“I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:14-17 ESV)
This was the apostle Paul speaking here as he was writing this letter to the church in Rome. And, again, the church is not a building, not an institution of human-origin, not a church denomination, not a civic center, not a house of entertainment, not a social club, and not a business incorporated under the state to be marketed to the people of the world.
The church is the body of Christ who by faith in Jesus Christ have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:4-10).
And Paul was called of God to open spiritually blinded eyes, to turn them from darkness (sin) to light (Christ, the gospel, truth, righteousness) and from the power and control of Satan over their lives to now come under the control of the Holy Spirit and the ownership of God over their lives, so that they would receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by God-gifted and God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18).
And Paul was to preach the message of the gospel of our salvation to Jew and to Gentile alike. For the gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for salvation from sin to everyone who is believing in Jesus Christ to be their Lord (Owner-Master) and Savior (from bondage to sin). But faith in Jesus Christ is not of our own doing – not of the will nor of the flesh of man. So we don’t get to define what that faith looks like. God does. His Word does. For faith comes from God, it is gifted to us by God, and it is persuaded of God.
Therefore this faith that is persuaded of God is going to be convinced of God as to his holiness and righteousness, and of our sinfulness, and of our need to repent of (turn from) our sins to follow Jesus Christ in obedience to his commands in holy living. For that is how the Scriptures teach faith. And faith is not something we do once, and we are good to go. For it is those believing (current, active, continuous) in Jesus who will not perish but who will have eternal life with God. And biblical faith = obedience to God.
For what does it say here? “The righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” And what is the righteousness of God? It is the divine approval of God, and it refers to what is deemed right by the Lord after his examination. It is what is approved in his eyes, not in the eyes of human beings. And what is preferred and approved by God is holiness, righteousness, godliness, uprightness, moral purity, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to God and to his commands.
And who are the righteous? They are those who live righteously, who make righteousness their practice, who have died with Christ to sin, and who are daily dying to sin, by the Spirit, and who are walking in obedience to the Lord and to his commands, in the power of God, in practice. And they do this by the faith which God provided which dies with him to sin and lives to his righteousness, in the power of God, by his Spirit. And righteous is what is in conformity to God’s standard of what is right (holy, pure) in his eyes.
[Hebrews 12:1-2; Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Acts 26:18; Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Colossians 1:21-23; Colossians 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:23-31; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
I Sing of His Mercy
An Original Work / April 10, 2014
Based off Psalm 32
Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven
By the blood of Jesus Christ.
Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does
Not count against them; freedom found.
When, in silence, I did not confess
My sin to You; had no strength.
Then I owned up to my sin and
You forgave and cleansed me within.
Therefore let the godly pray to You;
Draw near to You; grace they’ll find.
They will not be o’ertaken by afflictions,
But in Christ peace abounds.
Lord, You are my hiding place.
I find my refuge in You secure.
You protect me from all evil.
You give songs of vict’ry in You.
Lord, You teach me to walk in Your ways;
Counsel me in love, I know.
Help me to not be stubborn and
Unwilling to follow in Your truth.
Thank You for Your love and mercy.
I put my trust in You always.
I rejoice in my Lord and
I sing of Him throughout all my days.
https://vimeo.com/91747192
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