The Just Shall Live By Faith (Romans 1:8-17)

They key subject of this text is “faith”.

Romans 1:8 “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

Romans 1:12 “That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” (Quoted from Habakkuk 2:4)

Paul’s Prayers (8-12)

Prayer of Appreciation (8)(thank my God for you all)

First thing that Paul wants the Romans to know is that he thanks God for them all. Paul doesn’t pick and chose who which ones he’s thankful for. He thanks God for every one of them! Do we thank God for the people that he has put in our lives?

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;”

2 Thessalonians 1:3 “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”

2 Thessalonians 2:13 “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:”

Prayer of Appearing (10-11a)(prosperous journey to come unto you/long to see you)

Paul is wanting to see those that are born again in Rome. He longs to see them!

Romans 15:32 “That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.”

1 John 1:3 “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

1 John 1:7 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

Prayer of Aiding (11b)(impart spiritual gift)

Not only is Paul wanting to see them, but he’s wanting to help them along the Christian way!

1 John 3:17 “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

(Paul) Acts 20:29–35 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

Prayer of Accord (12)(Mutual faith)

Paul was confident that his coming would be a source of blessing to them and that their fellowship would be an inspiration to him.

Acts 1:14 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”

Acts 2:1 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”

Acts 2:46 “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,”

Philippians 2:2 “Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

Once you have an appreciation for Christians, then you want to see them. Once you see them, you want to help them. You’re happy cause you helped them and their happy because you helped them! Prayer makes everyone happy!

Paul’s Purposing (13-14)

Purpose was a Desire

Romans 15:23 “But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you;”

Psalm 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord; And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

When you are seeking the will of God and living by the word of God, God will give you desires (just as a man would DESIRE the office of a bishop).

You know it’s from God when the flesh doesn’t want to do it.

Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Purpose was Decided (13)(I purposed)

Whatever you do for God will not be something that just randomly happened. It will be something that you decide to do.

When I go to work, I make a conscious decision to set the clock before I get up, to be on time.

I make sure that I have enough fuel to last me the trip.

I make sure I have my uniform on.

I make sure that I am ready to perform the duties that my boss has asked me to do.

I CAN’T MAKE MYSELF WAKE UP AT 3 IN THE MORNING. I have to DECIDE to make every way possible to get up in the morning.

Purpose was Detoured (13)(was let hitherto)

Be sure that when you try to do something for God, there will be opposition.

1 Thessalonians 2:18 “Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.”

Sometimes, there might be a leading in a different direction by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 16:4–7 “And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.”

When we have a desire to do something for God, our DESIRE can be correct, but it's of the utmost importance that we are DIRECTED by the Holy Spirit. Everyone of us has a purpose that are born-again believers to serve Christ in the way that HE has directed us. Don't try and be someone else. Don't try to be like another church. Get a King James Bible, dive into a prayer closet, and see how God wants you to serve.

Purpose because of Debt (14)

Paul wasn’t doing these things to get himself a name, a title in the church, or a following. His purpose was because of his burden.

Paul wanted fellowship and fruit (lost souls) because he had been given a clean slate. It made little difference to Paul whether a man was cultured or crude, an intellectual or an ignoramus. Paul was in debt, not to Christ (because Christ paid the debt) but to all those around him.

Paul’s Preaching (15-16)

Preparation to Preach (15)(as much as in me is)

Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, That I might not sin against thee.”

Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

We can’t be prepared to preach the Gospel unless we have the Gospel in us!

Primed to Preach (15)

1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”

Ethiopian Eunuch and Phillip

Whether persecution or praise, Paul was ready to preach! When he preached it at Jerusalem, the religious center of the world, he was mobbed. When he preached it at Athens, he was mocked. When he preached it at Rome, the legislative center of the world, he was martyred. He was ready for persecution. It mattered not to Paul. But there were those that accepted the gospel! So PREACH!

Proud to Preach (16)

Paul was bold to preach the Gospel of Christ with no holding back! What Paul had obtained, he was willing to proudly give to others!

Power in Preaching (16)

1 Corinthians 1:17–18 “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:4–5 “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

The Gospel is supreme!

It’s far superior than any religion or philosophy! The Greek Logic, the Roman Law, and the Hebrew Light all pale in comparison to the Gospel of Christ!

The Gospel is sufficient!

The world doesn’t need a better system of education, more social reform, new ideas in religion. It needs the gospel. The gospel message grips the mind, stabs the conscience, warms the heart, saves the soul, and sanctifies the life. It can make drunken men sober, crooked men straight. It is a message sufficient to transform the life of anyone who will believe.

Paul’s Pointing Out (17)

Without faith, there is no prayer life. Without faith, there is no purpose to life, without faith there is nothing to preach in life.

The Christian life is about FAITH!

The Righteousness of Faith (righteousness of God)

Romans 4:3 “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

Romans 4:6–7 “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.”

The Revealing of Faith (revealed from faith to faith)

The righteousness of God is received by faith and reproduced by faith. Those that are born again show the righteousness of God that God has put in their hearts. The more the gospel is understood, the more faith there will be.

The Running-On Faith (live by faith)

2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

Hebrews 11 (by faith, through faith)