The Promise Came by Faith
Rom 4:13-15 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Mt 5:5 Such is also affirmed by the righteous who in the end will declare to the Lord, "You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." Rev 5:9b-10 Part of the promise involves the righteous reigning on earth, of which Jesus also alludes to in a number of his parables, such as the parable of the minas of Luke 19:11-27.
Faith is the key. Faith is devalued by those who make salvation contingent upon ceremony or conformity to rules and regulations. Infant baptism certainly comes under this category for those who are under the misconception either that children born of Christian parents are to be automatically reckoned part of the Church or saved through water baptism. For there is a complete absence of faith on the infant's part with regards to such ideas.
The law brings wrath in that it not only brings accountability but also temptation. For Paul later writes, "Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." Rom 7:7-11
One cannot transgress if there is no law, since the "trans" in "transgress" refers to crossing a boundary, which in this case is established by the law. But remember also that we all have a law in ourselves established by the conscience. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) Rom 2:14,15 But if hypothetically there were no law, there would be no transgression. But with the introduction of law, whether that of conscience or written law comes wrath rather than salvation. Thus salvation cannot come through law.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
Rom 4:13-15 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
Jesus said, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." Mt 5:5 Such is also affirmed by the righteous who in the end will declare to the Lord, "You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." Rev 5:9b-10 Part of the promise involves the righteous reigning on earth, of which Jesus also alludes to in a number of his parables, such as the parable of the minas of Luke 19:11-27.
Faith is the key. Faith is devalued by those who make salvation contingent upon ceremony or conformity to rules and regulations. Infant baptism certainly comes under this category for those who are under the misconception either that children born of Christian parents are to be automatically reckoned part of the Church or saved through water baptism. For there is a complete absence of faith on the infant's part with regards to such ideas.
The law brings wrath in that it not only brings accountability but also temptation. For Paul later writes, "Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." Rom 7:7-11
One cannot transgress if there is no law, since the "trans" in "transgress" refers to crossing a boundary, which in this case is established by the law. But remember also that we all have a law in ourselves established by the conscience. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) Rom 2:14,15 But if hypothetically there were no law, there would be no transgression. But with the introduction of law, whether that of conscience or written law comes wrath rather than salvation. Thus salvation cannot come through law.
The Berean Christian Bible Study Resources
