What law do we follow?

Romans 3:20 “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the lawis the knowledge of sin.”  The law described here is the law of dos and don’ts and rights and wrongs. This laws tells us we are bad, and it says here we are not justified by our efforts to be “good” in the eyes of this law. It shows us our faults.

Romans 3:27-28  “Whereis boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”

It says here that a man is justified by the LAW OF FAITH not the LAW OF WORKS. There are two different laws spoken of here.  Here is says a man is justified by faith without DEEDS OF THE LAW.  The law includes a set of rules which give impression they must be followed as a set of deeds to be done. But when the law is received as a set of rules to be followed it becomes the “law of works”.  And it is impossible to be justified by this method.  But the “law” in its entirety (i.e. whole bible, word of God) is more than a set of rules, the underlying messages provides us a means to faith.  And when we hear that message of faith we do things not because it is a rule per se, but because we have a confidence in the result.

 Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea we establish the law.”

James 2:24: “Ye see then how that by works a man is man is justified, and not by faith only.”

This verses says that a man is justified by works and not by faith only.  Does this verse contradict Romans 3:28, which says a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law?  Where the word “deeds” here is the exact same Greek word, ergon, used in James 3:24 as “works”.

In Romans is says “deeds of the law”, and in James it is speaking of actions taken because of a belief.  So there is not a contradiction. James 2 gives some examples of works of faith, which are basically actions the people took because they believed and trusted in the outcome God promised regardless of a set of rules [or “deeds of the law”].  They were not dos and don’ts of the law. In actuality, Abraham was not following any set of rules of dos and don’ts when he was intentionally going to kill his son because he trusted God in doing so.  Here he was actually going against the supposed set of rules in the Bible (i.e. though shalt not kill).   As a side note, Galatians 4:24 says the story of Abraham is an allegory, so one could argue the story of Abraham is a figurative story. Remember it is not ok to physically murder, so in that sense the story is an allegory or dark saying which has a hidden underlying message.  Also, murder is against the rules of our world.  Or in this sense we get that this story has an underlying message and is not telling us it is ok to murder if “God” tells you too.  It is not establishing the “law” and therefore must be seen as an allegory.

There is a subtle difference between following the “law of works” and the “law of faith” (Romans 3:27).  In following the law of works you mainly follow a set of rules set forth by religion, values, heritage, family, or such.  But following the law of faith means you follow an understanding of how God works in your life through how you think, feel, and act.  It is like the law of logical outcomes verses the law of deeds. 

Are there two laws seen throughout Bible? 

The “word of God”: Luke 8:11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is theword of God.”  “Word” here is the Greek word Logos, which taken from a website definition, refers to the internal consistency of the message, the logic of its reasons, and the effectiveness of its supporting evidence.  And taken from Strong’s Concordance, one definition is the logical reasoning of thinking, meditating, and calculating.  In other words, the Word of God can be described as the logical reasoning of God. 

Maybe in our next post we will go more into the two laws within the “word of God.

This link gives an example of the law of works verses the law of faith.

http://www.serviceforyourchurch.com/articles/article/6440626/155498.htm