@Inquisitor , written this morning to clarity misconceptions I saw on this thread.
Works of the Law Explained
Introduction
The phrase “works of the law” appears in the Bible and is often misunderstood. Many people think it means all obedience or all good works. But when we read carefully, using the words of Jesus first, then the apostles, and finally Paul, a clearer picture appears. This paper explains what “works of the law” truly means, using simple language, and shows how faith, obedience, and God’s grace fit together.
All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version (NKJV).
The Law According to Jesus
Jesus never spoke against obedience to God. He never taught that God’s commandments were a problem. Instead, He corrected false ideas about how people used the law.
Jesus said He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17). He warned that whoever breaks even the least commandment and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19).
Jesus explained that true obedience begins in the heart. Anger is the root of murder (Matthew 5:21–22). Lust is the root of adultery (Matthew 5:27–28). This shows that the problem was never the law itself, but the way people tried to keep it outwardly while their hearts stayed unchanged.
Jesus also made clear that eternal life is connected to obedience. He said, “
If you want to enter into life,
keep the commandments” (Matthew 19:17). He also said, “
If anyone loves Me,
he will keep My word” (John 14:23), and “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).
Jesus never used the phrase “works of the law,” but
He clearly rejected the idea that outward religious actions, done for pride or self‑justification, could make someone righteous before God (Matthew 6:1–5). This prepares us to understand the phrase later used by Paul.
True Works as Jesus Taught Them
Jesus clearly explained what true works look like in the eyes of God. These works do not come from trying to earn righteousness, but from love, mercy, and obedience that flow from the heart. This is the kind of work God seeks.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all the heart, soul, and mind, and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. He added, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). This shows that love is the core of the law, and all true works come from love.
Jesus gave clear examples. He said feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, and visiting prisoners are works done to Him personally (Matthew 25:35–40). These are not rituals or identity markers. They are acts of mercy done out of love.
Jesus also taught that forgiveness is a true work of faith. He said, “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). Refusing to forgive shows a heart that has not truly understood God’s mercy.
He taught that obedience itself is a work that comes from love. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Obedience is not opposed to love. Obedience is love lived out.
Jesus warned against empty works done for show. He spoke against giving, praying, and fasting to be seen by others (Matthew 6:1–18). These actions looked religious, but they were not true works because they did not come from love for God.
He also said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Doing the Father’s will is the true work that matters.
Jesus said, “A good tree bears good fruit” (Matthew 7:17).
True works are the fruit of a good heart changed by God. They grow naturally from faith and love.
What the Apostles Taught
The disciples of Jesus continued His teaching. They did not say the law was evil. They taught that obedience must come from real faith.
James said that faith without works is dead (James 2:17). He explained that Abraham’s faith was made complete by his actions (James 2:22). These works did not replace faith. They showed that faith was alive.
James also spoke of the royal law and the law of liberty (James 2:8, 2:12). This shows that God’s law, when lived from the heart, brings freedom, not bondage.
Peter warned believers not to use freedom as a cover for evil, but to live as servants of God (1 Peter 2:16). John said, “He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar” (1 John 2:4).
The apostles never taught that obedience earns salvation. They taught that obedience is the fruit of salvation.
What “Works of the Law” Means in Paul’s Letters
Paul is the only biblical writer who uses the exact phrase “works of the law.” To understand him correctly, his words must be read in context.
Paul said, “By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Romans 3:20). He also wrote, “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16).
Paul was not attacking obedience itself. He was speaking against the idea that people could be declared righteous by God through law-based actions, especially outward rituals and identity markers.
In Paul’s time, many believed circumcision, food laws, ritual purity, and calendar observances could place someone in right standing with God. Paul argued that these things could not justify anyone before God.
First, circumcision. This was the clearest example. A man entered the covenant by being circumcised (Genesis 17). Many believed that without this act, a Gentile could not belong to God’s people. Paul directly opposed this idea when circumcision was treated as a requirement for justification (Galatians 5:2).
Second, food laws. Eating only clean foods and avoiding foods called unclean separated Jews from Gentiles every day, at every meal (Leviticus 11). These rules marked identity, but they did not change the heart.
Third, ritual washings and purity rules. These included washings after contact with certain things, people, or events. These were not moral actions like loving or forgiving. They were ritual rules tied to ceremonial purity.
Fourth, temple sacrifices and feast observances. Bringing offerings, keeping appointed feasts, and following temple rules were tied to the priesthood and the sacrificial system.
These are called “works of the law” because they are things
written in the law that must be done outwardly, often tied to identity, ritual, and covenant signs.
What they are not. They are not loving God. They are not loving your neighbor. They are not obeying God from the heart.
Paul also said the law is holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12). The problem, he said, was sin in the human heart (Romans 7:13).
Paul spoke of the obedience that comes from faith, calling it “the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). True faith produces obedience.
To conclude, “Works of the law” does not mean obedience to God in general. It means relying on law‑based actions, especially outward and ritual acts, as a way to be justified before God.
Jesus taught obedience from the heart. The apostles taught that real faith produces works. Paul taught that justification comes by grace through faith, not by trusting in law‑keeping. All of them agree that a saved person will walk in obedience, not to earn life, but because life has already been given.
Grace is the starting point. Faith receives it. Love fulfills the law. Obedience is the fruit.
