“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Rom. 1:16.
2. What is revealed in the Gospel?
“For therein is THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” Rom. 1:17.
3. The Gospel being the power of God unto salvation, from what does it save?
“And thou shalt call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people FROM THEIR SINS.” Matt. 1:21.
NOTE.—From the foregoing texts it will be observed that the Gospel is the “power of God.” The success of the Gospel, then, rests upon God and His power, and not upon any human strength or human devisings. And not only is the Gospel the power of God, but it is “the power of God unto salvation.” And it brings this salvation to every one that believeth. The Gospel is for the purpose of saving from “sin” or wrong-doing, and the apostle shows how it can thus save from wrong-doing by saying, “For [that is, because, or for the reason that], therein is the righteousness of God revealed.” The Gospel, then, saves from sin by revealing or bringing into the individual the righteousness of God to supplant the man’s sinfulness. And this transformation is accomplished thru faith, for God’s righteousness is revealed “from faith to faith.”
4. How is this righteousness of God, which is perfect right-doing, made to enter the life of the sinner and take the place of the sins he has committed?
“But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WHICH IS BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by His grace thru the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation thru faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, thru the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Rom. 3:21-26.
NOTE.—Man sinned and thus placed himself where he could not do right, neither could he get back to the place that he could perform right acts. He had hopelessly fallen. Then our heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ step in and rescue fallen man by offering the perfect “righteousness of God.” And this righteousness is given to the individual “by faith.” Note also that this faith is the “faith of Jesus Christ.” Then our Father offers us His righteousness and with it He also offers us the “faith of Jesus Christ,” His Son. Thus it is seen from the verses just quoted that both the righteousness and the faith are of divine origin and are direct divine gifts. Therefore they must be acceptable to God for He Himself has given them for the very purpose of our salvation. The apostle states that Christ is set forth to “declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past.” Then he repeats and emphasizes that God “declares” this righteousness in the place of the past life of sin. That is to say, all our past life of sin is taken away from us by the power and willingness that the Lord has to “declare” in the place of that sin the righteousness of His own life. And from the moment that the sinner accepts this great gift of righteousness from the hand of the Lord he is no longer to look at his past life of sin to grieve over it, but he is to thank the Lord every day and continually that his life of sin is gone and he has in its stead the perfect life of Christ. Christ lived a perfect life from infancy to His death, and He lived that life for us. He lived that life of righteousness so that we could accept it by faith, and so that we could thank the Lord all the time that the sinful life that we have lived has been exchanged for the perfect life that our Saviour has lived for us.
5. Having accepted the righteousness and faith that come from God, who are we then to constantly behold?
“We all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Cor. 3:18.
“Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2.
6. What is the extent of the power that attends the Gospel in this transformation from sin to righteousness?
“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” Matt. 28:18-20.
NOTE.—All power that is in heaven and in earth is given to our Saviour for His work of redeeming men. And He commands His followers to go in this power, for He says that He is with them always. He is ever at their side. He never leaves them for a moment. And all this mighty power that centers in Him is exercised in and for the one who accepts Christ and thus permits the Master to walk with him “alway.”
7. How many may have the privilege of receiving this Gospel of righteousness and salvation?
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16.
“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Rev. 22:17.
8. How is the law of God related to the salvation given in the Gospel?
“For by the law is the knowledge of sin.” Rom. 3:20.
“What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.” Rom. 7:7.
NOTE.—It is perfectly clear from the foregoing texts that the sinner can see nothing but his sins in the light of the law of God. The law which is the expression of the righteousness of God shows to the sinner the evil of his course.
9. What is the penalty for sin?
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life thru Jesus Christ our Lord.” Rom. 6:23.
“When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” James 1:15.
10. Then what is the view that the sinner has of the law?
“The commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.” Rom. 7:10.
11. What may be accomplished for the sinner who sees himself as he really is—who has a view of his life in the light of the law of God?
“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak thru the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 8:2-4.
NOTE.—Study the foregoing texts carefully, and you will see that from the sinner’s standpoint God’s holy law is a “law of sin and death.” It is the law that shows him his sin, and unrepented sin brings sure condemnation and death. But as soon as the sinner turns from his evil course then that same law becomes the law of life in Christ Jesus. Each commandment becomes an enabling act. Each precept is transformed into a blessed promise.
12. Then what kind of mind only is opposed to the law of God?
“The CARNAL MIND IS ENMITY AGAINST GOD: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” Rom. 8:7.