For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …… For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith…. Romans 1:16-17
“For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith”. Literally the Greek reads from faith “into” faith. In other words, Gods righteousness is revealed to those who have an eye to see and a heart to believe the gospel declared.
How can you believe unless you hear and hearing leads us “into” faith or a place of believing God. Our verse tells us today that this gospel reveals the righteousness of God to us and then tells us, “the righteous shall live by faith”. From now on, because we have been made right in God’s sight, we do right, by faith. We do what is right because we accept it is right by faith. I like the way the Amplified translation adds to the word righteousness; His way of doing and being right.
All this is done by faith or believing what God has said. Romans 3:22 reads “…the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe…”.
It is the way of life to continually find ourselves choosing to believe Gods word above all other things (thoughts, feelings, natural realities) that present contrary evidence. I like this phrase from the book of Hebrews, “we understand by faith”. Some things our head just doesn’t get, but our hearts receive and believe, and that’s okay, because Romans says it is with the heart one believes, not the head.
We start with the heart, renew the mind and agree with God to live out His way of doing and being right. How can two walk together unless they be agreed?
Paul preached the gospel because it reveals God’s heart and mind. It is only by knowing the heart and mind of God and agreeing with Him that we are right in His sight with our words, actions and deeds. Agreeing with Him will always leads us into salvation.
Isaiah 55 shows us a people who are hungry and thirsty spending time, money and energy on things that cannot satisfy. The prophet, by the word of the Lord, calls them back to a place of listening BECAUSE the way they were hearing, thinking and walking was are not in line with Gods thoughts or ways. In returning and aligning with God they find Heaven’s rain bringing refreshment to their souls.
As our minds our renewed to who He is and how he thinks, we are conformed and transformed into His image. Just like Jesus was the exact duplicate of His Father in Heaven (“if you have seen me you have seen the Father”) we too are predestined to conform into the same image.
Every moment, of every day, there is a word from these holy scriptures that will lead us and keep us established as the righteousness of God, (His way of doing and being right). As we fill our hearts and minds with His word and presence, it becomes easier for the Holy Spirit to steer our lives into paths that are right in His sight.
The gospel is the power of God unto salvation revealing Gods way of doing and being right for all who believe, living with assurance that His way is the better way.