For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it
is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17
From
the beginning of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind, His aim was to
make known His righteousness to man and not only to reveal it to man
but to also reveal it in man. In Adam’s sin, mankind lost this first
opportunity, for though Adam was innocent, he was not righteous,
righteousness being an essential attribute of God that can only be
imputed to the receiver. However, through Moses, God introduced the law
to the nation of Israel, but this did not help them to receive the
righteousness of God.
The
law revealed to Israel the requirements of God’s righteousness, to the
intent that they may see their sinfulness and by it seek the Saviour who
imparts righteousness. At the fullness of time, God sent His only
begotten Son, born of a woman and made under the law, by whom sin is
forgiven and righteousness imparted. This, however, is done only through
faith in the gospel, which is the power of God to save all who will
believe.
It
is by this gospel that the sinner is translated from sin to
righteousness, from death to life, from darkness to light. Whoever
carries the gospel carries the power of God. It must, however, be noted
that faith does not procure this righteousness, it is only the
instrument by which it is received. The blood of Jesus is the procuring
instrument of the righteousness of God that is received by faith. The
man who is justified by the blood of Jesus lives only by faith and his
life Christ begins with faith and continues in faith to the end; it is a
life lived from faith to faith. Such a personhas no other way of living
but by faith.
It's
absurd to begin life in Christ by faith and then aspire to continue and
end it by works; it will no longer be from faith to faith, but from
faith to works. This was the error of the Galatians, and you can see how
seriously the Apostle took it, devoting an entire letter to correcting
it.
To
live by faith means to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God. The law gave the requirements for the righteousness of God, but
could not impart it to the doers of it, the gospel, however, revealed
God's righteousness to all who believed.
Toni
