“Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
Romans 3:28
Justified by Faith—Not by Law
Let this be settled: you are justified by faith in Christ, apart from the works of the Law. This is not a secondary point; it is the foundation of the Gospel itself. The Law could not justify you, and it cannot sanctify you. To return to the Law as a rulebook for Christian living is not only futile—it is a denial of the very means by which you stand before God. If you were made right with God apart from the Law, why would you now turn back to it as if it could perfect you?
Paul’s conclusion is unyielding: justification is by faith alone, without the deeds of the Law. The Law never had the power to bring you into God’s favor, and it certainly has no power to keep you there or to make you holy. The Law’s only function was to expose your inability and drive you to Christ. To look to the Law for sanctification is to abandon the ground of faith and to forfeit the blessing that is yours in Christ.
Living by Faith—From Start to Finish
The Christian life does not begin with faith only to continue by works. The same faith that justified you is the faith by which you must now live. The Gospel reveals the righteousness of God “from faith to faith”—from first to last, it is faith, never works. The just shall live by faith, not by rulekeeping or self-effort.
To live by faith is to believe in Jesus—continually, exclusively, and without mixture. This is not a passive suggestion; it is the only way to experience God’s blessing. God’s blessing is not a vague promise of improved circumstances. It is the gift of Himself: the indwelling Spirit, and God Himself as your righteousness. He does not merely help you become righteous; He is your righteousness. He does not merely give you a new rulebook; He gives you a new identity.
What Is Lost If You Return to the Law
If you attempt to live the Christian life by the Law—by rulekeeping, by self-improvement, by measuring your progress—you lose far more than peace of mind. You forfeit the very experience of sanctification and true Christian living. The Law cannot produce holiness; it can only expose failure. To return to the Law is to step out of the realm of blessing and into a cycle of frustration and defeat. Worse, it is to undermine the finished work of Christ and to set aside the inheritance you have as a son. The Law offers no power, no Spirit, no righteousness—only demand and condemnation.
Embrace Your New Identity
Believer, your new identity is rooted in Christ alone. You are justified by faith, sanctified by faith, and you live by faith. God’s blessing—His Spirit, His righteousness, His very life—is yours, not as a reward for effort, but as the fruit of believing. Christ is not your example to imitate by your own strength; He is your life, your sanctification, your reward.
Do not be deceived: to mix Law with faith is to lose both. Stand firm in the freedom for which Christ has set you free. Let your conscience be cleansed, not by your performance, but by the blood and righteousness of Jesus. Live as one who is justified, sanctified, and blessed—not by the Law, but by faith in the Son of God.
Further Reading:
Christ as our Righteousness, Sanctification, and Reward
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