Romans

Chapter 1

1. Not ashamed of the Gospel

Live by faith

Unbelief vs. faith

2.God in Created Order

humans exchanged image of God for man made idols

so God gave them over to their sin & a debased mind

Something in the whole passage (16-32) of ‘living by faith’ or denying the obvious. Again, it boils down to the choice: do we follow God, or do we do our own thing…create our own ethics and religion…even in the face of such obvious revelation in the created order. Paul unashamedly chooses to follow God and to proclaim the Gospel – He knows there is power in it.

Subject: Who are those who are righteous?

Compliment: Those who live by faith in (and so trust in) and obedience to God – to do anything else is rebellion against the obvious power and goodness of God as revealed in creation.

I agree, however, that this forms part of an introduction that Paul lays out for the whole book, and the central theme of justification by faith.

V17: The one who by faith is righteous will live. (alt trans.) from Hab 2:4

Faith: Absolute reliance on God and His Word, rather then on human abilities

(emph. From Hab & Gen15:6)