The Way of Faith

We learned yesterday that the “righteousness” that is of the law demands complete obedience to every jot and tittle of the law. In the absence of such obedience, there is no righteousness for those who seek it by law-keeping. But there is another way to righteousness—faith. It is to this way that Paul now turns his attention.

Paul’s methodology here is interesting. He quotes portions of God’s words through Moses to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 30:12–13, then injects his own commentary in parenthetical remarks. Perhaps because he is not quoting the passage directly, he does not attribute these statements to Moses as he did when quoting from Leviticus 18 in verse 5. Here he says, “The righteousness of faith speaks in this way. . . ” He quotes Scripture to show his readers how to have righteousness by faith, which, as Paul has shown in Romans, is (and always has been) the only possible way to have righteousness.

Before telling us what the way of faith asks of us, Paul tells us what it does not demand. Moses’ words literally meant that Israel did not need further revelation from God. The people already had God’s law, which, as Paul has said, was a great advantage for the Jews (Rom. 3:1–2; 9:4). There was no need for some Israelite to ascend into heaven or cross the widest sea to bring back a word from God that the Israelites should follow in order to be saved. They already had such a word. As Dr. James M. Boice explains: “The law itself contained announcements of the gospel. This was the point of Romans 4, where Paul showed that the doctrine of justification by faith was known to Abraham and David and was taught to Israel through their stories, as well as in other places.”

Paul’s interpretation of Moses’ words helps us understand exactly what we must do to acquire righteousness. There is no need to ascend into heaven to “ ‘bring Christ down’ ” (perhaps a reference to the Jews’ belief that sincere repentance would bring the Messiah), for Christ already has come to die for the elect. Neither do we need to descend into the grave to “ ‘bring Christ up from the dead,’ ” for He already has been raised by the power of God. In short, salvation is “not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy” (Rom. 9:16). God provides our salvation; we need only believe on Christ.