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.17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; (Romans 1:16-18 KJV)
The Just Live by Faith
Paul here begins a large discourse on justification, in the latter part of this chapter laying down his thesis and, in order to prove it, describing the deplorable condition of the Gentile world. His transition is skillful, like an orator: he was ready to preach the gospel at Rome, even though there the gospel was ridiculed by those who thought themselves wise; for, he says, “I am not ashamed of it” (Ro 1:16). There was much in the gospel that someone like Paul might have been tempted to be ashamed of—especially that the one whose gospel it is was crucified, that its doctrine was plain and lacked the polish admired among scholars, that its followers were despised and spoken against everywhere. Yet Paul was not ashamed to own it. A true Christian is neither ashamed of the gospel nor a shame to it. The reason for this bold statement, based on the nature and excellence of the gospel, introduces his main point.
The excellence of the gospel lies in this: it reveals to us the salvation of believers as the end. “It is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Paul is not ashamed of the gospel, no matter how insignificant and contemptible it may seem to a worldly eye, because the power of God works through it to bring salvation to all who believe. It shows us the way of salvation and is the great charter by which salvation is conveyed and given to us. But, it is through the power of God. Without that power, the gospel is just a dead letter. The revelation of the gospel is the revelation of the arm of the Lord. It is to those, and only those, who believe. Belief makes us part of the gospel salvation; to others, it is hidden. The medicine will not cure the patient if it is not taken.
The lost sheep of the house of Israel had the first offer made to them, both by Christ and his apostles. The apostles turned to the Gentiles upon their refusal (Acts 13:46). Jews and Gentiles now stand on the same level, both equally miserable without a Savior and both equally welcome to the Savior (Colossians 3:11). Such a doctrine was a surprise to the Jews, who had been God’s chosen people and had looked down on the Gentile world. But the long-awaited Messiah turned out to be a light to enlighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel.
The justification of believers is the way to salvation. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed (Romans 1:17). Our misery and ruin are the result of our sin. That which will show us the way of salvation must also show us the way of justification, and the gospel does this. The gospel makes known a righteousness. Since God is a just and holy God and we are guilty sinners, it is necessary for us to have a righteousness in which to appear before him. There is such a righteousness brought in by the Messiah and revealed in the gospel—a righteousness that is a gracious way of reconciliation and acceptance, despite the guilt of our sins.
This gospel righteousness is called the righteousness of God. It is appointed, approved, and accepted by God. It is called this to eliminate all claims to a righteousness that comes from our own works. It is the righteousness of Christ, who is God, resulting from a satisfaction of infinite value. It is said to be “from faith to faith.” This means it is from the faithfulness of God revealing to the faith of man receiving. Or from a first faith by which we are put into a justified state to a later faith by which we live and continue in that state. The faith that justifies us is nothing less than accepting Christ as our Savior and becoming true Christians.
Faith is everything, both in the beginning and in the progress of a Christian life. It is not from faith to works, as if faith puts us in a justified state and then works maintain us in it. Instead, it is always “from faith to faith.” It is an increasing, continuing, persevering faith—a faith that presses forward and gains ground against unbelief. To show that this is not a new teaching, he quotes that famous scripture in the Old Testament, so often mentioned in the New Testament (Habakkuk 2:4), “The righteous shall live by faith.” Being justified by faith, he will live by it, both in the life of grace and the life of glory.
The prophet there had placed himself on the watchtower, expecting some extraordinary discoveries, and the discovery was about the certainty of the appearance of the promised Messiah in the fullness of time, despite apparent delays. This is called the vision, by way of distinction, as elsewhere the promise. While that time is coming, as well as when it has come, the righteous shall live by faith. In this way, the gospel righteousness is from faith to faith—from Old Testament faith in a Christ yet to come to New Testament faith in a Christ who has already come.
The proof of this claim is that both Jews and Gentiles need a righteousness in which to appear before God and that neither of them has any of their own to present. Justification must be by either faith or works. It cannot be by works, which he proves at length by describing the works of both Jews and Gentiles. Therefore, he concludes that it must be by faith (Romans 3:20, 28). The apostle, like a skilled surgeon, first searches the wound before applying the bandage. He first tries to convince of guilt and wrath and then shows the way of salvation. This makes the gospel more welcome. We must first see the righteousness of God condemning and then the righteousness of God justifying will appear worthy of all acceptance. In general (Romans 1:18), the wrath of God is revealed. The light of nature and the light of the law reveal the wrath of God from sin to sin. It is good for us that the gospel reveals the justifying righteousness of God from faith to faith. The contrast is notable. Here is,
- The sinfulness of man is described under two heads: ungodliness against the first table of the law, and unrighteousness against the second.
- The cause of that sinfulness is holding the truth in unrighteousness. They had some knowledge of God’s being and of the difference between good and evil, but they held it in unrighteousness—that is, they professed it while continuing in wickedness. They held the truth captive so it would not influence them. An unrighteous heart is the dungeon in which many good truths are buried. Holding the form of sound words in faith and love is the root of true religion (2Ti 1:13), but holding it in unrighteousness is the root of sin.
- The displeasure of God against it: The wrath of God is revealed from heaven—not only in Scripture, which the Gentiles lacked, but in providence, in judgments on sinners. These are not accidents or from second causes but a revelation from heaven. It is wrath from heaven, not from man, and therefore the more terrible and unavoidable.