Romans 3:31

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Romans 3:31 (KJV)

Context

Paul writes Romans to explain the gospel’s power for salvation. In Romans 3:21-31, he sets forth the great truth of justification by faith apart from works of the law. He has just declared that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, and that believers are justified freely by God’s grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. This teaching could easily be misunderstood as making the law worthless, so Paul answers that objection directly in this verse.

Meaning

Paul asks a rhetorical question: “Do we then make void the law through faith?” The Greek word translated “make void” means to nullify, abolish, or render inoperative. His answer is emphatic: “God forbid!” This is a strong negation, meaning “May it never be!” Far from destroying the law, Paul declares that faith establishes it. The word “establish” means to uphold, confirm, or cause to stand. Faith in Christ does not undermine the law; it confirms the law’s validity and demonstrates its true purpose.

Faith establishes the law by affirming its righteous requirements. The law reveals the reality of sin and shows every person their need for a Savior. When a sinner trusts in Christ, the law’s just condemnation is satisfied, and the believer is freed from its penalty. The law is not set aside; it is fulfilled in Christ, who lived perfectly, died sacrificially, and rose again. Through faith, believers acknowledge the holiness of God’s law and are called to live in obedience to it out of love for Him.

Biblical connections

Jesus Himself affirmed the enduring importance of the law in Matthew 5:17, declaring that He came not to destroy the law but to fulfill it. Christ’s fulfillment of the law does not mean believers are under its condemnation; rather, it means the law’s righteous demands have been met. This verse also serves as a transition to Romans 4, where Paul uses Abraham as the example of justification by faith, showing that faith and the law work together in God’s redemptive plan rather than in conflict.

Application

This verse guards against antinomianism, the error that faith makes the law irrelevant for believers. Faith does not give license to sin; it provides the motivation and empowerment to live according to God’s standards. The law condemns, and the gospel saves. When believers trust in Christ, they do not discard God’s moral law but embrace it as a revelation of His righteous character. Faith establishes the law by showing that God’s standards are true and that His grace is the only way to meet them.

Reflection

Paul’s emphatic rejection of the idea that faith nullifies the law reveals the harmony between law and gospel. The law and the gospel are not enemies; they work together in God’s plan of redemption. The law shows the depth of human sin, and the gospel reveals the greatness of God’s grace. Faith in Christ confirms the law’s validity and points to the Savior who fulfilled it perfectly.