01.3. The Theme Of Romans - Rom_1:17

Chapter 3 - THE THEME OF ROMANS - Romans 1:17

Paul’s theme is the righteousness of God which the gospel reveals (Romans 1:17). An unobstructed view of righteousness is an absolute necessity for every Christian. The righteousness of Romans 1:17 is a God-kind of righteousness which no one can receive except by the Spirit of regeneration. It is a provision that is righteous because it has been brought into being by the righteous character of God. A perfect analogy to this God-kind of righteousness is 2 Peter 1:4 -“...partakers of a God-like nature...” (translation). No one has either the same Divine nature or the same righteous character as God.

Erroneous views of righteousness in Romans 1:17 are taught:
(1) One view is that it is God’s attribute of justice. However, justice of itself would have sealed our damnation.
(2) Another view is that it is God’s goodness that He reveals. But this is a departure from Paul’s argument. Why did Paul use the word righteousness if that was true?

Paul was unashamed of the gospel because in it a righteousness for the elect is revealed. Justice requires it (Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:1-29; Romans 3:1-20). This righteousness is revealed (Romans 3:21-31; Romans 4:1-25; Romans 5:1-11). It is realized (Romans 5:12-21; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 7:1-25; Romans 8:1-13). This righteousness is reserved (Romans 8:14-39). It is reflected (Romans 12:1-21; Romans 13:1-14; Romans 14:1-23; Romans 15:1-33; Romans 16:1-27). The following are some points concerning the righteousness of God which give a systematic view of this great subject:

1. The inherently righteous God is the source of this revealed righteousness.

2. The inherently righteous Son of God is the Person in the Godhead who, by His righteous life and death as the God-man, provided a righteousness for the elect.

3. The inherently righteous Spirit is the third Person in the Godhead who imparted the provided righteousness in the elect in regeneration, thus making them finitely righteous in Jesus Christ.

4. Righteous men are those who have had the Christ-provided righteousness imparted in them, because it was first imputed to them in their justification before the inherently righteous Father.

5. The righteousness that is imparted in the elect in salvation is not the mere attribute of justice that effects deliverance from sin; but it is something provided by the obedience of One, Jesus Christ.

6. The provided righteousness is revealed in the gospel, and this message is God’s power resulting in salvation.

7. The righteousness of God in the gospel is being revealed out of faith resulting in the operation of faith, because the righteous person by means of a God-given faith will exercise the functions of life. The soul is the life of the body; faith is the life of the soul; Christ is the life of faith.

8. Having had God’s provided righteousness imputed and imparted, recipients of provided righteousness are continually performing righteousness, because they have been born out of God.

9. Those who are constantly performing righteousness are also constantly hungering and thirsting for righteousness, because their finite righteousness finds satisfaction only in God’s infinite righteousness.

10. The righteous in Christ never tire of magnifying the good news of the inherently righteous character of God the Father who provided a finite righteousness, by the life and death of His Son for the unrighteous elect, without marring God’s inherently righteous character.

Various erroneous interpretations of “from faith to faith” have been given:

1. From faith to faith means from one act of faith to another.

2. It means from faith that justifies to faith that sanctifies.

3. It means from the faithfulness of Christ, the source of righteousness, to obtaining this righteousness by faith in Christ.

4. It means from first to last by faith.

5. It means from a lower to a higher degree of faith.

6. It means from the faith God has provided to the faith of man as the receiver.

7. It means out of the faith of one heart into the faith of another.

8. The statement “from faith to faith” is designed to express the idea that God’s plan of justifying men is revealed in the gospel, which plan is by faith, and the benefits of this plan shall extend to all who believe.

9. Out of faith unto faith denotes a growing faith.

10. It means from the faith of the Old Testament to the faith of the New Testament.

11. It means from the faithfulness of God revealing to the faith of man receiving.

Let us consider another view. To whom is this God-kind of righteousness-the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary-being revealed? Is it not to the one who has been invaded by the gospel? Paul was now giving further explanation of verse 16. The God-kind of righteousness is being revealed to all the powerful gospel has invaded. The gospel is powerful. It invades with force, giving a true conversion experience: “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you have known what kind of men we were among you for your sake” (1 Thessalonians 1:5 -translation). The gospel does not come to men in general to inform them of a better objective state of affairs. It invades the elect who have been regenerated, calling them to a life of faith and obedience. God never starts anything He does not bring to completion (Php 1:6). A calling to a life of faith and obedience comes from the faithfulness of the One who “became [aorist passive indicative of ginomai] wisdom to us from God, both righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30 -translation). The verb is an aorist passive, point action past time, of ginomai. Therefore, it is the work of Jesus Christ, what God has done for His own. This righteousness is being revealed from the faithfulness of the One who became righteousness to us. It was first imputed before it was imparted. Imputation is a legal term. It was imparted when we were born of God by the Holy Spirit. Imputed and imparted righteousness being revealed (present passive indicative of apokalupto) is by the faithfulness of the One who became righteousness to us (Romans 1:17). It results in our coming to Christ in faith and subsequently living a life of faith. Hence, we go from the initial act of faith in Christ in a true conversion experience, which Paul explained by the gospel invading with power to give the person who has been quickened a true conversion experience, to the individual living the life of faith; he walks by faith and not by sight.

Believers are in Christ three ways:
(1) We are in Him representatively (Romans 5:16-19). We were crucified with Christ before we existed.
(2) We are in Him vitally. This pertains to eternal life (John 15:1-7; Colossians 1:27).
(3) We are in Him consciously. We were in Christ vitally before we were conscious of it. We are in Him consciously by faith which is the fruit of regeneration and conversion. For this reason, we have the assurance of our salvation (2 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:1-13).