Are We Under Law? - Part 6

By Allan E. McNabb

In this series we are considering whether we are under law, in addition to being saved by grace.

Reconciling Romans 4 and James 2
Many people misinterpret Romans 4, excluding books like James from the Bible, which they can’t reconcile with their interpretation.  So, I want to talk about this chapter within the realm of our discussion by reviewing and applying principles already set forth in this article.

The main point made by false teachers from Romans 4 is that we are saved by faith and not works; therefore, we are not under law, and baptism is not essential for salvation because it’s a work.
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?  For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.  For what does the Scripture say?  ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’  Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.  But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works” (Rom. 4:1-6).

False teachers, therefore, excluded the book of James from the Bible because it contradicts their interpretation of Romans.
“What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works?  Can that faith save him” (Jas. 2:14)?
“But someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’  You believe that God is one.  You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.  But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless” (Jas. 2:18-20)?
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?  You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected (Jas. 2:21-22).
“You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone” (Jas. 2:24).
“In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way” (Jas. 2:25)?
 “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (Jas. 2:26).

There are two major points we should remember when reconciling Romans 4 with other passages, which we’ve already established from Scripture in this article.

First, if an interpretation of Romans 4 contradicts another Scripture, the interpretation must be wrong.

Since Scriptures plainly teach that we are under the law of Christ, and teach that we are justified by works and not faith alone, anyone who believes Romans 4 is teaching anything different is in error.

And since Paul clearly teaches that we must be baptized to be saved, and that baptism is not a work of salvation, anyone who believes anything different from Romans 4 is also in error.

Second, we must realize that Paul is discussing works of the Mosaic Law in Romans (Rom. 2:25-29).  He is not talking about the law of Christ, which he talks about in other epistles (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2).  Paul consistently teaches throughout his epistles that we aren’t saved by works of the Mosaic Law, but by grace through faith in obedience to Jesus Christ.

With these things in mind, we must conclude that Romans 4 is in perfect harmony with James and all the Scriptures.

Reconciling Ephesians 2:8-9
Like Romans 4, false teachers use Ephesians 2:8-9 to teach that we are not under law, and baptism is not essential for salvation because it’s a work.

As above, the first point we can make is that this interpretation contradicts many Scriptures, so it can’t be correct.

Besides the contradictions mentioned in the section above, Jesus says, “‘He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned’” (Mk. 16:16).  If we believe Jesus, we can’t believe false teachers who say baptism in not essential for salvation.

Additionally, every example of conversion to Christ shows that people were baptized.  They did not say a prayer of faith, or do anything else that’s contrary to the gospel of Christ; they were baptized for the forgiveness of sins and into Christ to be saved (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3; Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Second, the context of Ephesians teaches that baptism into Christ is essential for salvation.
People in Ephesus who were converted to Christ were baptized in order to be saved.  If they had been baptized with any other baptism, they had to be baptized with the Lord’s baptism to be saved (Acts 19:1-5).
At the beginning of Ephesians, Paul tells us that all spiritual blessings are in Christ, including salvation (Eph. 1:3).  Since we enter into Christ through baptism, we don’t have any spiritual blessings in Christ until we’re baptized (Rom. 6:3).  Therefore, we are not saved until we’re baptized into Christ (1 Pet. 3:21).
Paul tells us in Ephesians that salvation by grace is God making us alive together with Christ, at which time we are raised up with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places (Eph. 2:4-6).  In Colossians, Paul tells us that this occurs when we are baptized (Col. 2:12-13; 3:1).  Therefore, we are saved by grace when we are baptized.
Since we are saved by grace when we are baptized, baptism into Christ is not salvation by works (Eph. 2:9; cf. 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Conclusion
When pushed to its outer limits, the false doctrine of grace only asserts that people have to do nothing to be saved, not even believe.  But God’s word says we must obey Jesus to be saved; we are saved by grace through faith when we are baptized into Christ.

Though men twist the truth to their own destruction, making the straight ways of the Lord crooked, we can place our confidence in God’s word and believe the simple truths revealed in it.  “‘He  who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned’” (Mk. 16:16).