Are Not Justified by Works?
When Paul declares that “no one will be justified by works of the law” (Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16), he means:
1. We cannot earn righteousness before God by obeying commandments or doing good deeds. Our works always fall short due to sin.
2. Keeping external ritual laws cannot make anyone righteous. Righteousness is internal.
3. No amount of personal discipline or effort can achieve justification. We cannot pull ourselves up by our own moral bootstraps.
4. Operating under law leads to condemnation and despair, not justification. The law reveals how far short we fall.
5. Justification is always based on the work of Christ as our substitute, not any work we do. Our works contribute nothing to justification.
6. The only way to be justified is by grace through faith in Christ. Justification is completely passive – we receive Christ’s righteousness as a gift by faith alone.
Faith Versus Works of the Law
There is no contradiction between Paul’s teaching on justification by faith and Jesus’ emphasis on righteous living. Saving faith will always produce good works as evidence of true conversion. However, these works never earn justification. Paul makes it clear that faith and law operate in two separate spheres:
FAITH:
– Justification is by faith alone.
– Faith involves personal trust in Christ.
– Faith receives grace freely as a gift.
– Faith is internal and transforms desires.
– Faith produces living obedience to God.
WORKS OF LAW:
– Justification depends on external law-keeping.
– Law obedience is human effort.
– Law demands perfect performance.
– Law focuses on externals and does not change the heart.
– Law obedience is motivated by duty, fear or pride.
In summary, works are the outward evidence of faith but are never the basis of justification. Justification depends solely on receiving the gift of righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.
Key Bible Verses on Works of the Law
Romans 3:20 – “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
Galatians 2:16 – “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”
Galatians 3:2-3 – “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Philippians 3:4-9 – “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Titus 3:5 – “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 4:4-5 – “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”
Implications and Conclusions
The doctrine of justification by faith alone is central to the gospel. Salvation is a gift received by faith, not an award earned by works. Understanding this distinguishes true biblical Christianity from all other religions which depend on human striving. Our works play no role whatsoever in earning or maintaining justification. This truth humbles us and gives all glory to Christ. It also provides assurance of salvation since it does not depend on our unstable performance.
The distinction between faith and works is vital. But this does not diminish the importance of obedience. Works are the necessary evidence and fruit of saving faith. But they never provide the basis for justification. Believers walk by the Spirit in obedience out of love, not legal duty. Our motive makes all the difference.
The law’s commands are good and holy (Romans 7:12). But sinners cannot obey them perfectly. We should use the law to convict us of sin and point us to Christ – the only One who obeyed the law perfectly on our behalf. This convicting and tutoring role of the law remains. But the law in itself cannot justify. Only through faith do we died to the law’s condemnation and are enabled to bear fruit for God (Romans 7:1-6).
In summary, seeking to be justified by works is fundamentally opposed to the gospel of free righteousness in Christ. We are saved without works but never unto a faith that remains alone. Works flow from justification but can never produce it. Christ’s work alone is the perfect basis for our acceptance before God.