Romans 1:17
17 For [gar] therein [en] [autos] is [apokalupto] the righteousness [dikaiosune] of God [theos] revealed [apokalupto] from [ek] faith [pistis] to [eis] faith [pistis]: as [kathos] it is written [grapho], [de] The just [dikaios] shall live [zao] by [ek] faith [pistis]. KJV-Interlinear
17 For in it the righteousness of
God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous
man shall live by faith." NASB
Most Christians want to believe that faith is a
mindless wish or hope wherein the person doesn’t have to do anything, and that
is what leads to utter failure. Faith,
the single most misunderstood word in all of Christianity, is the result of
spiritual growth, not the cause of it. And
Paul makes it clear here.
In the gospel, mentioned in verses 16 and 15, which
is a reference to the entire realm of doctrine, not just to the gospel of
Christ on the Cross.
For Paul is speaking to believers, or people who
have already heard the gospel for salvation, therefore what they need to learn
now is the doctrine or principles of Christianity for growth after salvation.
In it, which refers to the gospel, or Bible
doctrine, or the content of the Bible, is righteousness.
In doctrine, is righteousness. And it is revealed or made known.
Righteousness is the intrinsic meaning of Gods plan
in reconciling the world to Himself, through Christ.
Man, through all of those religions that exist out
there, wants to reconcile himself to God, to nature, to the universe, to time
and space, and whatever else man can invent through his imagination. But man in his own mind, is doing all of the
work by either being good or better, or by killing the infidel, or by doing
whatever it is that seems fair and just and proper at the time. But all of this is driven by mans sin nature,
not by Gods righteousness or justice.
There is good and there is evil and God deals only
with good, His good, not mans good.
Human good is just another aspect of mans arrogance and evil.
Man invents his own set of rules which are arbitrary
at best. That is why there are so many
religions and philosophies. They all
contradict one another, but they do have one thing in common, which is they are
all false.
God discloses His rules through Bible doctrine. And doctrine has been around since Adam and
actually doctrine has been around since eternity past, for God is the Word,
which is Truth, and Truth is the Word and it is also God. They are all closely integrated within each
other.
Even from the Old Testament, Hab. 2:4, it is
written that man lives by faith. And
faith is constructed by doctrine learned.
It is not an empty hope or wish based on nothing.
Faith to faith, means simply your faith (the end
result of study) is constructed by faith (the content of Bible doctrine).
When you figure this out within your own mind, and
you get with a daily study, then your life will become more meaningful and
fulfilling and certainly happier. And
you will live by means of faith, or by Bible doctrine that resides within your
own soul.
What you think, is what you are.
