Righteous by Faith

Main Idea: Faith in the gospel saves us, makes us righteous, and gives us life.

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.” — Romans 1:16-17

Sermon Intro – Dynamite!

In 1867, a man named Alfred Nobel invented dynamite. His brother had died prematurely from an explosion in a nitroglycerin factory, which was extremely unstable and could explode from very little shock. So Nobel figured out how to stabilize it so it could be transported safely, naming this invention “dynamite,” from the Greek word for power, dynamis. It had the power to clear the way for mining, construction, and civil engineering.

These two verses are like gospel dynamite. Paul lit the gospel fuse in the opening verses, and now there is the gospel explosion, removing every bit of self-righteous, and works-based religion. I hope these verses will also explode in your heart!

We have no power to save ourselves. We are by nature unrighteous, and our sin has created a debt to God we could never repay. Paul is dropping gospel dynamite on our human pride that would feel ashamed of the message that saves us. Our very hope for righteousness and salvation is the power of God at work in the gospel through faith. We have found the greatest treasure; let’s not be ashamed to give up everything for the joy and hope we have found in Christ!

Why is Paul ready to preach the gospel at Rome?

Paul says he is eager to preach because he is not ashamed of the good news of Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection for salvation appears inherently foolish to the world, especially in rich, powerful, cultural centers. This was no different in Rome, the seat of the world’s power at that time.

Christians were always a little suspect to the Romans because of their exclusive devotion to Christ and their claim that he is the only way to be saved. We face the same pressures today, and we will not be eager to preach the gospel if we are ashamed of it. As one theologian writes, the presence of shame when confronted with the power and wisdom of this world demonstrates that we might not really believe the gospel is true. Likewise, the absence of shame is proof of genuine faith.

Why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel?

He has zero shame in preaching the gospel because it “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” God saves people through the message of the gospel. There’s no other way to be saved than through hearing the gospel message about Jesus Christ proclaimed.

Yet this power for salvation is for everyone who believes. So, faith in the gospel is absolutely necessary for salvation. If everyone who believes is saved, then anyone can be saved. Even if you are the world’s worst sinner, you can be saved if you believe the gospel. Salvation is available to people of all nations, races, languages, social classes, and educational levels. The gospel is the great leveler.

Why is the gospel the power of God for salvation?

In the gospel, “the righteousness of God is revealed.” God is perfectly moral, perfectly just, and perfectly faithful. Because of his righteous nature, especially his faithfulness, he saves us, and because of his saving work, we can be made righteous in Christ.

Jesus Christ was the spotless sacrifice for our sins. He lived a sinless life, and yet he went to the cross to die for our sins, to pay the penalty our unrighteousness could never pay. Jesus Christ on the cross is the ultimate revelation of God’s righteousness, and the preaching of the gospel carries the power of God to save us.

The righteous shall live by faith

Since we could never, in ourselves, be righteous enough to satisfy the demands of God’s justice, we could never earn our own salvation through good works. All we can do is believe in the one whom God sent to work salvation for us. We are brought to God by faith. We become the righteousness of God by faith. We live by faith.

If your faith is in Jesus Christ, your status before God is “righteous,” and it does not change day to day based on how good a person you are. Live by faith in the gospel, and do not be ashamed to share this good news! It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.