Pictures of God’s Purposes in Salvation
God’s Righteousness through the Faithfulness of Jesus
Introduction: Romans 1:16-17 is a commonly known text among Christians especially because of the beginning words, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation…” But the rest of the text is more obscure. For example, verse 17 states, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed…” What does Paul mean that the “righteousness of God” is revealed in the gospel, and how is it revealed “from faith for faith”?
There are two challenges in the text: the phrase, “righteousness of God” and the question of the the two “faiths” at the end of the text – “from faith for faith.” Understanding the phrases is a key to Paul’s message in Romans and another beautiful picture of God’s purpose in our salvation.
The Question of the Roman Letter
In Romans 2, Paul shocked Jewish readers when he placed the Jews under the same condemnation as the Gentiles. In 3:9-10, Paul stated, “For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written…”
Paul’s charge brought up a question in the Jewish mind, which is a question even we as Gentiles would like answered. The question is in 3:3-4. Since the Jewish nation were not faithful in keeping God’s covenant with them, does that nullify the faithfulness of God. To the human mind, it would seem obvious that if the nation violated the covenant, God would not be under obligation to keep his end of the covenant and save them. But that is not the answer. Their unfaithfulness does not nullify the faithfulness of God. In fact, though every single person were a liar, God will be faithful to his covenantal promises.
Let’s put this in perspective by applying this principle to us. We came to Christ and entered a covenant with him because we wanted our sins forgiven. But we still sin! This question is asked by nearly every person I study with. “What about my sins after I’m baptized?” Just as with Israel, we are to be lights to the world and teach the nations, and yet we ourselves are not always keeping the covenantal terms. Will God still be faithful to his promises? And, if so, how can he do that?
This brings back to the question of Romans 1:17. In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed. What is the righteousness of God? You will notice in the 3:3-5 text, that in verse 5 Paul uses the phrase, “faithfulness of God” and “righteousness of God” interchangeably just as he uses the “unfaithfulness” of man interchangeably with our “unrighteousness.” This is confirmed by what we read in the OT about the righteousness of God (Psalm 71:1-2, 24).
Therefore, when Paul says that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel, he is saying that God’s faithfulness to his covenantal promises are revealed in the gospel. In other words, the righteousness of God is how God would remain faithful in spite of a world of unfaithful people!
You will also notice that Paul proves his point that God would be faithful by quoting Psalm 51:4. Shockingly, that is the psalm of David’s repentance after Nathan the prophet exposed his sin. Even after such a terrible violation of God’s covenant, God would still be true to his words and faithful to his covenant with man. But again, how?
God’s Faithfulness: Romans 3:19-25
After proving in the first two and a half chapters that all have sinned and all are under condemnation, Paul draws the conclusion in 3:19-20. Two critical principles are laid before us:
When we step into God’s courtroom and before our judge, our mouth is stopped. We have nothing we can say that would justify us. We are accountable for our sins.
The reason we are accountable for our sins – and this was a shock to the Jews – is because the law doesn’t justify you. Now if you think it is silly not to understand that, just consider how we and other religious people can think about themselves concerning our own goodness. “Well, look, I’m a good person. I try to do what’d right. I go to church and keep God’s laws.” And God’s answer is, “No, I can show you in a second and thousand-plus ways you haven’t kept the law. Don’t appeal to the law, because the law will simply tell you where you have sinned!”
That is why verse 21 begins with “but.” In contrast to the law which exposes our sin, the righteousness of God has been made known…”through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.” So just hear those words again very carefully: the righteousness of God is made known through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. What does that mean? How can the righteousness of God be revealed through faith in Jesus? This where it is helpful to check other versions and marginal readings.
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (KJV)
“…namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe.” (NET)
Further, the marginal readings of the NIV, CSB, HCSB, and NRSV, all read, “through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe.”
The reason for the difference is simple. The Greek can be translated either way. It is the choice of the translator and the translators acknowledge that either rendering is possible and the context must decide.
Therefore, I would first call your attention to three points:
Verse 25 explains the context: NIV: “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness…” So, how did God demonstrate his righteousness? By presenting Jesus as a sacrifice of atonement. That fits perfectly with verse 22 rendered as “the righteousness of God being made known through the faithfulness of Jesus.”
If the rendering is, “the righteousness of God is made known through “faith in Jesus for all who believe,” we have a redundancy. Paul is saying the same thing twice.
It doesn’t make sense that God’s righteousness or faithfulness to his covenant is made known through our faith. Excuse me, God’s work through Jesus Christ is not revealed through our faith. God’s work through Jesus was done while we were enemies and before we had faith. In fact, God’s demonstration of his faithfulness through the sacrifice of Jesus is what produced our faith.
Now, if we go back to 1:17, we will understand Paul’s opening premise. The righteousness (faithfulness) of God (to his covenant) is revealed in the gospel, “from faith for faith.” In other words, from the faithfulness of God through Jesus’ atonement sacrifice for (in order to produce) our faith. And that, is exactly what the message of Habakkuk was from the quotation of Hab. 2:4.
“The Righteous Shall Live by Faith”
The operative word here is “live.” To not be spiritually dead in our sins but to “live” before God is done by faith. That is, we recognize and trust the righteousness of God (just as Habakkuk), in which, though we were unfaithful, he kept his promises through the “true Israel” (Isa. 49) and his servant-faithfulness to bring salvation to the end of the earth.
What happened in Habakkuk? The nation was faithless and deserved utter destruction. Habakkuk does not understand how God could remain righteous and destroy the nation. God’s challenge to him was, do not be arrogant, trusting in yourself (wisdom, strength, wealth), but “live by faith” – trust me that I will crush the enemy and bring salvation to my people: Hab. 3:18-19 “I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.”
In 1 Peter 1:13, Peter said, “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed the passions of your former ignorance…” Where are you going to put your hope? Upon what basis are you going to “live” before God?
Yes, we will be “obedient children.” There is no other way to be his children. If we are not obedient, we are not his children. But our obedience is flawed. As John said, “If we say we have no sin, we are liars.”
Therefore, where do we put our hope? We put it fully on the grace to be revealed.
Do you know how our denominational friends say this? They say we are saved by “faith alone.” There are two ways that could be understood.
- All you have to do is mentally believe, and nothing else matters. That is not true and is no part of the message of Romans. In Romans, those who do not obey, do not have faith (10:16).
- Saved by “faith alone” is saying that there is no other way to be saved but by a full trust in Jesus, knowing that there is no hope any place else. Therefore, “set your hope fully…” I can tell you, that’s the way most of our evangelical friends see faith alone. Yes, they do not understand that baptism for the forgiveness of sins is included in faith, nor that it is at that point that Jesus cleanses our sins. But there is a sense in which we also might have misunderstood. Our hope is fully in the grace yet to be revealed!
We are saved by the faithfulness of Jesus!