The righteous will live by his faith by Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

The righteous will live by his faith

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce 

Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical Precepts & Gospel music

 

 Scriptures reading Romans 1:8-17

 The Power of God’s salvation

         ⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. ⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; ¹⁰Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.¹¹For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; ¹²That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.  ¹³Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.¹⁴I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. ¹⁵So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. ¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

  

Verse 7 saints – The word means holy ones or set apart ones. The N.T. designates all believers as saints because they are by position holy and set apart to God (Phil.4:21; Col.1:2)

Verse 9 serve in my spirit– the Greek word means serve in worship; it is used in Matt.4:10; 2Tim.1:3; Phil.3:3 and Luke 2:37. Paul considered his preaching of the gospel a worship and service to God, not merely a work. in my spirit Not the Spirit of God but Paul’s regenerated spirit. The Spirit is different from the heart, soul, mind, emotion, will, or natural life. Christ and the Spirit are with the believers in their regenerated human spirit (2Tim.4:22; Rom. 8:16). In the book of Romans Paul stressed that whatever we are (2:29; 8:5-6,9), whatever we have (8:10,16), and whatever we do toward God (v.9;7:6;8:4,13,12:11) must be in this spirit. Paul served God in his regenerated spirit by the indwelling Christ, the life-giving Spirit, not in his soul by the power and ability of the soul. This is the first important item in his preaching of the gospel.

     Verse 16 the Power of God -denoting a powerful force that in break through any obstacle. This power is the resurrected Christ Himself, who is the life-giving Spirit, and it is unto salvation to everyone who believes. Salvation-- to save the believing ones not only from God’s condemnation and from eternal perdition but also from their natural life and their self, that they may be sanctified, transformed, and built up with others as the one Body of Christ to be His fullness and expression (Eph.1:23). Salvation has three facets: past salvation from the penalties of sin (Luke7:50); present salvation from the power of sin in the daily life (Rom.5:10); and future salvation from the actual presence of sin (in heaven) (1Cor.3:15; 5:5). This salvation comes to everyone who believes. We receive and experience it through faith, which is both assent to the truths of the gospel and genuine confidence in the Savior Himself.

            Verse 17 righteousness of God. In John 3:16 God’s love is the source and motive of God’s salvation. In Eph2:5, 8 God’s grace is the means of God’s salvation. In Romans 1:17 God’s righteousness is the power of God’s salvation. God’s righteousness, which is solid and steadfast, is the foundation of His throne (Psa.89:14) and the base on which His kingdom is built (Rom.14:17). Legally, both love and grace can fluctuate, but righteousness cannot. It is even more so with God’s righteousness. It is God’s righteousness, not ours, that is revealed in the gospel of God. Hence, the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.

         Out of faith -- the righteousness of God justifies us that we may have God’s life (5:18) and live by it. In this way this life will sanctify and transform us thoroughly. This book covers mainly our being justified (1:1-5:11;9:1-11:36), our having life (5:12-8:39), and our living properly by this life (12:1-16:27).Since this verse also stresses these three points, it may be considered an abstract of the entire book.

A righteousness from God. I.e., the restoration of right relations between man and God, which proceeds from God’s gift through His Son. It is by faith from first to last. Faith from start to finish. The righteous will live by faith. Quoting Hab.2:4 Paul is emphasizing that one can be righteous in God’s sight only through faith; he who is just through faith shall live now and forever by faith. (Gal.3:11, Heb.10:38.). the righteous shall live (enjoy deliverance and abundance of life) by his faith, or better, faithfulness; i.e.., moral steadfastness. A person who has faith is a person who trusts and who can be trusted.  In vv.16-17 is the essence of Paul’s theology: Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.

 

Bibliography,

 

Friberg, Timothy, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller et al., eds. Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament.1^st ed. Victoria BC: Trafford Publishing, 2005.

 

            King James, The Holy Bible, Cleveland, OH: The world publishing company

                       

            Lee, Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.

          

            Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.