Paul's letter to the Romans immediately conjures up "justification by faith through grace," the catch-phrase of the Reformation, the cornerstone of our postmodern confidence. While it is true that Paul's most eloquent, powerful declarations of this truth are in Romans, that is not the sum total of the letter. In fact, this week's epistle lesson is the transitional point between the two foci of Paul's letter.

Paul's first four chapters discuss this miraculous justification we have received through the gift of grace. But Paul next moves into an extended consideration of the spiritual life, of what it means to be one who receives God's free gift. Thus Paul himself sets up the tension between grace and good works as he discusses how a Spirit-filled Christian life should be lived.

In good trans…