It is a fatal error to imagine that God ever justified anyone by a mixture of faith and works. The assumption persists because we see sacrifices, the Law, and religious observance in the Old Testament, but Scripture does not allow us to draw this conclusion. The testimony of the Bible is unwavering: righteousness has always been granted on the basis of faith, apart from works. The Apostle Paul does not treat this as a minor point; he makes it the dividing line between blessing and curse, justification and condemnation, the finished work of Christ and the futility of human effort.
The Pattern Established Before the Law
Paul’s argument in Romans and Galatians is not a theological innovation—it is a return to the very foundation God laid with Abraham. Before Sinai, before circumcision, before a single commandment was given, Abraham believed God’s promise concerning the Seed—Christ—and his faith was counted to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3). This is not an isolated case. Abel, Enoch, and Noah were all commended for their faith, not their works. The principle is clear: God justifies the ungodly who trust Him, not those who attempt to establish their own righteousness.
“And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
The Law: Exposing the Curse, Not Providing Righteousness
When the Law entered, it did not introduce a new way of justification. Instead, it exposed the impossibility of being justified by works. Paul uses David—who lived under the Law—as his next example. David describes the “blessedness” of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works (Psalm 32:1-2; Romans 4:6-8). The Law’s function is not to provide a ladder to righteousness, but a mirror to reveal our inability and the curse that falls on all who rely on it.
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” (Galatians 3:10)
To seek justification by the Law is to place oneself under a curse, for the Law demands perfection and exposes every failure. This is not a theoretical danger; it is the inevitable outcome for anyone who looks to their own performance.
Christ: The Only Redeemer from the Curse
The Law’s curse is not the end of the story. Paul declares that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He bore the full weight of the Law’s condemnation so that justification could be given freely to those who believe. This is not an alternative path; it is the only path. If righteousness could come by works—if even one person, in any age, could have been justified by their own effort—then Christ’s death was pointless (Galatians 2:21). To accept any system that mingles works with faith is to empty the cross of its power and to forfeit the very inheritance God intends for His sons.
What Is Lost If This Truth Is Denied
If you accept the error that justification was ever by works, you lose everything:
- Justification collapses—there is no assurance, only the curse of the Law for those who fail.
- Inheritance is forfeited—God’s promise becomes conditional, and sonship is replaced by slavery.
- The finished work of Christ is rendered unnecessary—if righteousness could come by works, Christ died in vain.
This is not a secondary issue; it is the heart of the gospel and the dividing line between life and death.
The Unbroken Testimony: Faith Alone, Always
From the Patriarchs to the prophets, from David to Paul, the testimony is unified: God justifies the ungodly by faith, apart from works. Imputed righteousness is not a wage for the diligent, but a gift for the believing. The Law was never a means of life; it was a ministry of condemnation, driving us to Christ. The only way to stand before God is to abandon every hope in our own performance and rest in the redemption accomplished by Christ.
God has never justified anyone on any other basis. The gospel is not a new message, but the unveiling of what God has always purposed: that the just shall live by faith. To teach otherwise is not merely to err in doctrine, but to cut oneself off from the very blessing and life that God gives.
Righteousness has always been by faith apart from works. This is the only ground on which God justifies, the only way to receive an inheritance, and the only basis for true sonship. Anything less is a return to the curse.
