Romans 4:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

NIV: because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

NASB: for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.

CSB: because the law produces wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.

NLT: For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

KJV: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

NKJV: because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

Paul has said flat out in the previous verse that God's promises to Abraham and his descendants, Israel, are worthless if they depend on Israel following the law of Moses. For one thing, the promises were made long before the law existed (Romans 4:13–14). For another thing, nobody is able to keep the law (Romans 3:23). So the promises would be empty, based on a condition that cannot be met. Many of Abraham's descendants never had the law, and even those who did would not be able to keep it!

Paul's primary point comes across more clearly as this letter continues. The law cannot deliver the promises of God, since nobody can keep the law. Instead, Paul now writes, the law brings God's wrath in judgment for human sin, for lawbreaking. Without the law, on the other hand, Paul writes that there is no transgression. Nobody can break a law that doesn't exist, or which doesn't apply to him.

This is not meant to be understood to mean those not under the law have never sinned. Everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23), and has done so without any valid excuse (Romans 1:18–20). Paul simply means that those who are not under the law have not broken the law, specifically.

Romans 4:13–25 continues to focus on the faith of Abraham. God made promises to Abraham and his descendants, promises which Abraham believed. Those promises can't be received by keeping the law, but only by faith. God promised Abraham a son with Sarah, and Abraham continued to believe that promise would be kept even as it became less and less likely in human terms. We, too, can be counted as righteous by faith in Jesus' death for our sins and God's resurrection of Him for our justification.

Romans 4 is all about the faith of Abraham. God declared Abraham righteous because of his faith, not because of his works. A declaration of righteousness was God's gift, not a payment. This righteousness is available to everyone, circumcised or not. God declared Abraham righteous many years before he was circumcised, making him the spiritual father of all who believe, whether circumcised or not, whether Jew or Gentile. God's promises to Abraham and his offspring can't be received by keeping the law, only by faith. Abraham's faith in God's promise of a son with Sarah did not waver even as he grew older. God will declare us righteous, as well, if by faith we believe in the God who delivered Jesus to die for our sins and raised Him back to life for our justification.

So far, this letter has established that every single person is guilty of sin and does not deserve God's forgiveness. Whether we know God's law explicitly, or not, we still fail to obey. Only faith in Christ can rescue us from the penalty we deserve for that sin. Romans 4 explores the example of Abraham, and God's amazing gift of declaring Abraham righteous solely on the basis of his faith. This declaration was given many years before Abraham was circumcised, causing Abraham to become the father of all who believe God by faith. Abraham's continued faith in God is a model for us. Romans will continue by exploring how Christ brings us peace with God.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.