Utilyan, stop and think a little bit. The following scriptures, in their context are they describing initial faith in the gospel event or are they describing Christians long after their initial gospel salvation event? Now, it is obvious that it is the latter and not the former due to the context. In Romans 4 Paul is referring to the initial gospel salvation event not a post-Christian salvation condition. Here is the crux of our problem with each other. You respond by choosing texts that belong to the post gospel conversion event (progressive sanctification) whereas Romans 3:24-5:2 is about the initial gospel salvation event (justification). How can we successfully communicate with each other if you are choosing scriptures that do not even relate by context to the context of Romans 3:24-5:2? Answer? We cannot relate to each other. You are taking scriptures that relate to the Christian WALK while I am speaking of the scriptures that relate to the initial experience of becoming a Christian.
The common sense perspective is someone who reads the bible doesn't start at ROMANS.
He would read from Genesis to Acts and nothing about it would remotely spark off "faith alone".
When he would arrive at romans when clearly Paul takes up his Jewish position like a devil's advocate to explain to the Jews that the works of the Law don't give them a superior position over Gentiles.
The root error being made is that Jewish works of the Law implies all works and all laws.
My understanding.
Romans
He starts off telling folks not to sin and not to judge others.
Around Romans 2 this judging others gets on the case of Jews and their equality to gentiles.
How gentiles become law onto themselves. How they become circumcised internally.
IN romans 3 Paul makes himself a hard core Jew to explain the defects between the Law vs Faith.
"What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;"
When he says "we have already charged" He is speaking as a hard core Jew.
Under the works of the law EVERYONE is condemned.
“THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
13“THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,”
“THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS”;
14“WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS”;
15“THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.”
18“THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.”
"All fall short the glory of God, all are dirty rags."
19Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God;
20because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law
comes the knowledge of sin.
All that condemnation is towards those who are under the works of the law.
27Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.
28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
29Or is God
the God of Jews only? Is He not
the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,
30since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.
There is still a LAW around and inclusive Law of Faith.
The Jews had a exclusive works of the law.
Romans
28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.
29Or is God
the God of Jews only? Is He not
the God of Gentiles also?
If Paul believed the opposite he would have said
28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith WITH THE works of the Law.
29Since God is God of the Jews ONLY.
Works of the Law = JEWS
^not ALL works not ALL Laws.
If we did not maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law, we would exclude gentiles. But since God is GOD of the gentiles ALSO we are justified as being under God by faith.
Paul is not ditching the works of the law. To do so would ditch all Jews entirely. He even says right after:
31Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.
Keep in mind this "works of the Law" applies to Jews only.
Romans 7
1Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?
2For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.
3So then, if while her husband is living she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress though she is joined to another man.
4Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.
5For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were
aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.
6But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.
Laws HERE....LAWS there....LAWS up and down and everywhere
21I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good.
22For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man,
23but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.
24Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.
Serving the Law of God is not a bad thing.
All this is from Romans.
Romans 12
8Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled
the law.
9For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
10Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of
the law.
11Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.
Paul says do this, Nothing combative with commandments vs law vs faith vs love. The whole thing is beautiful, none of it is fighting each other.
