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Romans – Salvation by Law versus Faith
According to Paul’s use of Abraham and David (Rom.4), no one has been saved “under law” (Rom.6:14) and all have been saved by faith. Therefore to conclude the major difference between the Old and New Testaments is “law” becomes a misnomer. Therefore Romans is not giving a new way of salvation, but showing how everyone has been saved, and the only way of being saved. All the laws of the Old Testament proved we cannot be saved by more and more laws (Rom.5:20). What are the differences between being saved by law and faith? Salvation by law demands perfection in total obedience, while salvation by faith provides for imperfection in total obedience. Salvation by works emphasizes the efficacy of the work obeyed on the person obeying, while salvation by faith emphasizes the efficacy of the one who is obeyed and His work on the person obeying. That is the difference between me saving me and God saving me. Read Romans again with Paul’s “obedience of faith” (1:5; 16:26) theme, and see the difference between obedience versus law or works. “From faith to faith” (Romans 1:17) means we are saved by faith and then live in faith, just like Abraham and David.
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