Title: The Righteousness of God Through the Cross
At that time, the clergy of the monastery rented farmland, went hunting and enjoyed women, and the convent was used as a refuge for those with money who did not want to work. The priests also offered indulgences, so the corruption of the priests reached its peak.
At that time, bishops and priests colluded with the ecclesiastical authority and government to corrupt God's holy church and priesthood. Mass (worship) caused by this contradiction and the sale of indulgences, which is not even in the Bible, is not wrong to say that the Mass (worship) is a means of earning money. In this situation, God did not leave him alone.
A church cleaning movement was held under the slogan that Luther and Calvin should be restored through the word of God and that the church should be reformed every day, and our Protestantism was created based on that movement.
That is why our Protestant church is keeping it as the “Reformation Day” to commemorate the reform. Perhaps the church at that time and the church today are similar in a significant way. Literally, the Church of God and its clergy are showing the level of danger in a significant part. Such a situation can be said to be an unfortunate event that resulted from a mistake caused by a wrong understanding of God's Word and a failure to put it into practice.
When Luther was engaged in the Reformation movement, the spiritual framework was placed in Romans 1:17. At that time, we misunderstood God's Word and we must have some human action in order to receive forgiveness of our sins from God. It is not saying that receiving forgiveness of sins is a free gift from God, but that I have to buy a ticket to heaven with money. Where are these lies? All beliefs are linked with money. But among the priests, Luther began to study the Bible closely. Then I discovered Romans 1:17.
“In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith to faith, as it is written, The righteous will live by faith” (Romans 1:17).
The believers who believe in God only receive salvation through faith, not money to go to heaven. Luther discovered this. I pray that we too can discover the gospel discovered by Paul and this gospel discovered by Luther.
1. Paul’s self-understanding as a debtor (verse 14)
Verse 14 says, “I am indebted to both Greeks and barbarians, both wise and foolish.” Debt is something that must be paid off. It doesn't mean that you can pay it back or you can't pay it back.
Paul was not a good believer in Jesus from the beginning. He was now crossing Damascus to capture and kill those who believed in Jesus. But God saved Paul in order to save him by witnessing the gospel to the Gentiles.
As an apostle of the Gentiles, he saved him to testify to the Gentiles with the gospel. Indeed, it could be said that Paul was saved because of the Gentiles. Paul thinks that I am saved because of the Gentiles.
So Paul says he is always in debt to the Gentile. Dear saints, what do you think we must have saved me for? What did you call me for?
“If you remain silent at this time, there will be release and salvation for the Jews, but you and your father’s household will perish.
Mordecai tells Esther that you are queen, how does Esther know that you have become queen in order to save the Jews when they are in trouble? That's right. We, too, are indebted to the work that God has called us to do. You must pay that debt.
For this reason, Paul said that he wanted to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, the Romans, as much as possible. That's verse 15.
“Therefore, as far as possible I would like to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome” (Romans 1:15).
2. Why should we not be ashamed of the gospel? (verse 16)
Verse 16 says, “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.”
How does Paul explain why he is not ashamed of this gospel? Because this gospel is the power of God that gives salvation to “everyone who believes”, it is the story of not being ashamed of the gospel, but rather rejoicing and rejoicing in it. It is the story of working for the gospel because it is the gospel that makes everyone who believes have salvation. That gospel is the power of God to save Jews and Greeks, Greeks and all who believe.
We should praise and give thanks to God's power to save those who believe in Jesus Christ, regardless of region or any human being. But what do we often say when the other person doesn't like us while we are living our faith?
“It is because that person is from Jeollanam-do.” Or “because that person is from Gyeongsang-do.” and envy and criticize. Or, the Bible points out that there are people like wolves who destroy the Church of God, saying, “It is because that person is less educated than me.” Does it matter if you were born in a thatched house or an apartment? Does it matter if you were born in a rural area or in a city?
All who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, no matter who they are, are brothers. We must not hate each other. If a person does not believe in God's words and hates them, hates them, complains about them, and then dies without believing in Jesus, that person goes to hell. Keep in mind.
3. The gospel that enables us to live by faith in the righteousness of God (verse 17)
Verse 17 says, “In the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed, from faith to faith, as it is written, The righteous will live by faith.”
This word means that the righteousness of God is first revealed in the gospel. Second, the gospel is the word that leads to faith through faith. Third, it is the same as the Old Testament saying, “The righteous will live by faith” (Hab 2:4).
Hab 2:4 “Behold, his heart is proud, and it is not upright in him; but the righteous shall live by faith.”
First, the righteousness of God was revealed in the gospel.
What does righteousness mean here? It is not called “righteousness of God” because it refers to the universal concept of holy and righteous work as opposed to sin by using right righteousness.
In 6:33 it says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” The same goes for this saying. Here, “the righteousness of God” is usually referred to as “the righteousness of God” as God’s act of saving God’s chosen people through Jesus Christ before eternity. It is said that that is the meaning contained in the word gospel.
What is the Gospel? It is simply “good news.” Therefore, the Bible does not say that it is the good news, that is, the gospel, because it is good news to buy a house. Rather, it is the good news that God took pleasure in sending Jesus Christ to this world to save His people, and it is called the Good News, that is, the Gospel. The word that we were saved through that gospel was freely received by God's grace. So that's what we're thankful for.
Second, the gospel leads from faith to faith.
People in faith now tell us that to come to God, salvation will occur to us only if we believe in Jesus whom God has sent. Salvation did not come to me because of what I did, but through faith.
It is what we do because we are saved, not because we have been saved. If we are saved, what are we doing to God now? If it doesn't happen, it's like saying I don't have the faith that made it possible for me to do it. Third, it is the same as the Old Testament saying, “The righteous will live by faith” (Hab 2:4). How am I living now?