Divine Righteousness Revealed
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Rom 1:16-17 NKJV).
Romans has been called the “constitution” of the Christian faith. This epistle is simple and clear, but also profoundly elaborate. The overarching theme is “divine righteousness revealed”. This “external righteousness” is given freely to all those who are willing to accept it by faith (Rom 4:3). The Greek word translated “revealed” is apokaluptó. It means to “uncover” or “bring to light”. This word is also the Greek title of the Book of Revelation, the book that uncovers future secrets and brings to light things that are still ahead of us.
In other words, a brand-new understanding of true righteousness has been uncovered by the Holy Spirit through the writings of the apostle Paul. This is a message unheard of in times past. Paul calls this message “the gospel”, the good news. It reveals a righteousness that cannot be deserved since it is a gift and given apart from any deeds of the law (Rom 3:21-26). Neither can it be diverted since we stand firmly in His grace (Rom 5:1-2). Finally, it cannot be dissipated since God’s gifts are irrevocable (Rom 11:29). This is the same message that we are privileged to proclaim today.