Journey Of Faith

Text: Romans 1:16-21

Thought: “Journey Of Faith”

Theme: Saving grace

Point: Faith walk

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1. Introduction

1. Relevant Faith (Rom 1:16-17)

1. Paul explains relevance of the gospel, and equality of God’s grace for Jew and non-Jew  

2. God’s goodness to establish right and wrong, i.e. saving man; calling forth man’s faith so that he lives 

3. The Gospel doesn’t give much place to art, literature, science and culture generally or to the goodness man attains apart from it. Paul understands this. He knows the saving power and is not ashamed of its gospel. 

4. Hab 2:4

1. Salvation

1. The gospel saves men from the ‘divine retribution’ (Rom 1:18; 5:9-10) through which should fall on them for their sins. 

2. SALVATION is for all men, Jew and Greek. Salvation not based on race, color, financial status or political office, but on faith.

1. God’s ‘saving Power’ in his way of righting wrong. 

1. Greek words translated, righting wrong and justified are from Greek root dikaioun.

2. God’s justice (3:21-26) and righteousness (4:3,5). Doctrine of ‘justification by faith’. True judge is set out in Psalm 82:3-4; Isaiah chapters 40-55; 51:5-6; (Is. 46:13; 61:10; 41:10) 

3. Paul mentions (the Jew first) disclosed in his choice of them as his (ethnicity) people, but it’s clearly revealed towards all men (the Greek also). Paul’s speaks to future relationships of Jew and Gentile in chapters 9-11 

1. Reality of Faith (Rom 1:18-19)

A. Divine retribution, or more simply, ‘God’s anger’  

1. God not subject to outbursts of passion, or dominated by a sulky desire to get even with those that offend Him

1. Jews of Paul’s day expected God’s anger to only be seen on the “Day of Judgment” when men would be punished for their sins. (Ch. 2:5,8,16) 

2. God’s anger is revealed, for verses 17-18 are similar

3. God’s pulled two ways at once, to right wrong, and to punish it! His way of righting wrong is mentioned first and dominates the entire letter because it’s God’s main purpose

1. Before he could right wrong, men had to know their wrong: thus, before he revealed himself through Jesus as one who rights wrong, God was already seen as the one who punishes wrong. His retribution… fallen upon all the godless wickedness of men. (Acts 14:17)

1. If men do not know their wrong they cannot have faith that God will save them, and they will still have to reckon with him as the one who punishes wrong. 

2. The wickedness of men lies in their not knowing God, who has disclosed to them what may be known of himself

III. Revelation of Faith (Rom 1:20-21)

1. Justification 

1. In what way has God disclosed knowledge of himself?

1. (Answer) His invisible attributes, that is to say his everlasting power and deity, that is to say his everlasting power and his deity, are visible.

2. His attributes are his qualities or characteristics; the two are as selected by Paul, his power and deity, the latter being that which would call out reverence and worship on man’s part.

1. These are visible to the eye and mind. 

1. It is said that they have been visible, ever since the world began, we should think of God being known, first, in the act of creation. 

2. The (things he has made), and all that happens in the world, the greatness of the universe disclosing his power and majesty; for His anger is revealed, i.e. is to be seen in the affairs of men

IV. Conclusion

A. Relationship to Faith

1. This not just knowing about how God acts; Paul speaks about knowing God

2. The one who knows God’s disclosure will honor him as God and render him thanks

B. The saints must redefine their relationship by what they encounter when they can’t trace God in their VALLEY experience

1. Health

2. Economics

3. Family