Romans 4:4 : Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt. The word reckon is met with so often in this fourth chapter that it is well for us to notice carefully its significance. The reward is reckoned to the person that works, because it is his due. Paul is not condemning salvation by works in this verse; he is merely stating a truth. We can rest assured that if we could so work as to bring God in debt to us to the extent of our salvation, he would pay that debt. But for that to be true, a person's work would have to be perfect--he would have to so live as to never sin, never incur any guilt. But if a man sins once, salvation can never come to him as a debt. Such a man can never be justified by works of law. He needs forgiveness, and the law does not for-give; it condemns. No perfection of works will blot out, or forgive, a sin already committed, nor make void grace in the forgiveness of that sin. Much random talk has been indulged in on this verse (Romans 4:4), and much of it is very hurtful. It has been made to do service in an effort to prove that a sinner could do nothing in order to be saved. Paul had no such point in view. If we keep in mind his argument, we will have no trouble in seeing his point; but if we switch his language from his line of argument and make his language refer to the conditions on which pardon is offered to an alien sinner, we misrepresent him and lose ourselves in the confusion of our own no-tions. To me it seems inexcusable that a person should so misunderstand Paul as to draw the following conclusion: "Indeed, it seems to be difficult even at the present time for many to grasp the idea of righteous-ness that does not depend on human effort." Surely the author did not properly consider the import of his words. If a Universalist or an Ultra-Calvinist had penned such words, we would not be surprised. Not only am I not able to grasp the idea of a righteousness that does not depend on human effort, but I do not believe there is such righteousness in any human being. If a human being is made righteous without any human effort, then why are not all righteous? It is certain that the most of them are not making any effort to at-thin to righteousness.