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Chapter 3
SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS - Romans 1:16-17
Consider now this grand theme of
SALVATION IN CHRIST JESUS - Romans 1:16-17
Our purpose is to find a certain symmetry amid the substance,
to comprehend a certain biblical perspective
that many things in short form should strike the eye, bring blessing to the mind,
stir chords of memory and show the outline, as when one views many mountains
from a point of advantage, so that one sees how they are mutually moulded.
In this also is understanding, and that, as in all, has a highway that provides
peace for enterprise, progress for living and warning, implicit or explicit,
for what is prohibited.
Salvation is the obverse of dissipation, degradation and distance from duty.
Romans 1 shows us that this salvation is the altogether necessary state for any member of the human race, in order to be equipped in spirit, sensitised in mind, secured in destiny and aware of the true God.
Flummeries and fidget notions are two a penny; faith finding the power of God is in one place only: it is in Him who made us, acted to save us, and did so not only personally, but through coming in our format, minus sin (Romans 8:3, I John 4:10,14, I Peter 2:23ff.)
That's why even to see Him or hear Him was an experience (John 7:46, 14:9), and to watch His works was an inspiration (John 7:31, 14:11).
Consider then what was revealed through Paul, the apostle:
"For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:
for it is the power of God to salvation
to every one who believes;
to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For in it, the righteousness of God
is revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
First, what is meant by the phrase, 'from faith to faith'? It is this.
By faith, the apostles and prophets recorded this Gospel, intimated it, exhibited it, in many ways from early times (starting as shown in Genesis 3:15, known as "the protevangelion'').
By faith believers accept it. In faith, they act on it.
Through faith it acts on them, both to summon and to serve
(as in John 6:63,65 and Romans 12:1-2).
Thus from the faith of those who received it, the word of God is available for those who in due time, hearing it, receive it, and operating through it by faith, these live as through a resource. It is rather like a car, through which you travel. It is presented as a gift as you enter the house of faith.
There is an additional meaning in this 'from faith to faith', that is apt. AS you work on it, acting by faith in the God who gives His word, His promises, His partnership in your life's work, SO He acts, and AS He acts, you are reinforced, moving from faith to faith, as a child who grows (Psalm 84:7, cf. II Peter 3:18). You can grow in grace and in the knowledge of God.
A third point is this. "The righteousness of God is revealed ..." HOW He desired to act WITH His
righteousness is an entirely personal matter for Himself. It is not only something that is, but an element which He USES. It is His world, His mercy. In fact, we find that He desired to GIVE to believers the status of children of His (I John 3:1ff.), and confer on them righteous standing to faith (Romans 5:17ff.), through His pardon and atoning work on the Cross.
That is HOW His righteousness is shown, both its purity and its pardon as a gift (Romans 5:17ff.).
This means that those now received as just persons because Christ has redeemed them,
are called 'justified by faith' - as in Romans 5:1.
Thus "the Just One" (Acts 3:11)*1, who was denied by His murderers,
receives unjust persons who repent with faith in Him (Romans 5:8-11),
and He grants them HIS righteousness by faith,
affirming them as His children.
Thus they are transported from outside to inside His will and life and operations, by faith (Colossians 1:13), and shall receive an inheritance (Ephesians 1:5-11).
Since Israel forfeited its role as a missionary nation (cf. Isaiah 30, 65:13-15),
pending their return in heart as in Romans 11:25, soon to come,
and now all must come to the Messiah whose death is available
for righteousness for one as for all, there are personal results.
Through this healing of the rift, there is now
THE POWER OF GOD, to bring inexorably those who come by faith through His Gospel
to Himself, home at last (Ephesians 1:11, John 10:9,27-28)
It is for Jew and Gentile therefore. Who could possibly then be ashamed of it! When God operates, you do not need a second opinion!
Let us now sum up some of the vast features and functions of the salvation of God in Christ.
1. SEVEN GOOD THINGS
1) Reason requires it (II Corinthians 10:5, Romans 1:17ff.).
"casting down arguments and ...
bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus Christ" ...
"what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them ...
professing to be wise, they became fools... exchanged the truth of God for the lie,
and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."
2) Faith embraces it (John 3:16).
"God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
3) The Gospel articulates it (Galatians 1-3).
"Even if we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you,
let him be accursed..."
4) Repentance forwards it (Acts 11:18).
"Then God has granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."
5) Redemption completes it (Romans 3:25-27, Titus 2:14, 3:3-7, Hebrews 9:12).
"Jesus Christ, whom God set forth as a propitiation through His blood" ...
"being justified freely through His grace" ...
"He entered the Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption."
6) The Holy Spirit Applies it (John 16:8ff.).
"And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin,
and of righteousness and of judgment"
- its sin, for not believing in Him,
His righteousness since He is now gone to heaven
and they can see Him no more,
and its judgment, since the prince of this world is judged.
7) Everlasting life exhibits it (I John 1:1-4, 5:11-12).
... "concerning the word of life, the life was manifested, and we have seen,
and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life
which was with the Father and was manifested to us ...
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ."
5. FIVE BAD THINGS
1) This world rejects it (John 14:30).
"... "the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me."
2) Dis-faith*2 attacks it (II Timothy 4:14-15).
"He has greatly resisted our words.
At my first defence no one stood with, but all forsook me...
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me."
3) Evil tampers with it (II Corinthians 4, 10-11).
... "we have renounced the hidden things of shame,
not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully," ..."if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached,
or if you receive a different spirit, which you have not received,
or a different gospel which you have not accepted -you may well put up with it" -
"But they, measuring themselves by themselves,
and comparing themselves among themselves,
are not wise."
4) The devil abhors it (II Corinthians 2:11, Revelation 12).
"lest satan should take advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices" ...
"and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth,
to devour her Child as soon as it was born."
5) Reprobates repudiate it (II Timothy 4:10).
"Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world."
3. BASIC THINGS
1) The LORD requires it (Acts 4:12).
"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven
given among men by which we must be saved."
Notice it is all exclusive of other names,and all inclusive of the whole sinful race of mankind, who need it.
2) Ditherers desire options outside it (Galatians 3, 5).
"O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you ?" ...
"This only would I learn from you:
Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith.
Are you so foolish ?
Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh ?
Have you suffered so many things in vain!"
3) Disciples delight in it (Romans 1:16, I Peter 1:3-8).
"I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes..."
NOTES
See -
The Just One, which relates closely to our present topic.
This term, disfaith, is defined as follows: a deadly and even devilish dynamic that seeks to delete. It acts as a substitute for faith, its target the things of God.
Just as the antichrist is in effect, though blatantly fraudulent, the devil's 'messiah'
(I John 1:18, II Thessalonians 2), the 'man of sin' and not of salvation;
so there is this substitute of 'unclean spirits' (Revelation 16:12 cf. II Corinthians 11:4),
whose expansive, last day office is simply to deceive, being unholy spirits;
for the devil is an imitator of reality, a spiritual seducer, and tries anything,
or 'there is no truth in him' and 'when he speaks a lie, he speaks of himself,' John 8:44.