Eastgate Service - The Righteous Live by Faith

Romans 1:16–17 NIV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

The Season of Lent

This week, on Wednesday, the season of Lent began. Some of you may be familiar with Lent. It is a season of 40 days, not counting Sundays, that leads us from Ash Wednesday all the way up to Easter. For many people, Lent is a time to give something up, usually something like chocolate or sweets. The good news is that we got Christmas, New Year's, and even Valentine's Day out of the way first, so at least we had a chance to enjoy our treats before the season started. Now we can focus on getting ourselves a little healthier as we work through these last few weeks of winter.

Lent is about more than just giving up chocolate, though. It is a season where we are invited to take a closer look at our lives and ask whether we are following after our own desires or following after God. Today I want to share with you a phrase from the Bible that captures what this season is really about. It shows up in the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, and centuries later the apostle Paul quotes it in his letter to the Romans. It says simply this: "The righteous will live by faith."

Faith in the Face of Fear

In Old Testament times, the prophet Habakkuk was speaking to God's people during one of the darkest moments in their history. The nation of Babylon, one of the most powerful armies the world had ever seen, was right at their doorstep. God's people were small. They were outnumbered. They were watching the world close in around them. They were afraid.

In the midst of their fear and anxiety, God told them, "The enemy is puffed up. His desires are not upright. But the righteous person will live by his faithfulness." God told them that as a reminder that no matter how dark the night gets, no matter how desperate the situation seems, God is still in charge. If we want to live right and true, we have to align ourselves with God and his desires for our lives, instead of giving in to the fear and anxiety around us.

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been afraid of what might happen with your health, or worried about your family or your friends? Have you ever felt like the world was closing in and you didn't know what was going to happen next? We've all been there. When we feel that way, it is easy to forget that God is still in control and that he is going to take care of us. That is exactly why God gave his people this answer all those years ago, and it is the same answer he gives us today: the righteous will live by faith.

No Shame in God's Power

Centuries later, the apostle Paul quoted those very words as he wrote to the early Christians living in the Roman Empire. These were people who had suffered for their faith. Many had been rejected by their own families and communities. Paul wrote to encourage them and to bring them back to the heart of the Gospel.

Paul tells them, "I am not ashamed of the gospel." Now, why would Paul ever be tempted to feel ashamed? Because Paul gave up everything when he chose to follow Jesus. He came from God's chosen people, the Jews. He was being raised up to become one of their greatest leaders, maybe even the president of their council of priests, the Sanhedrin. He was intelligent, hardworking, and well-spoken. He had everything going for him. Then he met Jesus, and he walked away from all of it. He was kicked out of leadership, run out of his own country, and rejected by his own people.

A lot of people would have told Paul he should be ashamed of all he had given up. But Paul tells us he is not ashamed. Why? Because the Gospel is the power of God. It is the invitation into God's kingdom, the forgiveness he offers, and the strength and encouragement he sends. ★ Jesus and his Gospel are the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. It does not matter who you are, where you come from, what you have done, or what you have not done. Jesus and his Gospel have the power to bring salvation to you. That was true for the Jewish people who had known God for generations, and it was just as true for everyone else who had never heard of him. The Gospel has the power to save everyone.

Living by Faith from First to Last

Paul spends the rest of Romans explaining what the Gospel is and how it works in our lives. We get just a brief glimpse here in verse 17 as he says, "For in the Gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed." That goodness, that holiness, that truth, that perfect way to live. It is all revealed to us through the Gospel. The right way to live is to live by faith from the first step to the last.

There is no point where we are not ready, not worthy, or unable to live by faith in Jesus. Our first step into righteous living is when we take our first act of faith in following Jesus, no matter how big or small it is. Every step from there to the very end is the same. ★ We never graduate beyond needing faith. We never get to a point where we are good enough to carry on by ourselves. We never get to a point where we understand things clearly enough. Those who are living right will live by faith.

This is exactly what Paul was trying to show us through Jesus. Jesus lived by faith in his heavenly Father from his first step to his last. He is our perfect example. So if we are going to live that life, it means we are going to have to follow him every step of the way.

Maybe living by faith for you today means trusting God with your health when your body won't do what it used to. Maybe it means choosing to be thankful and trust God even on the hard days. Maybe it means choosing to trust him with the people you love, even when you can't be with them every day. That is faith. And that is the righteous life God is calling each one of us to.

A Lenten Invitation

As we begin this season of Lent, we are invited to pick up our cross and follow Jesus in faith. We are invited to look at our lives and ask ourselves some honest questions. Are we living the good and holy life that God wants for us? Or are we following our own desires? Do we allow ourselves to get puffed up when things are going well? Do we give in to fear and worry when they are not?

Most of the time, our own desires lead us to shallow, muddy waters that everybody has walked through. But God sent Jesus into our lives to lead us one step at a time to deep pools created by clear springs, to the water of life. These are places we cannot find on our own and cannot get to without his help. What he has for those who choose to live by faith is beyond what we can even imagine. We only get there by faith.

In this season of Lent, Jesus invites us to take a step back from the desires of our own heart. Maybe that is chocolate, or candy, or something you are used to giving up in this season. Or maybe it is a desire that runs a little deeper than that, something you may need to spend some time in prayer over, asking God to help you truly let it go. There may also be things that God wants you to pick up. Maybe he is inviting you to pray for your neighbors or the staff here each night before you go to sleep. Maybe he wants you to spend a few minutes reading your Bible each day. Maybe it is finding a small way to encourage someone who is struggling, or making a new friend. It may not be something you would choose on your own, but he is asking you to do it. If you choose to put down your desires and pick up his, following him in faith, you will find that righteous life.

The Scripture leaves the choice in our hands. We do not know what tomorrow brings, good or bad. The life of righteousness that God calls us to is one we cannot find on our own. ★ We will only find it, and we will only live it, by following Jesus faithfully.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank you for leading us. Thank you for this season of Lent. We pray that you would help us to be aware of our desires. If there are any desires that are pulling us away from you, Lord, we pray you would help us to let them go, especially in this season. Lord, if there is anything you want us to do to draw closer to you, to get to know you better, and to serve you more faithfully, help us to know what that is. You call us to pick up our cross and follow you, to deny ourselves, and put our trust and our faith in you. Help us to do that today. We lift this up in Jesus' name. Amen.