There is in essence here, the thrust of the whole epistle.
Paul writes to lay down his Gospel to the Roman believers, and in doing so leaves the most comprehensive exposition of the doctrines of faith contained in the whole of scripture. And that Gospel is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.
You can take from this that we are saved by Faith. But to say faith alone is what saves us would be a mistake. It is not a matter of belief that saves us. I could believe that a particularly large cardboard box would help me float across the Atlantic ocean and fulfil my life long dream to see America, but my belief would be misplaced and ill founded.
No. It is the object of the belief that truly saves.
If I believed that a cruise ship might fulfil the role of the aforementioned cardboard box, my faith would be more likely to be correct in it's assertions.
(But of course a cruise ship may not make it.)
In terms of salvation, the object of our faith is sound to the uttermost. It is the Gospel that saves, if again, as is fast becoming the theme, we see that God is the Gospel. For it is God that saves us. Not merely our belief.
Faith is some sort of unique blend of belief and trust.
That cruise ship is all very well. I believe it will go to America, and so it will. But unless I get on it, it will go without me.
And so believing in itself is not enough. James astutely points out that even the demons believe.
Faith is belief in action. It is what connects us to the object of our belief.
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
No. Faith buys a ticket and gets on the boat. And now the boat has the ability to perform the task that you believed it could do. We believe in it. And now we have put our belief into action by trusting it to do what it is supposed to. We have exercised a saving Faith.
And this, as we will see later, is in itself a gift from God.
And the wonderful thing about this is that it is the meeting point for Calvinists and Arminians alike.
We all agree that those who are saved must believe.
And as Jesus himself says;
For God so loved the world that he sent his one and only son, that whosoever believes in him might have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)
I love the nuance of that word whosoever.
On that word lays all the argument of the Calvinist and the Arminian. But it is known to God in full.
WHOEVER believes on his name will be saved,
Praise God.
There is hope for the world.
To as many as believed on his name he gave them the power to become children of God.
And this is what happens when this saving faith appears in our lives. Jesus said You must be born again. And this is what happens at the point of faith in the gospel. The power of God to save is released in our lives.
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit~ Eph 1:13
This morning (or whatever part of the day you read this in), let your faith give you reason for great hope and comfort. God has saved you. God IS saving you and his great power for salvation, an unstoppable force once it is unleashed, is at work in your life, and it works together in all things for the good of those that love God and are called according to his purposes;
And that means you.
And it wont quit saving you,
This day,
And all days,
Amen.
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