ROMANS 3:27-31 'Boasting Excluded'

TEXT

'Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.' (Romans 3:27)

• Paul introduces the 'law of faith' which is his way of setting up a logical construct to explain the difference between faith and works. To him, the two were laws which could be followed - one leading to life and the other to death.
• Boasting is excluded if salvation is by faith...for no-one can claim that they did anything special to receive the salvation. Even faith itself is given by God and we merely accept. If salvation were by anything else, then there could be reason to boast, which would detract from God's glory.

'Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.'(Romans 3:28)

• Since God's glory cannot be diminished, the conclusion is that we are justified (made right in God's sight) by faith - and that nothing we do has any effect upon it.

'Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,'(Romans 3:29)

• If justification were by deeds, then the Jews who have the law must be treated differently to the Gentiles who didn't. However, God is God of both Jews and Gentiles so the fact that we are justified by faith makes God fair.

'since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.'(Romans 3:30)

• Justification by faith affirms the unity and non-partiality of God. The Jews knew and affirmed that there was one God - and thus logically He ruled the Gentiles as well, and so this must have made sense.

'Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.'(Romans 3:31)

• The question on the Jews' minds would have been then - is the law all for nothing? Is the law useless and have we all been duped all this time? Paul is quick to say no! In fact, the Gospel establishes the law. He has already stated that the law is useful for pointing out sins, and 'stopping the mouths' of people who always have excuses. He now states that the Gospel establishes the law - because it fulfils the original point of the law - to point out our flaws (but now we see that we can be saved from those flaws!), and also, the Gospel shows us that we can now obey the law. That is, without a transformed life through Jesus' blood and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of obeying the law, but it is now possible (since we are set free from sin). It's like he's saying that the law was the ingredients but the Gospel is the ingredients put together and baked so that we now have a cake. It is fully established.

SUMMARY

Paul concludes that justification by faith is the fairest and most logical way for God to save us. Justification by works leads to boasting, which diminishes God's glory, and also leads to disparity between Jews and Gentiles, which detracts from the fairness and oneness of God. He also confirms that the law is fulfilled and established through the Gospel, which is God's entire plan of redemption.

WHAT DO I LEARN?

This passage makes it clear that there is nothing I can boast in of myself to either Christian or non-Christian. There is no special quality that I have that makes God love me more, there is nothing that I have done that has set me apart from the rest of humanity. I may boast in Jesus Christ, because He deserves all praise - but to even think for one moment that I am above any non-Christian, even the wildest or roughest out there, is sheer ignorance and arrogance. I need to talk to everyone in love and understanding, like a former prisoner who has been set free through no doing of his own, would speak to his fellow inmates.