Saint Paul Writing His Epistles by Valentin de Boulogne
Paul’s central message to believers in Rome is this: Salvation is only possible through the gospel of Jesus Christ. You could try to save yourself by obeying the law, but you will forever fall short until you receive the grace that is freely offered to you by the Savior.
He opens the letter with the following words of blessing: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7). And he offers a similar affirmation at the end: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Romans 16:24). Throughout the letter, he explains clearly why that grace is needed. “All have sinned,” he says, “and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:22-23).
Book of Mormon prophets taught the same principle. For example, Abinadi corrected the priests of King Noah: “Ye have said that salvation cometh by the law of Moses…. I say unto you, that salvation doth not come by the law alone; and were it not for the atonement, which God himself shall make for the sins and iniquities of his people, that they must unavoidably perish, notwithstanding the law of Moses” (Mosiah 13:27-28).
In support of this central message, here are some principles Paul teaches in the first six chapters of this epistle:
1. “The just shall live by faith.”
The ancient prophet Habakkuk emphasized that there is power in remaining faithful in the absence of knowledge. “Though [the vision] tarry,” he said, “wait for it; because it will surely come…. The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:3-4).
Paul quotes the last part of this passage after explaining why he is so bold in declaring the gospel. “It is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth,” he said. Therefore, “the righteousness of God [is] revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:16-17).
It’s more comfortable to know before we do or to see before we believe. But the Savior promises growth as we trust Him and extend ourselves beyond the boundaries of our direct knowledge. Here is a blog post on the topic:
2. “There is none righteous.”
Paul quotes another Old Testament passage to illustrate the principle that we all need God’s grace. Two psalms which are nearly identical paint a dismal picture of humanity:
They are all gone aside,
Psalm 14:3 (see also Psalm 53:3.)
they are all together become filthy:
there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
After quoting this passage, Paul adds that measured against the demands of the law, our behavior will always fall short. “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20). Or as Lehi told his son Jacob, “By the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off” (2 Nephi 2:5). We must rely on God, because only by His grace can we be saved.
Moroni added a key insight when he quoted part of this passage at the end of the Book of Mormon: When we do good, it is “by the power and gifts of God.” Therefore, if we deny the gifts of God, “there shall be none that doeth good among [us], no not one” (Moroni 10:25).
Here is a blog post about this principle:
3. “Tribulation worketh patience.”
How can we develop more patience and become more hopeful? The hard truth, as Paul explains, is that we build these characteristics by facing difficult challenges. “We glory in tribulations also,” wrote Paul, “knowing that tribulation worketh patience” (Romans 5:3). Elder Neal A. Maxwell commented on that verse: “What a vital attribute patience is if tribulation is worth enduring to bring about its development!” (“Patience,” Brigham Young University Devotional Address, 27 November 1979).
The people of Alma in the land of Helam learned that patience is part of the curriculum of Christian discipleship: “The Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith” (Mosiah 23:21). Here is a blog post about this vital Christlike attribute:
4. “Walk in newness of life.”
When we are baptized, Paul wrote, our old life is buried in the water. We should let it go and “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
In the version of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus delivered on the American continent, He declared, “Old things are done away, and all things have become new” (3 Nephi 12:47). It seems clear that the gospel path requires us to let things go which we no longer need and embrace better things as we receive them. Here is a blog post on that topic:
Not Ashamed
Shame is a feeling of self-consciousness because you have done something wrong. Unfortunately, we can sometimes feel ashamed when we have done nothing wrong. Paul models the behavior of a disciple by saying, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.”
Patient Continuance
Enduring to the end is an active process: continuing to do good with an ongoing commitment to eternal goals. It involves learning and growing. It is an uplifting process that can also be called “enjoying to the end.”
Only by His Grace
In his epistle to the Romans, Paul testifies that we are justified only by God’s grace. Lehi, Jacob, and Nephi taught the same principle. When we recognize that we need Him, we will seek to align ourselves with Him, so that we can receive His power.
Imputed to Him for Righteousness
God imputed righteousness to Abraham because of his faith. To impute something is to give them credit for it. Abraham did some good things, and he made some mistakes, but God called him righteous because he kept believing in God’s promise.
Atonement and Reconciliation
To be “at one with” someone is to be in a state of agreement and peace. Jesus made it possible for our relationship with God to be healed, and one word for that reconciliation is “atonement,” the gift which enables us to be “at one” with God.
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