The Just Shall Live By Faith

Introduction

Imagine someone was going to take 65 books out of the Bible and leave us with just one book. And they gave you the choice of which book to keep. Which one book would you choose to keep, and why?

Poll the congregation

If I were to choose the one book, I think I might choose the book of Romans.

If the Apostle Paul’s writings were a fleet of ships, the book of Romans would be its flagship. Luminaries of the faith from Augustine of Hippo to Martin Luther and Johnathan Wesley credit their conversions directly to this epistle. In my opinion, this letter is why—and how—we understand salvation. And it retains a host of quotes from the Old Testament. It is not hyperbole to call Romans Paul’s magnum opus.

Transition

Studying through the book of Romans is no small undertaking. And yet, here we are. A study through most books of the Bible necessarily begins with an introduction to the book itself. Paul actually provided that for us at the outset of this book.

Illumination

Introduction of the Author

Paul

Romans 1:1 NKJV

1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God

A Man, by birth

A Bondservant (slave), by self-identity

Apostle, by God’s calling

Separated, by (or to) the Gospel of God

Paul’s Gospel

The good news (gospel) that Paul declared was God’s good news.

Romans 1:2–6 NKJV

2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name, 6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ;

Good news prophesied in the Scriptures (our Old Testament)

Good news provided by Jesus Christ

The son of David as declared by his lineage

The Son of God as declared by

God’s power

God’s Spirit

The Son of God as demonstrated by his resurrection

Good news produced in a new life

grace, receiving what he did not deserve

apostleship, significance he did not have

obedience to the faith

mission, purpose for living

commonality, affording the opportunity to write

Introduction of the Audience

Romans 1:7 NKJV

7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Church’s Origin

While Rome was an unmistakably important city, the church there had not been “started” by anyone: it seems to have emerged organically. Not only had Paul not started the church, he had never even been there.

Acts 2:5 NKJV

5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

Acts 2:10 NKJV

10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon believers, there were visitors to Jerusalem from the city of Rome who witnessed the manifestations of the Spirit’s arrival, heard the message of the Sprit’s source, and were converted. They, like other converts would have continued to meet together in Jerusalem until they left the city. Upon their return to Rome, they continued to meet together consistently enough that they became a discernable, expanding group.

The Church’s Occupants

We don’t know much about the founding of the church at Rome, but we do know a couple of its members.

Acts 18:1–3 NKJV

1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. 3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.

Paul met Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth and they became fast friends. They were from Rome and by the writing of the book of Romans had returned to Rome.

Romans 16:3 NKJV

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

The Church’s Occasion

While still in Corinth himself, probably in the fall of AD 57, Paul was able to write this letter and send it with Phoebe who was from Cenchrea, the seaport that served Corinth, and was headed to Rome on business.

Romans 16:1–2 NKJV

1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Introduction of the Purpose

In addition to all of its other qualities, Romans was Paul’s letter of introduction to the church at Rome.

Romans 1:8–15 NKJV

8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For 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, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. 14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.

Paul had clearly desired to travel to Rome, but had been hindered by the Spirit’s direction to other places. It seems his intention was to travel from Corinth to Jerusalem where he would deliver the supplies to that church that had been entrusted to him. From Jerusalem, he intended to travel to Rome. He did not seem to appreciate that he would travel there as a prisoner or that his trip would be delayed for a couple years. But, he did eventually make it to Rome.

Introduction of the Premise

This is the message of Romans in a nutshell.

Romans 1:16–17 NKJV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

The premise of Paul’s letter and the content of God’s good news is salvation by faith.

Salvation

(literally safety or survival) is

from God

of Christ

by faith

for everyone

Faith

Quoting Habakkuk 2:4, Paul says that “The just shall live by faith.” We often think of faith by way of its synonyms: belief or trust.

We can think of faith as “believing loyalty”.

It is our past, as the basis of our salvation “from faith”

It is our future, as the culmination of our salvation “to faith”

It is our present, as the experience of our salvation “by faith”

Conclusion

Paul is going to spend a lot of time unpacking the simple premise that salvation is by faith. As we conclude today, it is enough to know that salvation is by faith. Pledging our believing loyalty to God is enough for our past, our future, and our present. It is how we live. “The just shall live by faith.”

Application

We live in a day (as every true believer has always lived) where the simplicity of the Gospel is mocked and maligned. Pledging our believing loyalty to God instead of to self has always been seen as either too little to do or too much to ask. Religious folks want us to have to do more to earn salvation. Irreligious folks want us to have to do less or not need salvation at all. Both groups want us feel ashamed and be quiet.

Paul’s opinion on this matter is quite clear, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel.”

Shame arises from our own guilt or is assigned from our adversaries.

Shame is Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden trying to sew fig leaves together in order to make clothes that would cover their naked bodies and conceal their lost innocence.

Shame causes us to hide and conceal what is, in an attempt to promote what should be.

Shame has no place here. We are not guilty because of salvation, no matter how we may feel. We are not wrong about salvation, no matter what others may say. So, why do we sometimes feel ashamed? We have nothing to be ashamed of.

We are not guilty.

We are not wrong.

We are not ashamed.