The Just Shall Live By Faith

Romans
1:17
The Way of Salvation


Introductory Thoughts

· Now the introduction to the letter is over, and we get down to the real business at hand, as Paul introduces the real topic of his letter.
· Three parts to Romans:
-- Man cannot save himself—1:18-3:20
-- Only God can save us—3:21-11:36
-- Once we are saved, God expects us to live for Him—12:1-16:26

* The Thesis of Romans--"the just shall live by faith." 1:16-17

1. Righteousness From God—"...Rom 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…”

a. This is righteousness from God. This is not talking about the vindication of God for forgiving us, though that is mentioned later
(1) This righteousness is apart from the law… Rom 3:21

(2) It is not against the law, as Paul says later in the chapter. Indeed, it upholds the law, and in a way, this righteousness comes from the Law, because it comes from the perfect obedience that the sinless Son of God performed on earth.
(3) The righteousness of God which Paul talks about here has no relationship to human works whatsoever; this is the righteousness revealed in the Gospel.

b. "....Rom 3:22 even the righteousness of God. through faith in Jesus Christ..."

(1) The merit is that of Christ Jesus Himself. This is not the righteousness FROM God, this is the righteousness OF God.
(2) When a man or woman stands justified by Christ, they have on their record, written in blood, the very righteousness bought and paid for by the God-man, Jesus Christ.
(3) This righteousness comes to us THROUGH faith.
(4) Faith is not the GROUND of our right standing with God--this is very important—
(a) It is NOT that God saw we couldn’t obey the law, so He instituted an easier law.
(b) It is NOT that instead of obeying the law, we generate faith from within ourselves and satisfy God by one work, faith, instead of many...NO!
(c) The Ground of our righteousness, and our only claim to anything is the sacrifice of Christ. The basis for our salvation is that we have the merits of Christ Himself, transferred legally to our account.

c. The medium of the transfer, the way that God brings us to receive this righteousness, is the medium of faith. We are saved BY GRACE--by the mercy and acts of God THROUGH FAITH...

(1) This way of Righteousness deals with our sin completely
(2) On the Cross, God worked out His way of redemption for all to see--and in so doing, He demonstrated His love, mercy, justice, goodness, wrath against sin, omnipotence, omniscience, sovereignty, and Holiness, all at the same time.
(3) There are three things in which Christianity is vastly different from the various human religions: We serve a risen Savior; Our way of salvation is totally apart from human effort and merit; In the Cross, a Holy God DEALS WITH SIN
(4) God’s broken law is not ignored
(5) The offense of sin and rebellion against the Holy LORD is not just forgotten
(6) Sin is dealt with!

d. This way of righteousness involves a legal transaction which forever changes the legal standing of the one who is justified thereby
e. This righteousness we receive is imputed righteousness--that is a theological term which means righteousness is put to our account, just like a deposit put in our bank account by someone else. God legally declares us to be righteous, and puts that on our record in Heaven—Rom 4:1-8
f. This changed state is permanent—Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

4. Revealed From Faith to Faith— Rom 1:17

a. This righteousness is revealed now, but it is not new.
(1) Salvation by grace through faith is not a new teaching-- "The Just shall live by faith" is an OT teaching.
(2) This is part of an ancient plan and mystery, hidden by God but now revealed, but this is not some new way to heaven. Faith alone has always been the only way to heaven, but the plan was not revealed until now.
(3) The law was never a way of salvation, it was always and only our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.
b. From Faith to Faith—that is, from each individual to another—from faith to faith, to faith, etc. Paul confessed to the Philippians: (Phil. 3:8-9).
c. The German pietist Count Zinzendorf wrote, in a profound hymn,
(i) Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
(ii) My beauty are, my glorious dress;
(iii) ‘Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
(iv) With joy shall I lift up my head.
(v) Bold shall I stand in Thy great day,
(vi) For who aught to my charge shall lay?
(vii) Fully absolved through these I am,
(viii) From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.
(2) From faith to faith seems to parallel “everyone who believes” in the previous verse. If so, the idea is “from faith to faith to faith to faith,” as if Paul were singling out the faith of each individual believer. Salvation by His grace working through man’s faith was always God’s plan, as Paul here implies in quoting from Habakkuk 2:4, as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.” Abraham, the father of the faithful, believed, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (Rom. 4:3), just as every person’s genuine faith, before and after Abraham, has been reckoned to him as righteousness (see Heb. 11:4-40). John MacArthur
d. The World’s Idea of Religion—Quid Pro Quo
(1) Israel—Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? See also Rom 10:1-3
(2) Islam—Your good deeds balanced with your bad deeds.
(4) Buddhism—through successive rebirths, divinity (nothingness, really) is achieved.
(5) Mormonism—ceremonies and works enable you to become a “god” of your own.
(6) Jehovah’s Witnesses—obedience earns you a spot in an earthly paradise.
(7) “Christian” works religions—combine works and grace, as man cooperates with God in salvation—it is a teamwork thing…..see Rom 11:5-6

5. The Problem With the World’s Ideas
a. Our Quid (our work) is no good—Is 64:6
b. Even if our works had some value, we really don’t want to do right by God anyway—Rom 3:10-11
c. Even if our Quid was good, even if we were willing to work, we can’t work enough to make a difference—the debt is too big…
(1) The Standard—perfection—Lev 18:5, Deu 27:26
(2) Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
(3) James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

d. The Bible specifically says that works do not save.
(1) We are not saved by works—Eph 2:9, Gal 2:16—
(2) WE ARE saved apart from works—Rom 4:1-8, Ep 2:8-9

5. God’s Way of Salvation (The Romans Road)

The Romans Road

God is angry at the sin and rebellion of mankind. Rom 1:18
All human beings are sinners. Rom 3:10-11, 23
We are condemned because of our sin. Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;
We cannot be right in God’s eyes by anything we do. Rom 3:20
Christ’s sacrifice for sinners pays the debt we cannot pay. Rom 5:8-9
Only by faith in Christ can we be right with God. Rom 3:21-22, Rom 5:1
We must confess who Jesus is, and believe in what He has done. Rom 10:9-10