"The Righteousness Of God Revealed"  

Romans 1:17

 

     The righteousness of God is revealed only in the gospel. It cannot be known by the light of nature, or even by the law of God. It is hidden from every man by nature. The wise and prudent, as well as the moral and religious, of this world are totally ignorant of the righteousness of God in Christ, and can never discover it. It must be revealed by the Spirit of God.

     UNTIL THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED AND KNOWN IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO BE SAVED. The object of saving faith is Christ. And the basis of that faith is the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel. Faith that is based upon anything else is a false faith and a damning delusion.

     THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IS REVEALED BY THE PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL. This is what Paul is saying when he declares that the gospel of Christ is the revelation of "the righteousnss of God from faith to faith." It is revealed from the faith of the gospel preacher to the faith of those who hear him by the power of the Holy Spirit. We must understand that...

     1. GOD IS RIGHTEOUS. Righteousness is an attribute of God essential to his Being. Without it he would not be God. His righteousness is both underived and immut- able. This is abundantly ascribed to him throughout the Scriptures. All rational creatures, angels and men, righteous and wicked declare that God is righteous (Ex. 9:27; Psa.97:1-2; 145:7; Jer.12:1; Dan. 9:7; Rev.16:5). God's righteousness is the rightness of his Being.

     2. THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST IS THE DECLARATION OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS (Rom. 3:24-26). We rejoice to know that God forgives sin. But he will not forgive sin without the satisfaction of justice. Though he forgives sin according to the riches of his grace, it is through the blood of Christ. The forgiveness of our sins is an act of grace. But it is equally an act of righteous- ness, justice and truth (I John 1:9; Prov. 16:6).

     3. IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT GOD WILL GIVE ALL MEN EXACTLY THAT WHICH IS THEIR RIGHTEOUS DUE (Acts 17:31). Those who stand before God to be judged upon their own merits deserve, and shall have, eternal damnation. All who stand before God to be judged upon the merits of Christ's obedience and death deserve, upon the grounds of imputed righteousness, everlasting glory. And they shall have it.The very righteousness of God demands it!

 

Don Fortner