Romans 1:16-17 - Part 3

Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 1.

Romans 1 · chapter mention

!

I want to begin by reiterating what I stated the previous two times we looked at this text.

We must be careful to get these verses rightly understood.

Martin Lloyd-Jones, in his preaching of these verses, said,

I suppose that, in a sense, there are no two verses of greater importance in the whole of Scripture than the two verses which we are now considering.

You have heard me say, if we misunderstand these verses, then we will find ourselves misunderstanding the gospel itself.

If we don't get these verses right, our evangelism will go awry and we will lose our ability to be effective witnesses to our great salvation.

We will either get the message itself wrong or we will get the methodology of preaching that message wrong and likely both.

So, we have some careful work to do this morning and I pray we will rightly understand all that's held for us in the final phrases of these two verses.

Before I read them, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and for our good.

And so, we do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and to obey its commands.

Paul writes, Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and 17.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel.

For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith.

As it is written, the righteous shall live by faith.

And we have carefully considered the phrase, for I am not ashamed of the gospel.

We've given you reasons why Paul wasn't and why we ought not be ashamed of the gospel.

Right there in the text is very reasoning, the phrase we considered last Lord's Day.

For it is the power of God for salvation.

And we thought about what it meant to be saved.

Saved from and saved to.

And how it is that the gospel is powerful.

This morning we will take the rest of verse 16 and all of 17 phrase by phrase.

We've broken that down into four pieces together.

The first of which is to everyone who believes.

So, Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel.

For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

Paul does not state that the gospel will save everyone.

To understand the text that way would be the error of universalism.

He qualifies who will be saved.

Everyone who believes.

Or you could say to everyone who has faith.

We spoke last week much of the power of God that is this gospel.

It is a power that sets out to accomplish a purpose.

And necessarily accomplishes the purpose that it intends.

We will explore this much further in our study of Romans.

But please get here on the front end.

The necessity of belief does not detract from the power of God for salvation.

Let me repeat that to you.

The necessity of belief does not detract from the power of God for salvation.

Faith or belief is the avenue by which God saves.

But it is not the power for salvation.

Beloved, if you fail to understand this glorious truth.

Then you will always be confused about the gospel.

You will either think that you added something to the equation of your salvation and find yourself proud.

Or you will think that you now need to add something to your salvation and will find yourself defeated.

Let's hear some more of Paul's theology in Ephesians chapter 2 beginning in verse 8 and following where he writes,

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

By grace you have been saved through faith.

So there's the avenue, right?

The power of God.

Grace.

Saved through faith.

The avenue.

And then he clarifies, verse 8,

And this is not your own doing.

It is the gift of God.

This faith through which we're saved is a gift granted to us by God.

Verse 9,

Not a result of works so that no one may boast.

So that no one might find themselves proud.

Verse 10,

For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works,

which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

And so we also have no need to feel defeated because we are made by God in Christ to work.

We don't work that we might be made like Christ,

but we are in Christ and so we work.

In order to be saved, we must believe.

But this necessary belief is granted to us by a merciful God.

Then, having believed, he works graciously in us to cause us to walk in his ways.

I hope that these grand truths will take to new heights in your mind this morning

and then will settle deep in your heart

that you may know the comfort and joy of being saved by the power of God,

which is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If these truths aren't doing this edifying work for you,

then I hope that you will hang in with us as we continue to study this inspired text in the coming months.

Paul is going to unpack this at length for our benefit.

Now, we would cut this phrase short if I wasn't careful to say

that you cannot believe in just anything that you would like.

You can't make a Christ or a gospel of your own choosing and find yourself saved.

Paul here is being specific.

The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

It's not a gospel, not some good news, not a version of good news,

but the good news, the gospel.

And so out of concern that anybody would be unclear,

what is the gospel?

What must we believe to be true in order that we might be saved?

We must believe that God created a world and you in it,

that he intends for you to be an image bearer,

but that that image bearing was destroyed by our federal head, by Adam.

He represented us.

So not only are we born into sin, but we willingly sin.

We, in our very nature, reject the lordship of our God.

Our God is holy and he can have nothing to do with sin.

He cannot become friends with sin.

And so the proper, just response of God for sin is that sin would be punished,

that his enemies would be vanquished one day, fully and forever.

But because God is also merciful,

he sent his son to live the life that he demanded of us,

the righteousness found in the law,

to die the death that we deserve,

bearing God's wrath for our sin on the cross,

to rise again three days later,

defeating death fully and finally,

and that one day Christ will return and make all things new.

And this gospel, this good news,

requires a response on our behalf,

a turning from our sin and our believing that we can be saved.

This is the gospel that he is referring to.

We also don't do well to only think of this idea of believe as a mental assent to stated truths.

You this morning might go,

sure, sure, all those things.

Yep, you may have grown up in church and heard them again and again.

But it is the sort of belief that changes you.

This Greek word is packed full of meaning for us.

It's not merely some mental assent,

but it is a belief that changes the trajectory of your very life.

Now, those of you paying attention,

notice that I have a copy of Pilgrim's Progress with me this morning.

So, here we go.

If you're a guest this morning,

I joke that if you stick with us long enough,

I'll read the entirety of this book to you as I read excerpts from it.

This book was written by a Puritan by the name of John Bunyan,

and he does such a good job of putting into literary form,

allegorically,

the journey of the Christian.

In fact, the main character in the book is named Christian.

And at this point,

in this little bit that I want to read to you,

he's picked up a companion along the way named Faithful.

Faithful and Christian are walking along,

and they encounter another character by the name of Talkative.

And he knows the things to say.

In fact, much of the discourse that he has with Faithful

seems very positive, this Talkative.

He says some amazingly true things about God

and about the nature of man and about the nature of salvation.

But then Christian beckons him over and says to him,

this man doesn't believe anything that he says

because we know him back in our town to be a wicked man.

These things he says he believes have worked no real change in him.

And so Faithful desires to be parted with him.

He doesn't want to have just meaningless conversation anymore.

And so he asks Christian,

what shall we do to get rid of him?

Take my advice and do as I tell you,

and you will find that he will soon be sick of your company also,

unless God touches his heart and changes it, Christian suggested.

Faithful asked, what would you have me do?

Christian answered, go to him and enter into some serious discourse

about the power of religion, which he will affirm, I assure you.

Then ask him plainly whether this power is something

that is truly working itself out in his heart

and in his home and in his behavior.

So Faithful stepped back over to where Talkative was walking

and began to converse with him.

How are you doing? He asked.

Very well, thank you, Talkative replied.

I thought we should have a great deal of talk by now.

Faithful offered, if you would like, we will continue our conversation.

And when we last spoke,

you left it to me to pose a topic for discussion.

Here is my question.

How does the saving grace of God make itself known

when it is in the heart of man?

I see, Talkative stated.

You want to talk about the power of things.

Well, that is a very good question.

I will be happy to answer you.

I will make my answer brief and to the point.

First, where the grace of God is at work in the heart,

it causes there to be a great outcry against sin.

Secondly, Faithful interjected, wait a minute.

Let's consider your points one at a time.

I think you should have said,

it makes itself known by inclining the soul to abhor its sin.

Why, what is the difference between crying out against and abhorring sin?

Talkative inquired.

I hope the Christian in the room knows the answer to that already.

Faithful answered, there is a great deal of difference.

A man may cry out against sin out of principle,

but he cannot abhor it unless he has God's own antipathy against it.

For instance, I have seen many cry out against sin in the pulpit

who yet abide it well enough in their own heart, home, and manner of life.

Potiphar's wife cried out against Joseph with a loud voice

as if she had been very holy.

Yet she would have gladly, despite her cries to the contrary,

committed adultery with him.

Some cry out against sin as a mother cries out against her child

when she calls her a good-for-nothing and a naughty girl

and then smothers her with hugs and kisses.

I think you're trying to trip me up with details,

Talkative accused.

Faithful responded,

no, I am only trying to set things right.

But what is the second way in which a work of grace

makes itself known in the heart of man?

Great knowledge of gospel mysteries, Talkative offered.

Hear this, my theology-loving brothers and sisters.

Don't stop loving theology,

but be sure you're loving the God of that theology.

Faithful countered,

this sign should have been first,

but first or last, it is also false.

For knowledge, even great knowledge,

may be obtained in the mysteries of the gospel

without a work of grace in the soul.

The truth is that a man can have an abundance of knowledge

and still be nothing,

and so consequently, no child of God.

When Christ asked,

Do you know all these things?

And the disciples answered,

Yes.

He added,

Blessed are you if you do them.

That's John 13, 17.

He did not pronounce a blessing for knowing,

but for doing.

For there is a knowledge that is not connected with doing.

He that knows his master's will and does not do it.

A man may know like an angel,

and yet not be a Christian.

Therefore, the point you make is not true.

Indeed, to know is something that pleases talkers and boasters,

but to do is that which pleases God.

Not that the heart can be good without knowledge,

for without knowledge the heart is empty.

But there are two kinds of knowledge.

The first alone in its bare speculation of things,

and the second is accompanied by the grace of faith and love,

which causes a man to do the will of God from the heart.

The first kind of knowledge will serve the talker,

but a true Christian will not be content

until his knowledge results in sincere works that please God.

Give me understanding,

and I shall keep thy law.

Yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

But Psalm 119 and verse 34.

Talkative protested,

You are trying to trap me again.

This is not edifying.

Well then,

tell me another way in which the saving grace of God

makes itself known when it is in the heart of man,

faithful challenged.

And Talkative responds,

Not I,

for I see we shall not agree.

So, I hope,

one,

and less importantly,

that you want to read the poem's progress.

It'll be good for your soul.

Secondly,

much more importantly,

that you see that it's altogether possible

to say that you believe something to be true,

to hold it in your mind

and have it not affect change

in your heart.

Those who love God

will find themselves in increasing measure

loving him in his ways more

and hating the world

in that way more.

There should be an evidencing of this belief.

So,

the gospel that Paul is not ashamed of

is the power of God for salvation

to everyone who believes.

Have you believed

the gospel of Jesus Christ?

If you have not,

throw yourself

on God's mercy

this morning.

The next phrase we see

is the power of God for salvation

to everyone who believes

to the Jew first

and also

to the Greek.

Here we see

a most wonderful declaration.

The gospel is offered

to everyone.

Not just to the person of Jewish descent,

but also for all other

nationalities.

Lloyd-Jones again,

he says this,

why is this a gospel

for everyone?

The answer is

because it is God's power.

If it were not God's power,

it would not be for

anyone.

This statement

to the Jew first

and also to the Greek

is a statement of

chronology

and not

preference.

Paul is not saying

that the Jewish people

have greater importance

or more image-bearing

worth.

historically,

salvation came

first

to the Jews.

Now you can think about this

as it concerns

Jesus' ministry.

He was careful

in who he came

and preached the gospel

to.

An evidence of this

is in Matthew chapter 10

Matthew 10:5

verse 5 and 6

where he sends out

the apostles

instructing them,

go nowhere among

the Gentiles

and enter no town

of the Samaritans

but go rather

to the lost sheep

of the house

of Israel.

He was concerned

chronologically

but not in

importance.

In keeping with this point,

when Jesus appears

to the disciples

at Acts 1,

what does he tell them

there?

You will receive

power.

This is the verse 8.

when the Holy Spirit

has come upon you

and you will be

my witnesses in,

think chronology,

Jerusalem,

in all Judea

and Samaria

and to the end

of the earth.

this gospel

is the power

of God

for salvation

for these

Roman believers

whether Jewish

or not

and most scholars

agree that this

was a mixed audience.

Paul is going

to develop this

truth further

for us

throughout his letter

with particular

intention to its

implications

in chapter 11

so I'll let you

hold your breath

on all that this

means until

chapter 11

but this morning

simply and

profoundly hear

this

this gospel

is the power

of God

for salvation

for you

regardless of

how you might

perceive yourself

however far

you might be

from his grace

however far

you think

you may be

from salvation

God is powerful

to reach you

and bring you

to himself

to the Jew

first

and also

to the Greek

this includes

an offer

to all people

to repent

and believe

he goes on

in his logical

progression

he keeps

adding these

fours

beginning of

verse 17

for in it

the righteousness

of God

is revealed

Paul tells us

that something

is revealed

which means

to make

plain

or make

clear

or make

known

we do

not have

Christianity

without

revelation

we will

not stumble

across

saving truth

without a

loving God

making it

known

to us

we believe

that the

scripture

is the

revelation

of God

to us

Paul says

that the

powerful gospel

makes

something

known

it makes

known

the

righteousness

of God

let's begin

understanding

this phrase

by defining

the word

righteousness

let's just

start there

righteousness

is the

quality

of being

morally

perfect

and don't

miss this

morally

perfect

without

fault

having both

obeyed

everything

and not

disobeyed

everything

morally

perfect

Paul says

the gospel

reveals

the

righteousness

of

God

now

certainly

our

God

is

righteous

he is

without

fault

he is

morally

perfect

we often

use the

word

holy

to describe

this

attribute

think of

revelation

4 8

this picture

that John

has of

heaven

of four

living

creatures

with six

wings

and full

of eyes

around

and within

day and

night

they never

cease to

say

you think

of what

they say

holy

holy

holy

which is

a compounding

thing in

Greek

saying

perfectly

holy

without

any fault

he is

holy

upon

holy

upon

holy

is the

Lord

God

almighty

who was

and is

and is

to come

but

is it

God's

holiness

that Paul

is here

referring to

a certain

Augustinian

monk

by the name

of Martin

Luther

thought

so

to his

great

detriment

look out

I've got a

second book

this morning

I keep

saying I

need a

larger

pulpit

I need a

preaching

desk

this is

really key

right

we are

Protestants

for good

reasons

right

we believe

in

sola

scriptura

we believe

what it

teaches

us to

be

true

we had

better

get

this

right

this

is

the

text

that

launched

the

Protestant

Reformation

I'm going to

step over

a little bit

of history

I'm reading

Lloyd-Jones

quoting

Luther

and I

hope

that

it'll

be

clear

when

he's

speaking

and

when

Luther

is

speaking

if

not

you're

welcome

to

borrow

my

book

listen

carefully

it is

just

at this

point

we're

talking

about

right

now

that

the

experience

of

Luther

is

such

great

value

to

us

because

Luther

while

he

was

yet

a

Roman

Catholic

decided

to

give

a

series

of

lectures

on

the

epistle

to

the

Romans

he

came

up

against

this

verse

and

because

of

his

misinterpretation

of the

meaning

of

the

righteousness

of

God

he

passed

through

an

agony

of

soul

listen

to his

own

words

I

labor

diligently

and

anxiously

as

to

know

how

to

understand

Paul's

word

in

Romans

117

where

he

says

the

righteousness

of

God

is

revealed

in

the

gospel

I

sought

long

and

knocked

anxiously

for

the

expression

the

righteousness

of

God

blocked

the

way

you

see

he

thought

it

was

just

a

description

of

God's

character

and

of

God's

being

and

as

he

stood

before

this

revelation

of

God

who

is

light

and

in

whom

there

is

no

darkness

at

all

a

God

who

was

so

just

that

he

cannot

even

look

upon

sin

as

he

saw

this

righteousness

of

God

he

just

felt

it

was

impossible

he

says

that

this

expression

the

righteousness

of

God

blocked

the

way

to

salvation

for

him

and

he

went

further

and

said

as

often

as

I

read

that

declaration

I

wished

always

that

God

had

not

made

the

gospel

known

you

see

he

thought

that

it

meant

that

in

the

Old

Ten

Commandments

and

the

moral

law

yes

but

he

thought

it

was

an

imperfect

revelation

of

it

and

that

it's

only

in

Christ

you

get

a

full

revelation

and

one

which

is

infinitely

greater

he

thought

the

gospel

of

Jesus

Christ

was

condemning

to

him

as

it

revealed

God's

righteousness

he

misunderstood

the

text

and

he

found

it

to

be

a

block

for

him

to

believe

the

gospel

he

wished

the

gospel

had

been

never

preached

praise

be

to

God

that

he

unveiled

the

full

meaning

of

this

text

to

Luther

before

we

get

to

the

last

part

of

verse

17

look

with

me

at

another

verse

where

Paul

employs

this

phrase

the

righteousness

of

God

this

is

Romans

Romans 3 · chapter mention

chapter

3

and

verse

21

if

you'd

like

to

turn

there

briefly

here

we

see

right at

the

beginning

of verse

21

but

now

the

righteousness

of

God

there

it

is

again

the

righteousness

of

God

has

been

manifested

or

revealed

apart

from the

law

although

the

law

and the

prophets

bear witness

God

to

God

to

God

to

us

to

us

to

!

to

us

by

Christ

has

been

revealed

Luther

came to

understand

the

doctrine

of

double

imputation

which

he called

the

great

exchange

our

sin

given

to

Christ

and

his

righteousness

given

imputed

to

us

Paul

speaks of

this in

2nd

Corinthians

chapter 5

verse

21

where he

says

for our

sake

God

made

Christ

to be

sin

gave

our

sin

to

Jesus

who

knew

no

sin

he

was

perfect

without

fault

he

was

holy

so

that

in

Christ

we

might

become

the

righteousness

of

God

right

his

law

keeping

given

to

us

we've

got to

get this

right

if we're

going to

understand

this

verse

again

from

Lloyd

Jones

speaking

of

Luther

he

called

that

abstract

conception

of the

righteousness

of

God

and

he

could

not

get

past

it

God's

holiness

but

then

he

suddenly

saw

this

phrase

the

just

shall

live

by

faith

oh

he

said

there

is

such

a

thing

after

all

then

as

a

just

person

a

righteous

person

there

is

the

abstract

righteousness

here

is

the

concrete

righteousness

he

then

said

what

is

this

and

suddenly

he

saw

it

he

saw

that

this

is

the

whole

difference

between

the

law

and

faith

he

had

been

trying

to

work

a

righteousness

according

to

the

law

but

there

is

an

absolute

stumbling

block

to

that

this

righteousness

of

God

but

now

he

begins

to

see

how

are

these

people

righteous

Ah!

it

is a

righteousness

by

faith

so

then

that

righteousness

of

God

does

not

mean

the

attribute

of

God

it

is

a

righteousness

that

God

gives

so

hear

that

it's

the

righteousness

that

comes

from

him

it's

a

righteousness

he

gives

and

he

gives

it

to

faith

Luther's

whole

life

was

revolutionized

he

saw

the

abstract

and

the

concrete

coming

together

and

this

is

how

he

puts

it

when

I

saw

the

difference

that

law

is

one

thing

and

gospel

another

I

broke

through

he

broke

through

the

barrier

that

was

holding

him

back

and

he

goes

on

as

I

had

formerly

hated

the

expression

the

righteousness

of

God

I

now

began

to

regard

it

as

my

dearest

and

most

comforting

word

so

that

this

expression

of

Paul's

became

to me

in

very

truth

a

gate

to

paradise

what

a

revelation

what

a

transformation

from

a

miserable

wretched

unhappy

monk

counting

his

beads

and

fasting

and

sweating

and

praying

and

yet

being

more

and

more

conscious

of

failure

to

the

herald

of

the

reformation

to

the

glorious

preacher

of

the

gospel

rejoicing

in

the

glorious

liberty

of

the

children

of

God

and

it

came

to

him

through

understanding

Romans

1

17

the

abstract

righteousness

the

concrete

righteousness

a

righteousness

that's

granted

to

us

by

Christ

in

the

power

of

the

gospel

to

see

this

and

see

it

clearly

to

get

the

gospel

right

the

final

phrase

the

rest

of

verse

17

from

faith

for

faith

as

it

is

written

the

righteous

shall

live

by

faith

now

I

love

and

appreciate

that

Paul

is

an

Old

Testament

preacher

let's

not

unhitch

our

faith

from

it

Paul

has

now

referenced

faith

four

times

in

verses

16

and

17

he

refers

to

everyone

who

believes

or

has

faith

in

verse

16

and

then

we

see

in

this

last

bit

of

phrase

again

from

faith

for

faith

as

it

is

written

the

righteous

shall

live

by

faith

which

is

a

citation

from

Habakkuk

2

4

recall

that

I

have

told

you

that

the

theme

of

this

letter

is

that

we

are

justified

by

grace

alone

through

faith

alone

in

Christ

alone

a

lot

of

ink

has

been

spilled

working

out

the

exact

meaning

of

the

phrase

from

faith

for

faith

and

I'm

going

to

spare

you

the

details

by

simply

telling

you

the

prominent

view

which

I

wholeheartedly

agree

with

if

you'd

love

to

read

about

it

I

encourage

you

to

do

so

with

your

muck

boots

on

another

fair

way

to

translate

this

phrase

would

be

by

faith

to

faith

so

the

righteousness

of

God

is

granted

by

faith

to

faith

and

this

phrase

parallels

believes

in

verse

16

and

adds

to

it

continuing

faith

John

MacArthur

says of

this

text

there

is

emphasis

here

on

the

continuity

of

faith

it

is

not

a

one

time

act

but

a

way

of

life

the

true

believer

made

righteous

will

live

in

faith

all

of

his

or

her

life

this

is

the

doctrine

of

the

perseverance

of

the

saints

we

believe

and

we

believe

and

we

believe

we

hang

on

to

the

precious

promises

that

are

ours

in

Christ

and

we

do

so

until

the

end

and

the

promise

that

accompanies

such

faith

is

life

we

are

granted

life

by

faith

in

the

gospel

and

we

continue

life

by

faith

in

the

gospel

there

is

a

lifetime

of

meditation

found

in

these

two

verses

we

have

spread

it

thin

over

three

weeks

to

hope

to

hope

you

will

in

eager

expectation

join

me

as we

continue

to

impact

them

in

our

study

of

Romans

I

will

conclude

with

a

final

reading

chapter

one

verse

16

and

17

when

Paul

says

let's

pray

together

as