“12 For all who sin without the law will also perish without the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For the hearers of the law are not righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”
Upon returning to Rome after their exile, the Jewish Christians found an overwhelmingly Gentile Christian church had sprung up in Rome. This would have been a big change for these Jews residing in Rome, and unsurprisingly, there were some theological conflicts and confusion between the two groups. (See Devotion #1, Jan 1) Starting in verse 12, Paul expands upon the notion that one does not need to be Jewish, or need to observe Jewish practices, to be saved. Christ died for the Jew and the Gentile. We just read back in chapter 1 that the gospel brings salvation to everyone who believes.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.” — Romans 1:16
Likewise, those who sin, regardless of their affiliation with the law, will be judged accordingly and punished by God.
It’s important for us to establish what is meant by “The Law”, as Paul will begin now to speak about it with increasing frequency in the verses and chapters to come. “The Law” refers to the Old Testament rules and regulations set forth by God to His people Israel in the Mosaic Covenant. This most certainly includes the Ten Commandments but also applies to the many chapters of other instructions given by God to Israel about how they should act towards God, one another, and the nations surrounding them.
“and many peoples shall come, and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” — Isaiah 2:3 ESV
At times though, Paul will use the term to describe the law of God that is written on our hearts and is displayed in His creation. This would include things like knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
Biblical scholars debate whether every instance of the word “Law” used by Paul directly references the Mosaic Law, or whether it more generally refers to a rule of acting in obedience toward God. For the use of this study, I take the position that it depends on the context, and I think that it will come quite naturally to know which Paul is using. Is Paul speaking primarily about the Jewish population in the church? Is he speaking about how the law reveals sin, yet cannot save? In instances like these, he is likely talking about the Mosaic Law handed down to the nation of Israel. Is Paul speaking primarily to the Gentile population in the church? Is he speaking about how the law of God is written on the hearts of the Gentiles, even though they do not have the Mosaic Law? In instances like these, it seems obvious that Paul is speaking about a more generalized law of God, one that includes knowing the difference between what is right and what is wrong. This would include doing His will and living in righteousness, a law that is naturally written on our hearts.
The law of God, whether the Mosaic Law or the law that is written on our hearts, cannot bring about a person’s damnation or salvation. The law simply brings knowledge of sin. God makes judgments based on our relation to the law. The bad news for us is that there is not a single human being, the exception being Jesus, who has not transgressed God’s law.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;…” — Romans 3:23
All have violated God’s law. The law itself cannot fix our sinful condition. Once a person has broken the law at any point, the law is hopeless in reversing our sinful condition.
“For whoever keeps the entire law, and yet stumbles at one point, is guilty of breaking it all.” — James 2:10
“For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone who does not do everything written in the book of the law is cursed. Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous will live by faith.” — Galatians 3:10-11
Paul continues in verse 13, stating that simply having and hearing the law does nothing to punish, or save anyone from, their transgression of God’s law. To be justified (“declared righteous” NIV and HCSB) before God means to be a doer of the law. This is not to say that salvation is attained by an adherence to the law. We have already established that every single person has already violated God’s law, and that’s why we need Jesus to save us. The law is incapable of fixing that problem. Even still, we are capable of worshipping and glorifying God through our doing what the law requires.
“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was. But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works — this person will be blessed in what he does.” — James 1:22-25
I want the reader to keep in mind at this point that neither I, nor Paul, are advocating Christians to strictly adhere to the Old Testament Law. Paul will talk in greater detail about the freedom that Christians have from the Law through faith in Jesus Christ when we get to Chapter 7. Until then, what is important to know is that the Christians in Rome, specifically the Jewish Christians, would have been thinking through these questions. They would be asking questions like: Now that the Messiah has come, how do we relate to the Law? How are Gentile converts supposed to relate to the Law, is it for them also? What does it look like to be a faithful follower of God now that Jesus has come, lived, died, risen, and ascended to be with the Father? This devotion serves as an introduction to this topic, and we will cover these questions, and others, more deeply in the days to come.
Great devotional today honey. I agree with you 100%. Ignorance of the law does not make one innocent. Cops out on the street will tell you that if they pull you over and you say you never knew that going 50 MPH was against the law in a 35 MPH zone. They’ll say, “Well, you do now and here’s your ticket!!” I’m so glad that Christ is our Judge and He will judge with perfect righteousness. He will judge heathens in the Amazon jungle based on what knowledge they have and what they did with it. You are so smart, Tyler. I hope your church recognizes that and offers you a Sunday School class for young adults or teenagers. You’d be a great teacher!!!!!
Thanks for your kind words Nana. That means a lot. I agree with what you’ve said about ignorance toward the law of God. Paul already told us in Chapter 1 that everyone has enough knowledge to know that He exists and that He demands our worship:
“For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse.” — Romans 1:20 CSB