The Just Shall Live By Faith
A Sermon on Romans 1:16-17
Originally preached April 20, 1956
Scripture
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is …
Sermon Description
What is the theme of the gospel? How might a believer summarize its content? In this sermon “The Just shall Live by Faith” from Romans 1:16-17, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones draws attention to the gospel’s content. The heart of the gospel is that the righteousness of the Son, Christ Jesus, is given to Christians by faith. Faith in this regard is the whole faith position, not just an instrument by which we become righteous. What is faith? It is a big term that embraces a number of ideas, including the ideas of belief and intellectual assent. But faith is not limited to the life of the mind. It also includes an active living, a participation in living in obedience to God. The mind, heart, and will are involved in such a way that by the Spirit, the believer is moved into a life lived by faith that involves each of these capacities. Dr. Lloyd-Jones urges the listener to examine themselves to consider if the mind and the body are working together to live by faith.
Sermon Breakdown
- Paul is explaining why he is not ashamed of the gospel in Romans 1:16-17. The gospel reveals the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
- Verse 17 quotes Habakkuk 2:4, "The just shall live by faith." This means the righteous will have eternal life through faith.
- In verse 18, Paul says God's wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. This is true for both Jews and Gentiles.
- Someone might object that God's wrath seems unfair for Gentiles who did not receive God's revelation like the Jews. Paul addresses this objection in Romans 1:19-32.
- God has revealed himself to all people through creation, so all are without excuse. The Gentiles who did not worship God were given over to sin as punishment.
- Someone might say not all people live immoral lives like those described in Romans 1. Paul addresses this in Romans 2:1-16. God judges based on one's actions, not one's words or knowledge.
- God's kindness should lead one to repentance. Simply believing God is loving is not enough. One must live for God's glory.
- All people, whether Jews or Gentiles, will be judged based on their relationship with God, not by the law they know.
- Someone might say Jews have an advantage because they have the law and circumcision. Paul addresses this in Romans 2:17-29.
- Merely having the law and circumcision does not save. One must have circumcision of the heart, not just the flesh. True Jews are those who are Jews inwardly.
- Paul asks if there is any advantage to being a Jew or profit in circumcision based on what he has said. He answers in Romans 3:1-8.
- There are advantages to being a Jew, like receiving God's revelation. However, these advantages do not save. Salvation is still only by faith.
- Paul shows in Romans 3:9-20 that the law condemns both Jews and Gentiles as unrighteous before God. The law cannot save.
- Paul concludes that every mouth is silenced and the whole world is guilty before God based on the arguments he has made. The only way to be justified before God is by faith in Jesus Christ.
Sermon Q&A
Understanding Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' Exposition of Romans
What is the main theme of Romans according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones' sermon?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the main theme of Romans is found in Romans 1:16-17: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is "the statement of the content of the Gospel" and "in many ways, there is no more important verse in this entire epistle than this 17th verse." The gospel is the announcement or revelation of "a righteousness from God, a righteousness from God, which comes to us by faith."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones define true faith as opposed to mere belief?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that true faith has three essential qualities, referencing Hebrews 11: 1. Belief - The intellectual component where one believes with the mind ("He that cometh unto God must believe that he is") 2. Persuasion - The heart component where one is emotionally convinced ("having seen them afar off and were persuaded of them") 3. Action - The will component where one acts on that belief ("embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth")
He warns against "mere believism," stating that "merely to say you believe the gospel doesn't mean you're saved by the gospel." True faith must involve action: "It must have led to action, to a movement, to a change, to a confession, not only with lips, but also with our lives."
Why does Paul transition to discussing God's wrath in Romans 1:18?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul transitions to discussing God's wrath in Romans 1:18 to provide "positive proof" of why only "the righteous by faith shall live." He states: "Why is he so certain that these and these alone shall live? Well, he proceeds to give us the answer, starting in verse 18." By revealing that "the wrath of God from heaven has also been revealed upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men," Paul is establishing the absolute necessity of the gospel. Lloyd-Jones says this section is crucial because "you really cannot understand the gospel without understanding this section" as it "shows us the absolute necessity of the gospel."
How does Romans 1:18-3:20 serve as an explanation of human history according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones describes Romans 1:18-3:20 as "the most perfect summary of the whole history of men, which can be found even in the Bible." He says it "reviews the whole story of men from the very creation right down until this time and indeed until the end of time." He contrasts this biblical view with secular theories like evolution, arguing that only the biblical account adequately explains why the world is as it is, including the tragedies of the 20th century. He states, "It is only here that you and I find final arguments" against alternative theories, and "A Christian who knows this section should not be to the slightest extent surprised that the world is as it is."
What groups of people does Paul address in Romans 1:18-3:20 and why?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul addresses various groups in this section: 1. First, Paul makes a general statement in 1:18 that God's wrath is against "all ungodliness and unrighteousness" regardless of who commits it. 2. From 1:19 to the end of chapter 1, Paul addresses the Gentiles, proving they are "without excuse" despite not having the written law. 3. In 2:1-16, Paul addresses moralists who condemn others while doing the same things, showing that "what matters is not people's ideas but their conduct." 4. In 2:17-29, he addresses Jews who rely on having the law and circumcision, proving that "the mere possession of the law doesn't save you." 5. In 3:1-8, he answers whether being Jewish has any advantage at all. 6. In 3:9-20, he concludes that both Jews and Gentiles are equally unrighteous before God.
The purpose is to establish that "the whole world is guilty before God" and therefore in need of the gospel.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones consider this section of Romans to be critical for evangelism today?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones considers this section critical for evangelism today for several reasons: 1. It helps explain the necessity of the gospel - "If you understand this section, you will never be in difficulties as to why it was absolutely vital that the Son of God should leave heaven" and die for our sins. 2. It answers modern objections to the gospel - "It is only here that you and I find final arguments" against theories like evolution. 3. It explains the current state of the world - "The Christian should not be surprised at the state of the world today" because this section predicts what happens when people reject God. 4. It reveals "the final futility of what is commonly called civilization" and why human efforts alone cannot perfect mankind. 5. It provides the foundation for true evangelism - "It is here, I suggest, and only here that we shall be given an insight into true evangelism, what it is and how it is to be carried out."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones recommend studying Scripture passages like Romans?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones recommends a three-step approach to studying Scripture: 1. Take a "bird's eye view" first - "See the whole first, then come back and take it bit by bit and by detail." 2. Examine the details - After understanding the overall structure, study the specifics. 3. Create a "final synthesis" - Bring together all that has emerged from the detailed analysis.
He warns against two common mistakes: "Some people, of course, stop at the bird's eye view, never come to the details, and they rarely never grasp the scripture." Others "come right to the details and never get from them and have lost the general view." He likens Scripture to a symphony where "The themes are stated, the themes are worked out in detail. They're all gathered up together again in a final climax."
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.