Well, I invite you to open to the book of Romans again, Romans chapter one. We're back in this letter written by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome. It's more than a letter though. It really is a doctrinal treatise. Some would argue perhaps the doctrinal treatise of the New Testament. John Stott writes this, Paul's letter to the Romans is a kind of Christian manifesto. To be sure, it is also a letter whose contents were determined by the particular situations in which the Apostle and the Romans found themselves at that time. Nevertheless, it remains a timeless manifesto, a manifesto of freedom through Jesus Christ. It is the fullest, plainest, and grandest statement of the gospel in the New Testament." And so this evening we come to the glorious theme of this magnificent epistle, and it's found really in verses 16 and 17. I'm going to begin my reading at verse 14. Paul says, 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 to faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. Father, we thank you for this wonderful epistle. We thank you for the heart of the apostle, but more than that, we thank you for the Holy Spirit inspiring these words to be written, that we might reflect upon them, and that we might see how glorious the gospel really is. In Jesus' name, amen. Paul was a man on a mission. He had a mission, he had a purpose in life. He really was driven by one passion, and that was to get the gospel everywhere he could, to proclaim the gospel everywhere he went. He wanted everyone possible to hear the gospel message, the Greek-speaking person, the non-Greek speaker, the educated, the uneducated. those outside of Rome, including all those that he visited on his missionary journeys, and those in Rome. And that's really what he's talking about as he writes this epistle. They all needed to hear the good news of the gospel that Jesus saves. I want you to notice here as we look at verse 14, notice the word obligation. The Greek word here means a debtor, somebody who owes something to somebody else. Paul felt that he owed every lost sinner an opportunity to hear the gospel. Now, Paul is not alone in this obligation. All of us, as followers of Christ, have a calling upon us. We are under obligation to proclaim the gospel to everyone that we can. It is our Christian duty. We are to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel. We are to be Christ's witnesses. And so Paul is under obligation. We also are under that same obligation. And then notice in verse 15, the word eager. Paul did not loathe his obligation. He didn't see it as a burden that weighed him down. He delighted in it. And so he was a man who was eager to share the gospel, and yet he knew that in doing so, life would not be easy, right? So Paul faced all manner of opposition and hardship for the sake of the gospel. William Barclay writes this, Paul had been imprisoned in Philippi, chased out of Thessalonica, smuggled out of Berea, laughed at in Athens. He had preached in Corinth where his message was foolishness to the Greeks and a stumbling block to the Jews. And out of that background, Paul declared that he was proud of the gospel. He was enthusiastic. He was eager to keep on sharing this same gospel message despite whatever hardships he faced in the past and despite whatever difficulties he might face in the future. He was like a prize fighter who's in the ring and he's taking a blow here and he's taking a blow there, but he can't be knocked down. You could not knock down the Apostle Paul. He just kept on going and going. Nothing could stop this man. He was ready, willing, and determined to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere. And he wanted to go to Rome. As I said last time, Rome was on his gospel bucket list. He was determined to go to Rome and proclaim the gospel there as well. Really, Paul's whole life was about the gospel. And so it is the whole book of Romans is also all about the gospel. James Montgomery Boyce says verses 16 and 17 form the theme of this epistle and are the essence of Christianity. Indeed, these verses declare that the gospel has real power. And so my message tonight has just two points as we focus on verses 16 and 17. The gospel's power to save and the gospel's power to reveal righteousness. So just two points. Point number one, the gospel's power to save. I really want to pause and remind all of us here of the mission of Grace Baptist Church, and really it's more broadly the mission of all churches, or ought to be. We are all about proclaiming Christ, proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ, the soul-saving heart-transforming, eternal life-giving gospel of Jesus Christ. And we proclaim the gospel because the gospel has the power to save. It has the power to save people. Now, as we look at verse 16, we want to be clear that according to this verse, this is the power of God that we're talking about here. Leon Morris writes this, Paul does not say that the gospel brings power, but that it is power, and God's power at that. When the gospel is preached, this is not simply so many words being uttered, the power of God is at work, end quote. And perhaps you've experienced this as you've gone out and you've shared the gospel with someone. And yes, there are times when we're rejected and there are times when people won't listen. But there are also those times when you can just see God's Word at work. You can see the power of God's Word penetrating into the heart of that person. And if you're a believer, you have experienced that yourself. You might say that God's word got to you, right? The gospel got to you. It penetrated your heart. And that's because of the power of God. You see, God is the one who has the power. He has the power to save and he has the power to condemn. Jesus said in Matthew 10, 28, do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Yes, God is the righteous judge and He will condemn lost sinners to hell. He has the power to condemn and He has the power to save. And it's God's great desire for people to turn to Him in repentance so that they might be saved. You know the verse, 2 Peter 3.9, the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises. Some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. You know, this is God's great desire, is to see people turn from their sin and turn back to him. Put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. This is God's desire. So the gospel, then, is the good news that God has provided a way to be saved. He sent his own Son into the world. Galatians 4.4, when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to accomplish the work of redemption by dying on the cross. And so the gospel is the good news that God has provided a way to be saved. What a good God He is. So the gospel really is the preaching of the cross. And when we proclaim the gospel, the power of God is at work. Paul writes elsewhere in 1 Corinthians 1, 18, he says, for the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. If you have come to faith in Christ, you're saved, you have experienced the power of God in your life to save you, to give you life, to raise you from spiritual death and give you newness of life. David Abernathy writes this, the message of the gospel is a power that is now unleashed in human history, directly related to the power of Jesus Christ Himself, through whom God has unleashed His own power. Amen to that. And John MacArthur says this, the gospel carries with it the omnipotence of God, whose power alone is sufficient to save men from sin and give them eternal life. So the gospel is the power of God. It's the power to save. It's salvation power. Verse 16 goes on, I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation. For salvation. John MacArthur also says this, surely the greatest manifestation of God's power is that of bringing men to salvation, of transforming their nature and giving them eternal life through His Son. Yeah, that's God's power on display when a person gets saved, when they begin to live for Christ. And so at its very core, the gospel message is a message of salvation. It's telling people that are lost how they can be saved. It explains how a person could be saved from eternal hell and be saved unto eternal life. And we all understand the barrier that's in the way. It's sin. The problem is we've all sinned against God. And in our natural condition, we're already under condemnation. So God is righteous and just to condemn us as lost sinners. And not only that, but we're powerless to deliver ourselves. We're unable to save ourselves. Only God can save us. We need God to save us. Now hold your place here. And I want to turn over to Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians chapter 2, and we'll look at verses 1 through 5. Ephesians 2, 1 through 5. Paul writes to the Ephesians, and you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked. Following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and we're by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. These next two words are so precious, but God. But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved." It is God's work. He's the one who does the saving. We cannot save ourselves. And so it is that God does the work of salvation and he grants us eternal life by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You know Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast. And so it's not of us. We cannot save ourselves. It's all of God. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. The gospel is this message that brings a person to the point of salvation. where they can be delivered from bondage to their sin, delivered from the penalty of their sin. They can be granted eternal life through Christ. And so the gospel's power is grounded on the power of God, on the power of His Son who died on the cross. It's the power of His blood shed on that cross to save us. And so it is the old gospel hymn is so true, it has it right. Would you be free from the burden of sin? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would your evil, a victory win? There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power in the precious blood of the Lamb. So the gospel has the power to save. It is divine power. It is salvation power. And we also see in our text, it is unrestricted power. The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. It's not bound. It's for everyone. And this includes both Jews and Gentiles. That's how it says here in verse 16, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. This includes children and adults. It includes young and old, includes male and female, rich and poor, everyone. Regardless of your race, your ethnicity, your gender, your occupation, your background, your education, none of that really matters because the gospel is for everyone who believes. Again, I want you to hold your place here and let's turn over to 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1, and we'll look at verses 23 and 24. 1 Corinthians 1, 23, Paul says, "...but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God." So Paul says, I'm going to proclaim the gospel to anyone who will listen. And yes, it was his priority to preach first to the Jews. And oftentimes, when he would go to a new place, that's where he would start. He would go to the synagogue. He would preach the gospel to the Jews. And time after time, the Jews would, by and large, reject him. Some would be saved, but he would be rejected by the Jews. And he would say, okay, I will now go to the Gentiles. And so he would preach the gospel to the Gentiles. And so it is that the gospel is unrestricted. That's the point here. John Stott writes this, saving faith, which is the necessary response to the gospel, is the great leveler, he says. For everyone who is saved is saved in exactly the same way by faith. And that goes for Jews and Gentiles equally. There is no distinction between them in respect of salvation, end quote. Aren't you glad that the gospel is unrestricted? It is available to anyone, to everyone, who will hear it and believe it. And so it is that the gospel invitation is open to everyone. The invitation is given, come to the light, come to the Lord Jesus Christ, see the Savior, Look upon Him dying on the cross in your place to pay for your sins. Believe on Him and receive God's gift of eternal life. We're told in Romans 10 verse 9, if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the scripture says, everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. And it goes on to say, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. For the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Amen. So whosoever will may come, call on the Lord and you will be saved. This is the unrestricted power of the gospel. So we see that the gospel has real power. It has the power to save, the power to save. It has the power of God, salvation power, unrestricted power to see sinners come to saving faith. I want to go on now to our second point tonight, and that is that the gospel has power to reveal righteousness. And that's what we see in verse 17. Verse 17 is very closely connected to verse 16. It starts with that little word for, so there's a connecting word, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. Now, I said earlier that gospel is a major theme of this book. Righteousness, the righteousness of God is also a major theme of this book. And so in verse 17, we see these two major themes come together into what we might consider to be the overarching theme of the entire book. And I've stated that theme this way, the gospel as the righteousness of God by faith. We're going to see that come up time and time again as we work our way through this study in the book of Romans. The gospel as the righteousness of God by faith. And so let's work our way through now verse 17. First, Paul is speaking here of a righteousness that comes from God. A righteousness from God. We have used the term before imputed righteousness. Righteousness that is credited to a sinner's account. It's what Martin Luther called an alien or foreign righteousness. A righteousness not of our own. R.C. Sproul writes this, Luther stressed that the only righteousness believers have in the sight of God is an alien righteousness that is the righteousness of Christ that God imputes or reckons to them. So this is a righteousness from God. And we need that righteousness because we cannot be saved by a righteousness of our own making. We know that. A verse comes to mind, Isaiah 64, six, we have all become like the one who is unclean and all our righteous deeds are like polluted garments, filthy rags. So we can't be good enough. We can't generate enough self-righteousness to earn our way to heaven. It can't be done. A person who is saved, therefore, receives an imputed righteousness. It is the righteousness of Christ that is credited to them. And we sing about it in one of the songs that we sing, His robes for mine, O wonderful exchange. Clothed in my sin, Christ suffered neath God's rage. Draped in His righteousness, I'm justified. In Christ I live, for in my place He died. And so that song speaks of this exchange that takes place. Our unrighteousness was placed upon Christ. He bore our sin in His body on the tree. And God then imputes to us His righteousness. Christ's righteousness is credited to us. So we go back then to verse 17. It's the righteousness that comes from God and it's revealed. It's a revealed righteousness. It comes through divine disclosure. God reveals it. Leon Morris says, it is not something that people know naturally or can find out for themselves. Unless God makes it known, they will never discover it. And that's so true. We have in Romans 10, 17, the statement, so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. God had to give revelation. And that revelation comes really in the form of his son, the perfect revelation of God, and in God's word. And so God has revealed to us his righteousness. And this brings us then to the next phrase in our text. It says, for in it the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, it says in our text. Most English translations read from faith to faith. Paul here is emphasizing the necessity and the importance of faith. It is, we could say, faith first and last, as Ronald Knox puts it. It is faith and nothing but faith that's required on our part in order for the righteousness that comes from God to be imputed to us. John MacArthur writes this, salvation is not merely professing to be a Christian, Nor is it baptism, moral reform, going to church, receiving sacraments, or living a life of self-discipline and sacrifice. Salvation is believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And so it all does come down to faith. That's our part. The Reformers referred to this doctrine that we're talking about as sola fide, faith alone, faith alone. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. That's how we're saved. So we see here the gospel power to reveal righteousness. It's a righteousness from God, it's a righteousness by faith, and it's a righteousness bringing life. The last part of verse 17 says, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. Well, this begs the question, where is it written? Okay, it's not Zechariah this time. It's Habakkuk. It's written by the prophet Habakkuk in Habakkuk 2.4, and that verse reads, behold, his soul is puffed up, it is not upright within him, but The righteous shall live by faith. The King James has the word just. The just shall live by faith. And so what Paul is saying here in Romans 117 becomes clearer to us if we will just follow the word order. in the original Greek of the New Testament. And so let me translate it for you following the Greek word order. The one who is righteous by faith will live. Now that kind of paints a different picture, doesn't it? From maybe our everyday understanding of that. Again, let me just say that. The one who is righteous by faith will live. It is a righteousness by faith that results in spiritual life and life eternal. Now Paul is going to take this and he's just going to run with it throughout the rest of the epistle. And so we're going to keep coming back to this. We're going to come back to the theme that we discussed in verse 16. We're going to come back to this idea of the righteousness of God time and time again. And so he's going to really expand on this concept in a very big way. The gospel has real power, real power. It has power to save. And I trust you have experienced that power in your own life, that you've been saved. And it has power to reveal God's righteousness. And when you think about God's righteousness being imputed to you, that changes you, doesn't it? You want to live for Christ now, and you want to see that righteousness come out in practical ways in your life as well. We call that sanctification, right? And so it has power to save, it has power to reveal God's righteousness. I want to make two applications tonight. This message seems to come in twos. We had two main points. We had two verses primarily that we were considering tonight. Now I have two applications for you. First application is this. The gospel has real power to save, so believe it. All right, so that would be an application for someone who hasn't come to saving faith. They still need to receive the gospel message. And so the application is make sure you have personally appropriated the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ yourself by faith, that you believe it. You must believe that you're a sinner in need of a savior. You must believe that Jesus is that savior. He's the one who saves. And you must believe that on the basis of his shed blood, that he died on the cross to pay for your sins. And then you must accept Jesus as your Savior and confess him as your Lord. I mean, this is the application for the person who has yet to be saved. They need to recognize that the gospel has the power to save and they need to believe it. Well, if you've done that, if you've done application number one, you're ready for application number two. The gospel has real power to save. So proclaim it. Be like the apostle Paul. Be eager to share the gospel with that lost person, that lost neighbor, that lost family member, that lost co-worker. Be eager to proclaim the gospel. That's your application. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. You know, just the opposite. And the implication here is that no Christian should be ashamed of the gospel. No Christian should be too embarrassed to share his or her faith. No Christian should hide the gospel that saved them from those who need to be saved. If a friend of yours was dying from a snake bite, and you had in your possession the anti-venom, and you knew that if you got that to that person, it would save them, but you just kind of kept it to yourself? You just concealed that you had it? You hid it from them? Imagine that. If a family member were dying of cancer, and you knew for certain how he could be cured, and yet you said nothing to them? How's that? So dear Christian, God has given you the cure for the sin sick soul. You have in your possession the cure for their soul. Don't hide it. Don't conceal it. Don't be embarrassed to share the gospel. Be like the Apostle Paul. Be eager. Don't be ashamed of the gospel. It has the power to save. It has the power to reveal the righteousness of God. Share the gospel. Proclaim it. Let's pray. Our Father, we thank you for this passage, these theme verses that we find in this epistle to the Romans. And Lord, probably all of us here, nearly all of us, have made that first application we believe the gospel. And Lord, if there is one here tonight or one listening or watching who has not yet come to that point, oh Lord, I pray they would not put it off. None of us know what a day may bring forth. May they, with their open heart, receive the gospel and believe it. For all of us who have believed it, I pray that you will help us to make the right application to proclaim it. Help us, Lord, to proclaim the gospel. It is so exciting to see someone hear the gospel, see your power at work in their heart, to break up that hardened heart, to soften it, to cause them to come to that point of saving faith, to lead somebody to Christ. What a great blessing and privilege that is. It's a thrill. And just the thought of that ought to make us eager to share the gospel. So help us as Christians to openly testify of Christ, to share the gospel, to proclaim it as often as we can, everywhere we can, to everyone we can. In Jesus' name, amen.