Four "FORS" continued. Romans 1:17 Paul makes his position about the Gospel clear. Even though he was a Jew, he was privileged to be associated with it. To the Jews, the Gospel was foolishness, and to the Gentiles, it was a focus of scorn. To those who believe the Gospel, its power is seen in their salvation, which brought deliverance from the penalty of sin. The power and presence of sin will be gone when our physical salvation happens at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ or our death.
Sin and Satan have power, but the power of the Gospel is far greater. The Jews' privilege in God's plans included bringing the Gospel to them first. In spite of their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul considered it a priority to preach the Gospel to the Jews first. When they rejected the message from God, he turned to the Gentiles.
In the Gospel message, the righteousness of God and the repentant sinner can be reconciled just and legally. Even though all of us have sinned and come short of the righteousness of God, we are placed in a state of being made righteous through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus. The righteousness of God does not overlook sin. Sin must be punished eternally because of its insidious nature and effects. God has provided a way of justifying ungodly sinners consistent with His righteousness. That is revealed to us in the Gospel. Believers in Christ are justified by faith. That means His righteousness is revealed to us by faith in His word, which brings us to putting faith personally in the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The righteousness of God could have a frightening impact if, in His own righteousness, He had struck down every unrighteous one in the human race. He could have justly brought judgment down and doomed us all, and it would have been an act of divine holiness. Instead, He has chosen to act in grace as well as righteousness. His holy claims against us have been righteously satisfied when those claims were laid on the Sinless Substitute, His own Son.
God's righteousness, on the principle of faith placed in Christ alone, has been openly revealed to mankind through the Gospel. The third of the "fors" is that we don't have to be ashamed of the Gospel because God has provided a legal, just way to accept us and not compromise His own righteousness. Apart from any human effort or merit, the atoning work of Christ has satisfied God on account of our sins. Now, the act of faith in Christ has been made plain to us through God's Word, and we rely upon Christ alone based upon faith in His Word alone, which we know without question to be true. Our faith is not an unfounded faith.
Such faith is nothing new. Abraham put his faith in the Coming One, “he rejoiced to see My day,” and was glad. The prophet Habakkuk wrote, “The just shall live by faith,” even when God was allowing His chosen people to be taken captive because of their sins. That same phrase is stated three times in the scriptures, with emphasis a bit different each time. The first time, it is “the just” who were living in a dark time that is emphasized. The second time, it is about how they “the just ones” “live.” The third time, " faith " gives the power to live as God intends, which is emphasized.
The Good News is that God acted on our behalf when Christ died for our sins, when He was buried when He was raised again on the third day according to the scriptures, and when He was seen by many. The result is plain and obvious to all, "The just shall live by faith." We rest in Christ alone and His accomplished work of salvation for us personally. The Gospel has brought the principle of living by faith prophesied to light by the righteous living of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. "For the righteousness of God is revealed" - through those who live by faith.
Faith is exercised at the beginning of our new life at the time of salvation, and it gives us the strength to live for God to reach the goal of our lives. Paul had faith in God that the Holy Spirit would not only impart righteousness in him but also enable him to mature in faith when he applied himself to spiritual growth in his life and service. Faith is put into us by hearing the word of God, and faith produces virtue in us that makes our life and service to God effective.