Chapter 4: The Prophecy of the Law — What Does It Mean to Be Fulfilled?
From Christian Freedom! Book, Version 2
God Is the Righteous Judge (Romans 2:1–11)
Romans 2:1–11 [NASB]:
1 Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? 5 But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: 7 to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.
This section makes it clear: God is the righteous judge. Human judgment is faulty, because mankind is prone to hypocrisy. Paul highlights that those who condemn others often practice the same sins themselves. True judgment belongs only to God, whose judgment is impartial, righteous, and all-encompassing.
To the unbeliever, this exposes their foolishness: those who do not believe in God are prone to commit the very sins they condemn. To the believer, it offers hope: God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience lead us to repentance, not to condemnation. His judgment is perfect, but His grace invites us into reconciliation before the day of wrath.
Other passages confirm this truth:
Matthew 7:1–2 — “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”
James 4:12 — “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?”
John 5:22 — “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.”
These passages reinforce the lesson: we are not called to sit in judgment over others, for judgment belongs to God alone.
The Law Written on Hearts (Romans 2:12–16)
Romans 2:12–16 [NASB]:
12 For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13 for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16 on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.
Even Gentiles, without the written Mosaic Law, reveal its reality when they obey their consciences. The Law of God was always more than written commandments — it was written on hearts from creation.
Jeremiah 31:33 [NASB] prophesies this very truth:
“But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
The fulfillment of this prophecy is found in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who brings judgment and righteousness not through tablets of stone, but through the living transformation of the heart.
The Hypocrisy of Boasting in the Law (Romans 2:17–24)
Paul confronts those who boast in possessing the Law but fail to keep it. The Law was given to be a guide, a light, and an embodiment of truth, but Israel’s failure in obedience led to dishonor before the nations.
Romans 2:23–24 [NASB]:
“You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For ‘THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,’ just as it is written.”
The Law exposes hypocrisy: it shows that no amount of outward boasting, teaching, or ritual (such as circumcision) makes one righteous before God.
Circumcision of the Heart (Romans 2:25–29)
This section shows that true covenantal identity is not in outward marks of the flesh, but in the heart transformed by God’s Spirit.
Romans 2:28–29 [NASB]:
“For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”
Circumcision of the flesh was never the goal — it was a sign pointing to the deeper reality: faithful obedience from the heart. This sets the stage for Paul’s revelation of justification by faith.
The Purposes of the Law
The Law had multiple purposes, each woven into God’s redemptive plan.
1 To Expose Sin and Condemn It in the Flesh
Romans 3:20 [NASB]:
“because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
The Law reveals God’s holiness and our failure. It condemns sin in the flesh, showing us that salvation cannot come through works but only through faith in God’s Word.
Romans 7:7 [NASB]:
“I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COVET.’”
The Law exposes the reality of sin — but offers no power to overcome it.
2 To Prove the Messiah
Jesus Christ did not break the Law. He fulfilled it by embodying its heart and purpose.
Matthew 5:17 [NASB]:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”
Galatians 3:24 [NASB]:
“Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
By keeping the Law perfectly, Jesus proved Himself to be the promised Messiah — the only one able to stand blameless under its demands.
3 To Protect the Bloodline of the Messiah
The Law preserved Israel as a distinct people, safeguarding the lineage of David until the Messiah, Jesus Christ, came.
Isaiah 11:1 [NASB]:
“Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.”
Romans 9:4–5 [NASB]:
“who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.”
Through the Law, God preserved the covenant people until the fullness of time when Christ was born.
Justification by Faith, Not the Law
Romans 4:1–3 [NASB]:
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”
Abraham was justified before the Law was given. His righteousness was by faith in God’s words, not works of the flesh.
Moses, too, was counted righteous before Sinai. He believed God, obeyed His voice, and led the people out of Egypt before the written Law was established (Hebrews 11:24–29).
Romans 10:4 [NASB]:
“For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
This means the Law was never able to provide righteousness. The Law reveals sin; faith in God’s Word brings righteousness. Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is the fulfillment of that faith.
The Fulfillment of the Law in Christ
The Law is not abolished but fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Its purposes find their completion in Him:
The Law Exposes Sin, Christ Removes Sin
Romans 8:3–4 [NASB]: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
The Law revealed sin’s power; Christ broke sin’s power through His sacrifice.
The Law Proved the Messiah, Christ Embodied the Law’s Heart
John 5:39 [NASB]: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.”
Jesus fulfilled every prophecy and requirement, showing that the Law and Prophets pointed to Him.
The Law Preserved the Bloodline, Christ Brought the Promise to All Nations
Galatians 3:16 [NASB]: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as referring to many, but rather to one, ‘And to your seed,’ that is, Christ.”
The Law safeguarded Israel until the promised Seed came. Now, in Christ, the promise extends to all who believe.
The Law is thus established, not nullified (Romans 3:31). Its role as tutor, guardian, and protector has found its completion in the person and work of Jesus Christ. What the Law pointed to dimly, Christ fulfilled in fullness.