2 Timothy 4:1-4

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Last week, we learned the external reason why people reject the gospel. When the gospel is rejected, it is rejected because “the god of this world [the devil] has blinded the minds of them who do not believe [the gospel]” (2 Cor. 4:4). Tonight, we will look at the internal cause of the rejection of the gospel. Why people reject the gospel when it is the greatest news for their dying souls?

Ever since the birth of the New Testament church, the church has struggled with lots of problems. Trevin Way, director of Bibles and References at LifeWay Christian Resources, articulates on the four big challenges facing the church in the west today: individualism, pragmatism, immorality, and divisions (isolation, fragmentation, and polarization).¹ Of course, the list of the problems we deal with in the church can go on and on. Yet, though we can expand the list endlessly, all these problems can be boiled down to one category: sin. It is simply a sin problem. The church consists of sinners saved by grace and, at times, it is inevitable to deal with problems in the church. A church without problems is a church without people. Yet, the problem the apostle Paul is dealing with in the tonight’s text is not just one of many church problems. This is the worst kind of problems that the church can ever face. It is the problem of having unsaved people as members of the church. These are the people who have deceived themselves. They confessed their faith in the Lord at a certain moment of their lives and got baptized. Their names are written in the church membership roll, and they are the ones who make decisions for the church. Here, we must raise a very important question. How do we know who they are? What are the marks of the people who have never received the pure gospel into their hearts and yet think there are genuine Christians?

False Believers Will Not Endure the “Sound Doctrine”

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine (v. 3a)

The future tense Paul is using in this sentence does not imply that false believers have never been in the church of Ephesus before. It is just to warn Timothy of what he should expect so that he would not be off guard. “The time” that will come could be tomorrow or even tonight for Timothy. They can reveal themselves anytime in the church and, when they come, Timothy will be able to know who they are because they would not be able to put up with the “sound doctrine.” The term “sound (or healthy) doctrine” is synonymous with the gospel in the Pastoral Letters:

If there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; ¹¹ According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust (1 Tim. 1:10b-11).

While rejecting the sound doctrine according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, these false believers embrace false doctrines.

False Believers Will Rather Cling to Manmade Myths

but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables (3b-4).

Rather than the healthy gospel, they want false teachings to tickle their ears. In other words, they don’t want to listen to the fundamental doctrines of pure Christianity, but only to hear what they want to hear! They will turn their ears away from the truth of the gospel and turn to fables or myths. These myths are not originated from the divine mind. They are rather from flawed human brains to satisfy the sinful desires of the human heart. They would say,

• “We humans cannot be so sinful to the point that we cannot contribute to our salvation. Find something good in you and bring it out in your life. God will be pleased with it!” [Pelagianism/works-righteousness]
• “Why bother with a holy life? Haven’t you heard ‘Once saved, always saved?’ No matter what I do I am getting to heaven!” [antinomianism/licentiousness]

“Jesus did not die on behalf of humanity. He was just a great teacher and example for humanity. He just wanted to teach us by His teaching and death that we need to live a noble life like his.” [moral influence theory of atonement]

“Believing in Jesus’ blood? How cruel it is to say that God can only be satisfied by His own Son’s blood and death? That is too primitive, offensive and hideous. Don’t you say that a loving God would ever do that.” [classic liberal view of atonement]

“Was Jesus bodily resurrected? Nope. He was just spiritually seen by His followers. What’s important is not its historicity, but its spiritual meaning. All scientific facts assure us that he did not physically come back to life. Nevertheless, He lives in my heart, so does He in your heart regardless of your religion.” [a form of liberal view on Jesus’ resurrection/a form of universalism]

“Waiting for Jesus’ return? No way! What He wants us to do is to make the world better now on the earth. He is not physically coming back. Just do your best to make your life and society better! That is what Jesus taught!” [classic liberal eschatology]

“There is no hell! How could a good God create such a horrible place? In the end, everybody will be saved.” [a form of universalism]

How could people who call themselves Christians cling to such erroneous teachings? What is the root cause of their rejection of the true gospel?

They Are Driven by Their Own Lusts

No matter how different their symptoms are, their problem is one. The light of the true gospel cannot penetrate their hearts because they are darkened by their own lusts: but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers (v. 3b). From the beginning, they did not have the desire to listen to God’s word and obey it. The reason they came to church was not their hunger for God. They became “Christians” because they wanted something that benefits themselves. All they care about is their own interests and pleasures. That is the reason they can bring teachers into the church, who teach what they want to hear. What they care is not how true the teachers are to the gospel. As long as they tickle their ears or satisfy their curiosity, they are good Bible teachers. Commentator Mounce remarks on the meaning of “tickling the itching ears”: “The imagery is that their itching ears are tickled by the false teachers who teach whatever is sensational or novel but in the end what conforms to their evil lusts, specifically the myths of the Ephesian heresy, which people can always study but never gain in knowledge (3:7).”² The problem is not that they never come to church or never study the Bible. They might even seem avid learners of Christianity. Yet, though they always study, they can never embrace the truth of the gospel (3:7) because their pursuit is not God but their own lusts.

How about you? What do you believe about the gospel? Why do you believe what you believe about the gospel? Why do you come to church? Is your understanding of the gospel based on God’s revealed word or your own idea? Is your pursuit of learning the Bible based on your love for God or your own curiosity for knowledge? Do you follow Christ to give yourself to Him or to fulfill your own desires?

Discipleship Questions:

1. What is the gospel? Where is the reference that defines the gospel?
2. What are the two marks of false believers?
3. Why do fake Christians reject the gospel?
4. Why do you come to church or why do you follow Jesus Christ? What do you want to fulfill in your pursuit of Christianity?
5. What is the only remedy for self-deceived people? Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 and 4:2.

1^ https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-wax/4-big-challenges-facing-church-west-today/

2^William D. Mounce, Pastoral Epistles, WBC, 575.

2 Timothy 2:16-19

¹⁶ But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. ¹⁷ And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; ¹⁸ Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. ¹⁹ Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Do you know the 2^nd law of thermodynamics? This is the law in nature that when energy changes from one form to another form, or matter moves freely, entropy (disorder) in a closed system increases. In a simpler language, things fall apart unless you make some effort to keep them together. This phenomenon happens not only in our nature but sadly in many churches. The Lord Jesus Christ left the pure gospel with the apostle Paul, and the apostle faithfully proclaimed the untainted gospel. Numerous people responded to his preaching and lots of churches were established. The church in Ephesus was one of them. Yet, like things in nature fall apart when they are left alone, some people in the church of Ephesus have corrupted the gospel truth and made shipwreck of their faith. In his letter to Timothy, pastor of the Ephesian church, the dear apostle explains how the gospel is corrupted and its effect on the church.

The Corruption of the Gospel Begins in a Small Scale

The dispute over the gospel truth begins in an insignificant way. Paul commands Timothy to charge the Ephesian church “before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers” (v. 14). In other words, Paul is saying, “Don’t allow your people wrangle over small words and terms. There is no benefit in such arguments, and some will buy false teachings and ruin their faith.” When small disputes over orthodox doctrines are left unchecked, they become “profane and vain babblings” (v. 16). They are worldly chatters that are “distant from and foreign to God” (Phillip H. Towner). The characteristic of the false teachers in Ephesus was that they subtly attack the truth of the gospel. This corruption of the gospel in the church always begins in a very small scale. A conservative Christian does not become a liberal one over the night. But when we allow slightly corrupted talks and opinions over core doctrines in the church, they will grow more and more.

A Corrupted Doctrine Is Infectious and Destructive

Paul compares the false teachers’ teaching as a “Canker” (v. 17a). Commentator Bernard says that in the ancient world, this word was “used of flesh-eating sores. It is a common medical term used as early as Hippocrates. It is used here figuratively, emphasizing the heresy’s ability both to spread and to destroy.” The small corruption in a core doctrine of Christianity does not stay there. Just like a malignant tumor quickly spreads to other parts of the body, the corrupt doctrine allowed in the church can quickly corrupt other doctrines, even the truth of the gospel.

Paul names two false teachers—“Hymenaeus and Philetus” (v. 17b). Paul already mentioned Hymenaeus (paired with Alexander) in the previous letter: “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Tim 1:19-20). Because the name Hymenaeus was not a common name, it seems like Paul is dealing with the same person. This indicates that it is not easy to get rid of false teachers once they gain popularity among people.

Many Christians naively think that they are free from the danger of false teachers. Yet, false teachers are not far from us. In Acts 20, the apostle Paul gives encourages and warns a group of Ephesian elders as he is headed to Jerusalem. In verses 29-30, we find the apostle’s very interesting warning about false teachers.

²⁹ For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also of [or from] your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

From where false teachers arise? From the Ephesian elders themselves, the apostle says. Hymenaeus and Philetus were not strangers to the church of Ephesus. They were most likely teachers or pastors in the church.

What did they teach? The fundamental attack of these false teachers was on the doctrine of the resurrection: “the resurrection of believers has already occurred.” (v. 18). Most likely, they promoted an over-realized eschatology. Paul had taught that Christians are presently raised with Christ (Rom. 6:1-11; Eph 2:6; 5:14; Col. 2:12-13; 3:1-4). Probably, some teachers, including Hymenaeus and Philetus, distorted and overemphasized this truth to the point that the promise of the resurrection of the believers is already fully realized in a spiritual sense. This teaching would lead people to conclude that the future bodily resurrection of believers is unnecessary. This was a serious attack on the gospel which guarantees the bodily resurrection of all believers according to the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:12, 13, 21, 42). When the foundation of the gospel is rejected, the end result is destructive.

The Corruption of the Gospel Results in a Moral Failure

The result of such teaching is that they “overthrow the faith of some” who are spiritually unstable and doctrinally immature (v. 18b). Biblical scholar Knight remarks on the effect of the false teaching in the church of Ephesus: “This error can affect how one regards Jesus’ resurrection and its significance for one’s future standing and hope for eternity, and thus also how one thinks of the Christian’s present relationship to Christ and one’s perspective on the body and conduct in this life and attitude to material creation. Therefore, Paul regards it as striking at the heart of Christianity and thus as a departure from the truth.”

The corruption of the gospel brings not only a spiritual shipwreck but also a moral failure. We don’t know exactly why, but the teaching that believers are spiritually fully resurrected caused its followers to live immorally. When a person begins to follow a different gospel, it is inevitable that he or she will live in an immoral lifestyle. It is because false doctrines will cause them to “increase unto more ungodliness” (v. 16b). A corrupted gospel always leads to immoral behavior.

In contrast, those who are identified with Jesus Chris by their faith in the genuine gospel would stand on the firm foundation of God and depart from iniquity or unrighteousness (v. 19). What is the firm foundation of God then? The pure gospel (vv. 8-9, 11-13). This is the reason why we need to be vigilant in keeping the pure gospel. In order to keep our gospel free from corruption, we must do our best to present ourselves to God as diligent workers who accurately handle the word of truth (v. 15). Paul gives the same command to the group of Ephesian elders who are exposed to the danger of false teachers (Acts 20:31-32):

Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears [by preaching “the gospel of the grace of God” (v. 24), “the kingdom of God” (v. 25), and “the whole counsel of God” (v. 27)]. ³² And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Discipleship Questions:

1. What is the gospel?
2. How is the gospel corrupted, in a small scale or a large scale? What can a small doctrinal corruption do to a soul?
3. How is a one’s belief in a corrupt gospel manifested in his/her life?
4. Read Acts 20:28-32. Paul is warning Ephesian elders about false teachers who will emerge after he is gone. Where are they coming from? (esp. v. 30)
5. What is the cure for false teachers/teaching? See 2 Tim. 2:15 and Acts. 20:31-32.

Romans 6:1-4

¹ What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? ² God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ³ Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ⁴ Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

How does the gospel get cheapened? There are two major ways: legalism and antinomianism. While legalists seek to earn God’s favor for their salvation by keeping the law, those who hold to antinomianism try to convince themselves and others that Christians can live in a sinful lifestyle (or disregard God’s law) because God has already forgiven them of their sins. In other words, they believe that the divine grace opposes the divine law. Thus, they are called anti (from Greek anti, “against”) + nomianism (from nomos, “law”). In today’s text, the apostle Paul specifically refutes the people who embrace and promote such an idea.

Antinomianism Defined: “Let’s continue to sin because God’s grace is greater than our sin!”

Paul’s teaching that, where sin abounds (through Adam), grace much more abounds (through Jesus Christ) (Rom. 5:20) has led some to wrongly conclude that it is okay, or even good, for believers to sin. They reason that, when they sin abundantly, God’s grace would be manifest much more abundantly. What do you think? Of course, you know that kind of reasoning is wrong. Can you then explain why? Before we look at Paul’s answer to the question, we must first understand the proper relationship between the gospel and the law.

The Gospel Grace Functions to Uphold the Law

Yes, we “are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14b). But does it mean that we can reject the law or the rules that God has set for us to live accordingly? What does Paul say in Romans 3:31 after he proclaims that we are justified by faith apart from keeping the law?: “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law!” In other words, the law is not antithetical to the gospel. But the gospel functions to uphold the law. When Paul said that we are not under the law and under grace, he never meant that the law is unnecessary or problematic for the Christian life. Romans 7 clearly presents Paul’s understanding of the law. For the apostle, God’s law is not the problem (v. 7). Rather, “the law is holy, and the commandment holy, just, and good” (v. 12). Then what is the problem? He says, “for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” (v. 14). The problem is not the law, but our sin or our sinful nature.

Moreover, Jesus Christ died in order that “the righteousness [or righteous requirement] of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4). As a matter of fact, in the New Covenant, the law is internalized in believers’ hearts: “For this is the [new] covenant… I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts” (Heb. 8:10; cf. Jer. 31:33). This is the power of the gospel and the wonder of the New Covenant, which was inaugurated by the blood of Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20).

Some people falsely reason this way: “Since God accepts me the way I am, I should not get straitjacketed by the law of God. God wants me to be myself!” This is to say, “God is gracious, and he accepts me as I am, and therefore I will remain as I am!” What is the fundamental problem of their reasoning? They fail to understand how the grace of God in the gospel works!

The Antidote to Antinomianism—Union with Christ

Let us come back to today’s text. What is Paul’s answer to the false idea that we should sin more so that God’s grace would abound more?

How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (vv. 2-4).

Why is there no condemnation for us under the law? Because we are united with Christ through faith in the gospel. But that same faith-union leads us to fulfill the requirements of the law in us through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:4). We must understand God’s grace correctly. Of course, His love for us is not based on our qualification or preparation. But it is wrong to say that God accepts us the way we are. Rather, He accepts us despite the way we are. In spite of our sinfulness, He receives us only in Christ and for His sake. God never leaves us the way He found us but transforms us in the likeness of His Son so that we would “walk in newness of life.” This transformation does not happen to some Christians but to all. The root problem of antinomianism is that people separate “God’s law from His person, and grace from the union with Christ in which the law is written in the heart.”¹ Therefore, according to Paul, God’s grace in our union with Christ is the antidote to antinomianism. When we understand our relationship with Christ, and what God has done through Christ in us, we will correctly understand the relationship between God’s grace and His law and live our lives accordingly. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).

Discipleship Questions:

1. What is the gospel?
2. What is the definition of antinomianism? How does it cheapen the gospel?
3. How does the gospel grace uphold the law?
4. What is the purpose of Jesus death? (Rom 8:4) What does the fulfilment of the New Covenant do to your heart? (Heb 8:10)
5. How does your union with Christ encourage you to reject a sinful lifestyle and embrace a holy life?

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. ³ And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: ⁵ That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

We know that as Christians we must evangelize the world (Matt 28:19-20). The problem is not that we do not know it but that most of us fail to do it. Why? While there may be lots of reasons, what we will deal with tonight is the fear of inadequacy. We say to ourselves: “I am not an eloquent speaker,” “Though I know what the gospel is, I feel so inadequate to articulate it to people,” or “What if people ask me a question I cannot answer?” If you’ve ever felt this way, don’t worry about it because you are not alone. Even Paul, the great apostle, felt inadequate to do the work of evangelism. In today’s text, he says to the Corinthians, “I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling” (v. 3). How could Paul overcome feelings of inadequacy and succeed in evangelizing Corinth and establishing churches in that city? Let’s look at the secret of the apostle’s way of evangelism.

The Work of Evangelism Does Not Depend on Our Eloquence but on Christ Crucified

Greeks were enamored with all sorts of philosophical wisdom and rhetorical traditions. Thus, said Herodotus, ancient Greek historian (b. 485 B.C.), “All Greeks were zealous of every kind of learning.” The city of Corinth was not an exception. It is evident, even after their conversion, some of the Corinthian Christians pursued human wisdom and rhetorical eloquence, and this tendency even divided the church (cf. 1:5, 12; 3:4). To correct such mistake, Paul elaborates on the manner and attitude he had when he first came to the city to preach the gospel among the Corinthians.

Paul knew well that to the Jews, the message of the gospel was “a stumbling block” (1:23) because for them Messiah meant power, splendor, triumph while crucifixion meant weakness, humiliation, defeat. He also knew that to the Gentiles, the message of the gospel was a foolish superstition (1:23). In 112 A.D., in his letter to the emperor Trajan, Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia, describes the message of the cross as “a perverse, extravagant superstition.”

Nevertheless, the apostle came to the city “to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words” (1:17a). If he had tried to preach the gospel with human wisdom and eloquence, the cross of Christ would have been “made of none effect” (1:17b). The apostle and his colleagues preached “Christ crucified” although the crucifixion of the Messiah was a scandalous message to the ears of both Jews and Greeks (1:23). It was because the message of the cross is not like human wisdom. It is the message about Christ who is “the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1:24). The message of the cross could not be invented by human wisdom, but only by divine wisdom. Therefore, Paul did not come to Corinth “with excellency of speech or of wisdom” (2:1a). He simply proclaimed the message of the cross, which was executed and revealed by God (“testimony of God” 2:1b). Though Paul considered himself as a weakling¹ who was overwhelmed by the task of evangelism in fear and trembling (2:3), he determined to know nothing but “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (2:2). He could do it because he knew that it is not human wisdom or eloquence that saves souls but Christ who was crucified for sinners.

The Result of Evangelism Does Not Depend on Our Ability but on the Spirit’s Power

What is the result of human wisdom and eloquence? Nothing except for a short-lived applause! A preacher’s knowledge and eloquence may impress people, yet it bears no permanent fruit.

Little more than a century ago, a group of American pastors decided to travel to London to hear and learn from some of the great English pastors of the day. One the first Sunday, they went to hear one of the most famous preachers whose church had about 3,000-4,000 members. As they were leaving the church they marveled and spoke to each other, “What a great preacher! What a great preacher!” Then, the next Sunday the group attended the Metropolitan Tabernacle where the famous Charles Spurgeon was pastoring. They listened to him, and as they were leaving the church they marveled again, but this time they shouted, “What a great Savior! Hallelujah! What a great Savior!”

How could Paul accomplish what he accomplished in the city of Corinth? It was because he simply and plainly proclaimed the Savior who died on a cross for sinners. The apostle says, “My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom…” (2:4a). It is not Paul’s fake humility. He really did not try to impress people with an eloquent speech. That is the reason some of the Corinthians ridiculed him by saying, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account” (2 Cor 10:10). Such contempt on his simple preaching of the cross, however, could not alter the apostle’s manner of preaching. The beloved apostle understood that it was not his ability but the Spirit that powerfully applies the message of the gospel into the heart of the hearers. So, Paul says that his preaching was “in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (2:4b). Hence, our faith “should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (2:5). To have your faith rest on God’s power is “to believe the cross to be the way of salvation, being convinced by the work of the Spirit in your own and other believers’ lives, and to shun any trust in self and human wisdom as a way to God…. To receive God’s wisdom and experience His power it is necessary to relinquish your own wisdom and power.”²

Therefore, in actuality, it is not wrong for us to feel that we are inadequate for evangelizing the world. Besides Paul, Moses claimed lack of eloquence (Ex 4:10), Isaiah had unclean lips (Isa 6:5), and Jeremiah did “not know how to speak well enough” because he was “too young” (NET Jer 1:6). These men’s speaking generated no applause. Their goal was not persuasion by skillful arguments and eloquent speech but the manifestation of God’s power in people’s lives. Especially for Paul, it was through the simple presentation of Christ crucified. That is all the apostle needed, and that is all we need as well. When we do not focus on ourselves and present Christ and Him alone to the world, the Holy Spirit will transform some people’s hearts (remember not all but certainly some) by the message of the cross.

Let’s remember, dear brothers and sisters, that evangelism is not about how eloquent and able we are but how great and powerful our Savior is through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Discipleship Questions:

1. What is the gospel?
2. What is the greatest fear you have when you share the gospel? Other fears?
3. Explain how the preacher/person who led you to Christ. How eloquent was he or she?
4. Read 1 Corinthians 2:3 and Acts 18:1, 5-11. Why do you think the Lord appeared to Paul for encouragement in Corinth? What did Paul need to keep on doing? (v. 9). How did the Lord encourage him? (v. 10).
5. Read Zechariah 4:6 where an angel speaks of the way God’s work is done. How is the gospel to be preached?

Romans 1:16-17

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.

Why is Paul not ashamed of the gospel? It is because the gospel is God’s power that saves everyone, whether Jews or Gentiles, who believe it (v. 16). Then why is the gospel God’s saving power? It is because God’s righteousness is unveiled in the gospel to anyone who believes (v. 17). What does Paul mean by “the righteousness of God”? A proper understanding of this short phrase will determine how we understand Paul’s doctrine of Justification. Despite the tendency in NT scholarship to understand “the righteousness of God” as “God’s saving power” and to regard “righteousness” as “God’s covenant faithfulness,” the phrase ought to be understood as the believer’s right status before God.

Righteousness Is a Gift from God

Martin Luther describes how he first understood the phrase “the righteousness of God” as a Roman Catholic monk (“Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther’s Latin Works” [1545]):

I had conceived a burning desire to understand what Paul meant in his Letter to the Romans, but thus far there had stood in my way, not the cold blood around my heart, but that one word which is in chapter one: “The justice of God is revealed in it.” I hated that word, “justice of God” (iustitia Dei), which, by the use and custom of all my teachers, I had been taught to understand philosophically as referring to formal or active justice, as they call it, i.e., that justice by which God is just and by which he punishes sinners and the unjust. But I, blameless monk that I was, felt that before God I was a sinner with an extremely troubled conscience. I couldn’t be sure that God was appeased by my satisfaction. I did not love, no, rather I hated the just God who punishes sinners. In silence, if I did not blaspheme, then certainly I grumbled vehemently and got angry at God.

The more Luther thought about God as the righteous judge who condemns sinners, the more he was compelled to run away from this just, wrathful God. Yet, he kept trying to understand the phrase in its context:

I meditated night and day on those words until at last, by the mercy of God, I paid attention to their context: “The justice of God is revealed in it, as it is written: ‘The just person lives by faith.’” I began to understand that in this verse the justice of God is that by which the just person lives by a gift of God, that is by faith. I began to understand that this verse means that the justice of God is revealed through the Gospel, but it is a passive justice, i.e. that by which the merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written: “The just person lives by faith.” All at once I felt that I had been born again and entered into paradise itself through open gates. Immediately I saw the whole of Scripture in a different light.

Luther realized that “the righteousness of God” is a gift from God that renders sinners acceptable in God’s sight. The phrase does not refer to God’s distributive justice by which He judges people according to their works. Nor does it mean that the divine righteousness is infused into sinners so that they are internally transformed as righteous people. Rather, by faith in the gospel, God declares sinners righteous in His sight. This declaration is not a legal fiction but a real verdict.

Stephen Westerholm (Perspectives Old and New on Paul, 353) identifies this act of God as an extraordinary meaning of righteousness. In an ordinary law court, the doer of the law will be declared righteous, and the violator of the law will be declared guilty (cf. Rom. 2:13). In Paul, however, God declares the latter to be in the right if he believes in the gospel. Such a verdict is extraordinary because it violates the normal and just procedure of judgment. In Paul’s logic, of course, God does not violate any standard of justice. Jesus Christ, the perfect substitution, became a “propitiation” and a “curse” for sinners (Rom. 3:21–26; Gal. 3:10–14; cf. 2 Cor. 5:21). Through this procedure, God does not only justify sinners but he himself is proved to be righteous (Rom. 3:26).

In the Cross of Christ, God’s Saving and Judging Righteousness Meet

Paul elucidates the meaning of today’s text in Romans 3:21-26, and verses 25-26 is especially relevant to our study:

Whom [Jesus Christ] God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Un until verses 25-26, Paul has reasoned that all people, Jews or Gentiles, are sinners and they can only obtain God’s righteousness by faith in the gospel apart from works. In verse 25, Paul argues that God offered Jesus Christ as an atoning sacrifice to satisfy His wrath and to wipe away sin. Why? God wanted to demonstrate His judging righteousness which was called into question because He had passed over former sins without dealing with them. Through the death of Jesus, God demonstrates that His goodness and holy standard for sin have not been compromised. In the cross of Christ, God’s saving and judging righteousness met. God’s holy and righteous punishment for sin was executed at the cross. The divine justice is fully satisfied in that the death of His Son pays fully for human sin. Therefore, those who have faith in Christ’s substitutionary death can now have and enjoy the righteous standing before God. In this scheme, no one can question God’s justice in His saving and forgiving sinners through the gospel of His Son Jesus Christ.

In sum, the gospel reveals God’s righteousness in two major ways. First, those who believe in the gospel receive God’s righteousness or the right status before God so that they can now have and enjoy the right relationship with God (cf. Rom 5:1). God’s righteousness is given to us as a gift. Second, God demonstrates His own righteousness by the death of His Son who took the place of condemnation for sinners who believe in the gospel. Through the message of the gospel, God does not only declare us righteous but also prove Himself to be righteous before the world.

Discipleship Questions:

1. What is the gospel?
2. Why is the gospel God’s saving power? (see the intro)
3. Explain how God gives His righteousness to us as a gift. Discuss whether we are made righteous or declared righteous (consult 1-b/c).
4. Explain how God’s saving and judging righteousness meet at the cross (consult 2-d/e). I.e. what aspect of the cross demonstrates that God is righteous in justifying and saving us who deserve hell?
5. Read Romans 5:1-5. What are the results of our justification?

Romans 1:14-16

James Montgomery Boice pastored Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia for about 32 years. During that time he preached through Paul’s epistle Romans and later reported that it was this sermon series that had the greatest and most dramatic impact on his ministry. He later published an edited version of the sermons in a multivolume set. The first volume covers Romans 1-4 and is about 500 pages long. In that book, he has a sermon on this particular passage that he titles The Whole Gospel for the Whole World. Before consulting Boice’s book I labeled this section myself “The Universal Gospel.” What I mean by that is this. The gospel is for everyone. There is no class of people to whom the gospel means more or offers more than it does to anyone and everyone. The gospel is for all people for all time. Like Boice wrote, it is the whole gospel for the whole world. It is a universal gospel.

The gospel message is for everyone

The apostle Paul considered himself in debt to others because of the gospel. He states “I am debtor:” v. 14. He owed as it were the gospel to other people. In this case, the debt is explained in greater detail in v. 15. He writes: “so, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.” He believed he had a divine obligation to share the good news about Jesus with everyone.

He specifically delimited the audience of the gospel message. It was not just to the house of Israel, the Jews. It was for the whole world. In fact, he does not even mention Israel at all as part of his audience, at least not at first. He refers to Greek-speaking people and non-Greek-speaking people. Greek-speaking people is probably reference to the Hellenistic culture. One result of Alexander the Great’s conquests is that it spread Greek culture throughout what we call “the known world.” His empire covered parts of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and even into India, the Asia sub-continent. Greek culture covered a large part of the earth by the time of Alexander’s death. Non-Greek-speaking people were considered barbarous. They were not educated in the same sense as the Greeks. The word barbarians is a reference to their language. It was considered rough or crude. The culture of these people was considered to be tribal and uncivilized. Paul owed them the gospel too.

If the difference between Greek and non-Greek culture was not enough, Paul also delimited his audience to those who were educated (the wise) and those who were not. Just because someone grew up within the confines of a Greek-speaking culture did not automatically mean that he was educated. Many slaves, and there were many of those, were uneducated people. Paul states that he was in a gospel debt to the educated, but also the uneducated. Many of his converts were slaves. Onesimus, the famous runaway slave from Philemon, is a good example of Paul’s evangelistic work among the “unwise.”

Paul did not limit his gospel message to those who were just like himself. He felt burdened to share the gospel with everyone. He owed it to them.

The gospel message can save anyone

Not only does Paul feel indebted to preach the gospel to the whole world, but he explains that it is able (power—dunamis) to save anyone who believes regardless of their cultural or ethnic heritage. This is because the power of the gospel flows from the gospel to the one who receives it by faith. He states in v. 16 that the power is in Jesus’ gospel. The truth that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-4) has the God-given ability to save sinners. Belief in the gospel makes it operational. This is why faith is so important in receiving the gospel. This faith, a right response to what God has revealed, is a mental agreement with the gospel facts, an emotional reception of the gospel message, and a will to follow the gospel Giver (Jesus Christ). The faith itself does not have the power. The gospel has the power. It is God’s almighty power to save anyone who believes from the power, penalty, and one day, the presence of sin.

It is universally effective. The gospel saves everyone who believes. Paul uses the little word “all” meaning everyone. Anyone who accepts the gospel receives its power to save from sin. This has always been the case. Paul states that the gospel was first given to the Jews. He is thinking back to the Old Testament and how the gospel was given to God’s people. The children of Israel received a “gospel” message to turn from sin and believe in God. They learned of a promised Messiah who would come and save people from sin. This gospel was, historically, first received by the Jews. Later, the gospel message was expanded to the Greek (non-Jews). This is what Jesus was teaching in Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus wanted His followers to spread the gospel globally. The command is to preach the gospel to the nations. This was always God’s intent. Isaiah 45:22: “Look unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth, for I am God and there is none else.” The gospel is for everyone. God has given us a whole gospel for the whole world.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the gospel?
2. What does it mean that the gospel has “power?” It is the power to do what?
3. How is the gospel received? What is the key word? What does this word mean?
4. Do you think any ethnic, racial, economic, or cultural group is more deserving of salvation than another? If not, why not?
5. Is anyone incapable of being saved? If you say yes, please explain. If you say no, please explain your reason for your answer.

Ephesians 2:8-9

My favorite American short story writer, William Porter (you know him as O. Henry), wrote about a poor young couple who determined to buy Christmas gifts for one another without the other’s knowledge. The wife sold her beautiful hair to buy her husband a watch band, which he sold in order to buy her a comb for her hair. So, he ended up with a watchband for a watch he no longer owned and she ended up with a comb for hair that she had cut off. It’s a beautiful story of love and devotion between the young couple. Of course, Porter never followed the logic through that the wife’s hair would eventually grow back, but that’s pressing the story too far.

The story illustrates, at least in some measure, a kind of love that sacrifices without expecting anything in return. This is the kind of love about which the Bible speaks. It is the love that God has for us. He gave up Himself for us so that we can have salvation from sin and death. The gospel is the “good news” that Jesus died the sake of our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day—all of it according to God’s Word. That is an objective fact. This gospel is not subjective speculation on my part. The Bible states this plainly.

However, just because this is a true fact does not make it effectual. Man has an inherent sin problem that separates him from God. Isaiah 59:2 states that man’s sin is a barrier between God and man. What we have is a gospel on one side with all of its potential for salvation from sin and death and sinful man on the other side separated from God. There is a natural gulf between the two. Just because there is a gospel does not mean that sinners will automatically be saved. Some will and some will not. There are some sinners who have been saved through faith in the gospel and there are some sinners who have not been saved because they reject the gospel. This is also true.

The question: how is the gospel is offered to sinners? What stands in the gulf between the gospel and sinful man? It is the amazing grace of God. Grace is the key connective tissue between sinners and salvation.

God’s Grace Through the Gospel

The apostle Paul writes: “for by grace are ye saved through faith” (Eph. 2:8). Salvation is the enlivening of sinners through redemption in Jesus. The message of Ephesians has been building up to this point from the beginning of the epistle.

• 1:7 indicates that this redemption comes through the blood of Jesus. By the blood of Jesus our sins are forgiven. We are ‘bought’ by God like a slave being purchased and then liberated.
• 2:1-3 indicates that this is necessary because before Christ we were spiritually dead. The world that rejects God was our guide. The enemy (Satan) who opposes God was our friend. The flesh which encourages sin was our constant companion.
• 2:5-6 indicates that salvation changes the course of our lives. We are turned from spiritual death unto spiritual life. We are promised the resurrection of Jesus (like unto His glorious body).

Moreover, this salvation is the object of our faith (the focus is really on Jesus).

• 1:18 indicates that this faith is the result of our eyes being opened to the truth. God causes me to see (understand) the gospel. This is the only means by which I am capable of believing in Him. Ultimately this focuses our faith onto Jesus Himself. We trust in His death on our behalf. We have faith in His resurrection from the dead.

Man Has No Input into the Salvation Process

Grace is not something man devised. The salvation plan did not originate with us. Paul writes: “and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (v. 8). The word ‘that’ is not insignificant. The apostle is arguing that grace did not come from us first. He’s saying clearly “that” grace is did not come from you. It does not come from man. This is an important part of the doctrine of salvation. Man never reaches out to God first. The direction is always God towards man. It is something He gives. The gospel is the gift He offers to us. Further, not only did the salvation plan not originate with us, but it is impossible that we could ever earn it for ourselves. Paul adds the little addendum: “Not of works, lest any man should boast” (v. 9). Salvation is not something we work for personally. God does not accept anyone on the basis of being “a good person.” That kind of argument is bound for certain failure. Claiming to be good enough for God will get you damned to Hell. It cheapens the work of Jesus on the cross. To claim personal merit is to say “I don’t need the grace of God.” This kind of claim rejects God’s salvation offer. We cannot ‘merit’ the grace of God. It is too costly for anyone to earn. Consequently, we cannot boast for having earned it ourselves. A gift is something given, not earned. There is no self-glory in inheritance. The only thing I can say is, “God did it.” Salvation is the gift of God. I accept it by faith, but that is not a meritorious work.

A man decides to move his couch into a different room in his house. His two-year old “helps” him move the furniture. Of course, everyone knows that the man is doing all the heavy lifting himself. This is how it is with our salvation. It is through our faith in the blood of Jesus, but the heavy lifting is the “grace of God” that comes to us because of His great love.

Discipleship Questions:

1. What is the gospel? Please restate it in your own words to your discipleship partner.
2. How does God offer the gospel to sinners? Use one key word (hint: it’s the connective tissue we discussed already).
3. What inherent problem does man have because of sin?
4. What three things are enemies of righteousness (2:2-3)?
5. What two reasons does Paul point to in order to prove that salvation is by grace?
6. How does this demonstrate that salvation is not the result of simply “praying” a prayer?

1 Peter 1:17-19

¹⁷ And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: ¹⁸ Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; ¹⁹ But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

The apostle Peter has argued that, because of the inheritance and salvation we have (vv. 1-12), we ought to set our hope on Christ’s coming (v. 13) and live a holy life as obedient children of God (vv. 14-16). Then he begins to admonish us to live in the fear of the Lord: “in fear conduct your lives during the time of your temporary stay on earth” [my translation] (v. 17b). Why should we fear God as we go about our days? Of course, it is because our heavenly Father is the one who sees and judges everything in justice (v. 17a). Yet, there is another important reason we must live in the fear of God. What did the Father pay for adopting us His children? What was the cost He paid to execute the plan of the gospel through which we are redeemed? In the next two verses, the beloved apostle explains the reason we must live in the fear of God—the high cost of the gospel.

We are redeemed by the most precious thing in the world.

Nowadays, the word “to redeem” or “redemption” has become an impersonal term, used of the recovery of items from a pawnshop, the exchange of coupons for goods, and the like. But in the first century, the term was understood differently. The concept of redemption in the Greco-Roman world was applied to the emancipation of slaves from their masters and the release of prisoners of war. In the Old Testament, the term was used to describe how God set His people free from bondage in Egypt (Deut 7:8; 9:26; 15:15; 24:18) or in Babylon (Isa 41:14; 43:1, 14; 44:22-24; 51:11; 52:3; 62:12; 63:9) to bring them out to live in freedom in the Promised Land. The term was also applied to the liberation of individuals (Pss 25:22; 26:11; 31:5; 32:7). The process of redemption generally required the payment of a ransom.

In today’s text, Peter first argues that nothing in the world, no matter how precious it is, can redeem our souls (v. 18a). Even silver or gold cannot buy us back because they are materials that cannot stand the ravages of time. People value precious stones greatly and have even bought and sold people with them. According to FinancesOnline.com, blue diamond costs nearly $4 million per carat (i.e. 200 mg/0.007 oz). Yet, even this most expensive stone in the world cannot set free a single soul because it will perish some day while a soul will last forever.

Peter, in verse 19, contrasts the perishability of earthly jewels with the preciousness of the blood of Christ. The shed blood of Jesus Christ signifies death, the giving up of His life. Blood is precious because “the life of the flesh is in the blood” which “makes atonement by the life” (Lev 17:11). In the Old Testament dispensation, animals’ blood had to be spilt for atonement for sin, and this cultic process foreshadowed the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus Christ would make for sinners. Animals were without defect physically, but the Lord Jesus was physically and spiritually without sin or defect (cf. 2:22). He was a perfect sacrifice whose blood can only redeem sinners.

In other words, Peter reasons that we must fear God in our daily walk because He paid the great price to execute the plan of the gospel to redeem our souls. God’s infinite love for us was demonstrated by the infinite cost He paid for us—His Son’s shed blood. This is the reason why even the angels long to understand the mystery of the gospel (v. 12). The mighty Sovereign of the universe, who reigns above all the hosts of mighty angels, humbled Himself to the point of death for weak and worthless human beings! Do you have faith in His blood? (Cf. Rom 3:24-25) Then, you would know how precious this is. How can you not conduct your life in the fear of the Lord when you know the price that was paid for your soul? The Father sent His precious Son to die so that you would have life. What are you doing with your life which was bought with this greatest price in the universe?

By His death, we are redeemed from our former lifestyle.

From what are we redeemed? Unlike Paul who teaches that we have been redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13) and sins (Rom 3:24-25; Eph 1:7; Tit 2:14), Peter does not connect redemption directly with freedom from sin and guilt. He rather proclaims that the precious blood of Christ has redeemed us from our former empty lifestyle received from our ancestors (v. 18b). Commentator Karen Jobes remarks on the meaning of the phrase “your conversation [or, manner of life] received by tradition from your father”: “Peter describes the former way of life before the new birth as useless, possibly even idolatrous, no matter how venerated by its indigenous culture.”

Believers are redeemed not only from sins but also from their former way of life. No matter how we lived before our conversion, our former way of life was useless and empty. According to Ephesians 2:1-3, we were all “dead in trespasses and sins” and lived under the jurisdiction of “the prince of the power of the air.” We were “by nature the children of wrath,” who conducted our lives “in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.” We might have looked okay outwardly, but we were corrupt through and through inwardly. “But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love,” (Eph 2:4) redeemed us from the corrupt way of life through Christ’s blood.

The truth we find in today’s text clearly refutes the false idea that one can become a Christian without a transformed life. Those, who are redeemed from sins, are also redeemed from their former way of life. We are bought with a great price and transferred “from the power of darkness” to “the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col 1:13). To continue to live in our useless former lifestyle is implicitly to undervalue the price Christ paid on the cross. To “walk in newness of life” (Rom 5:4) is to honor the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and to fear the Father who paid the greatest price for our souls. It is telling that The Book of Acts testifies that, after the Holy Spirit coming to indwell all believers, every single person who embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ immediately abandoned his or her former way of life and lived a transformed life. A great change took place in their lives because of the great price paid on the cross. What about your life? Is your life bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ? If so, are you walking in newness of life?

Discipleship Questions:

1. Read 1 Peter 1:10-12. Even the angels long to understand the mystery of the gospel (v. 12b). Why do you think the mighty beings are amazed by the gospel?
2. What does Peter mean when he says, “You are redeemed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers”? (v. 18b) Consult Ephesians 2:1-4.
3. Why does Peter warn believers to fear God? (v. 17) What was the cost God the Father paid for our redemption? (vv. 18-19)
4. From what are we redeemed from? (v. 18b) Is it possible for a person to become a believer and live in the same way he or she lived before believing in Christ’s blood?
5. How do you demonstrate that you fear God?

Colossians 1:12-14

It is through the gospel alone that we are saved. We believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. The result of His work on the cross is total liberation from the power and penalty of sin and the hope for a future eradication of the presence of sin. The apostle Paul wrote the Colossian Christians that when he learned of their salvation, he began to continually thank God the Father for saving them. He wrote: “when you heard the truth of the word of the gospel, it brought forth faith in you.”

The result of their salvation, of all salvation really, is that those who are in Christ through the gospel are no longer part of the company of sinners. These are no longer part of the world’s system which follows after Satan. They are no longer under the penalty for their sin and liable to God’s judgment through His wrath against wickedness. Salvation changes all of that. Specifically, the salvation in Christ does three specific things.

Salvation provides an inheritance of holiness with other believers.

¹² Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

By returning thanks to God the Father, Paul infers that the gospel itself originated with God. Mankind did not discover a spiritual need and then seek out God for some divine remedy. Rather, God determined that man was in bondage to sin and needed rescue. Consequently, we are the beneficiaries of gospel truth. We receive both grace and peace from God the Father (v. 2). The result of this is an eternal inheritance in Christ. The gospel makes one a recipient of God’s spiritual blessing (partaker). There is a portion which is given to every believer (inheritance). This portion relates to one’s being separated unto God (saints). This inheritance is holiness to the Lord (in light).

Salvation fundamentally alters one’s kingdom allegiance.

¹³ Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Before a person is saved, he is dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). Salvation is a rescue operation that God initiates to reach people who are trapped in Satan’s kingdom. Literally, God rescues people from sin. The tense of the verb (delivered—v. 13) indicates that this rescue occurs at salvation. God reaches down and delivers those who are enslaved by sin and “delivers” them. It liberates people from the power of Satan. A saved person is no longer under the authority of sin. Spiritual darkness is no longer his natural habitat. While saved people sin, sometimes grievously so, sin is not the natural domain of the saint. He is no longer spiritually dead. He is alive to righteousness that is in Christ Jesus. The way the apostle Paul uses the word “darkness” (the spiritual deadness of the unsaved) has no relationship to the life of the believer. To be saved means to have one’s allegiance transferred to the kingdom of Jesus. The redeemed of the Lord are ruled by him. This transfer of kingdoms is incredibly important. Positionally, everyone who is saved is moved from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of Christ. Everyone who knows Jesus is moved from the kingdom of sin to the kingdom of righteousness. Practically, that should be true too. To be in Jesus’ kingdom is to acknowledge that He is the King. It is to willingly submit to His rule over the life. Saved people have no business operating in the kingdom of Satan or having anything to do with him.

Salvation erases the debt of sin.

¹⁴ In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

The final thing that salvation does is it eliminates the debt of sin. The gospel of God (the Father originates the rescue of people enslaved by sin) operates through Jesus. We have redemption through the “dear Son.” Jesus is the one who does the redeeming. To be clear, the payment price to ransom someone from sin is the precious blood of Christ. This does not mean that God paid anything to Satan as some have supposed. Redemption is a term that Paul uses to demonstrate how serious sin is and how costly it was for Jesus to “redeem” people from its clutches. Jesus paid the sin debt by offering up Himself. The result is that all sin has been sent away. Those who have been redeemed no longer have any sin-barrier between themselves and God. Saved people are capable of relating directly with God the Father through Jesus. This is what it means to be forgiven. The weight of sin has been lifted. There is no longer any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). While it is still important to confess that we are sinners and continually repent of sin, it is also a blessing to know that our salvation erases the debt of sin that was against us. We are declared righteous by God the Father (Romans 5:1).

“My soul was once a slave to sin, but Jesus died my soul to win,
He bought me with His precious blood and now I am a child of God.”

Discipleship Questions:

1. Please restate the gospel (look at 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 if you need help).
2. What relationship do you think there is between God and Jesus in terms of the provision of the gospel? What role do each of them play in providing the gospel to us?
3. What does it mean to be forgiven? How do you relate to present sin if your sin debt has already been erased?
4. Do you understand how God thinks of a person who is not saved as being enslaved to sin? Reflect on what it means to be free from sin in Christ.
5. If we have been rescued from “darkness,” what relationship should we have with the works of darkness? Specifically, categorize pre-salvation experience from post-salvation experience. (Examples: how would a “redeemed” person view drunkenness? How should a “rescued” person view sexual immorality?)

Romans 1:16-17

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.

In the text, the beloved apostle gives three reasons why he is not ashamed of the gospel. Firstly, the gospel is God’s power that brings salvation. God’s power in the gospel offers Christ’s perfect righteousness as a gift (v. 17). Secondly, the gospel is for everyone (“everyone who believes,” “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek [or, non-Jewish people]) regardless of a person’s ethnic, societal and educational status. Thirdly, God’s power in the gospel is freely offered (“everyone who believes,” “from faith to faith,” “the just shall live by faith”).

How Can We Receive God’s Power?

How can we receive God’s power then? Paul’s third reason why he is not ashamed of the gospel answers the question. We can receive God’s power by believing the gospel. God’s saving power is universally offered to the world in the gospel. Does it mean that every single person in the world will be saved? Absolutely no! After saying that the gospel is for everyone, the apostle quickly introduces a language of qualification: “God’s saving power is for everyone who believes the gospel!” Therefore, the apostle does not teach universalism that every human being will be ultimately saved in the end. The sole condition for receiving the benefit of the gospel is to believe it.

What Is the Meaning of “Believing the Gospel”?

To believe in the gospel means to put full trust in the God who initiated the redemptive work for humanity by sending His Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9) and finished it by raising Him from the dead (Rom 4:24-25) and setting Him on “the throne of God” (Heb 12:2). The Lord Jesus Christ is the only single person who can perfectly please God the Father: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17; see also, Matt 17:5; 2 Pet 1:17). Also, He is the only person who can perfectly meet God’s standard: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4). Believing in the gospel is to acknowledge that we are powerless, ungodly, sinners, and enemies against God apart from His grace so that we cannot do anything please God or save ourselves (Rom 5:6-10) and to embrace God’s love demonstrated in Christ’s death for us (Rom 5:8).

Three Aspects of Biblical Faith

Then how do you know that you have the right kind of faith? The Bible presents three aspects of biblical, saving faith. First, a true believer intellectually assents to the content of the gospel: “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you [or, to which you were committed]” (Rom 6:17). Second, genuine faith produces proper emotional responses. What do (or did) you feel when you hear(d) that God is angry with sinners? (Rom 1:18ff) What do you feel when you hear that God’s wrath is appeased in Christ and now you “have peace with God”? (Rom 5:1)—hope, joy, and peace (Rom 5:2-5). Third, a genuine believer knows that he is totally given or committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. He knows who his Lord is (Rom 10:9, 13). He knows that he no longer a slave of sin but a slave of righteousness (Rom 6:17-18). On this basis, Paul urges Christians, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom 12:1). When the apostle saw Gentile sinners turning into his spiritual brothers and sisters by believing in the gospel, he viewed them as sacrificial offerings absolutely set apart for God (Rom 15:16-17).

A Caveat

Here we must understand that humans are responsible to believe the person and works of Jesus Christ, and, at the same time, that believing is not something we do in the sense of works. Believing is always a response, receiving the free gift of God. John Calvin calls faith “a kind of vessel” with which we “come empty and with the mouth of our soul open to seek God’s grace.” Douglas Moo also says, “‘Believing’… while a genuinely human activity, possesses no ‘merit’ or worth for which God is somehow bound to reward us; for salvation is, from first to last, God’s work.” The emphatic phrase “from faith to faith” in Romans 1:17 excludes any possibility for us to work for our salvation. Also, the apostle emphasizes that the theme of justification by faith is not a new idea. He quotes Habakkuk 2:4: “even as the righteous shall live by faith.” How many religious people are still attempting to earn God’s favor to no avail? Any kind of effort to make oneself deserve to receive God’s favor is a prideful self-deception.

Here is a question for you. Do you have genuine faith in the gospel?

Discipleship Questions:

1. What are the three reasons Paul was not ashamed of the gospel? (Rom 1:16-17)
2. How can we receive God’s power? Does Paul teach universalism?
3. What does it mean when you say that you believe the gospel?
4. What are three aspects of genuine, saving faith? How does this truth help to examine your faith?
5. Can faith be considered as a meritorious work? Explain why it can or cannot be meritorious for salvation.