What real heart work it was with Paul! He says, “For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers.” What deep love to those he had never seen! This was no mere outward service, but “with my spirit.” All done to God in the gospel of His Son. Is it so with us, or mere cold imitation? Was not this the secret of Paul’s success? If lacking with us, must there not be failure? Paul greatly longed to see the saints at Rome, but hitherto he had been hindered. We see here proof of the wisdom and foreknowledge of God. Had Paul or Peter founded the assembly at Rome, what a plea this would have been for so-called apostolic succession! There is no evidence as to whom the Holy Ghost used in the forming of that important assembly. No evidence that any apostle had been there at this time, though the faith of this assembly, or rather of all the called saints, was thus spoken of and well known. It is also remarkable, they are not addressed as the church at Rome, as in other epistles.
Paul desired to have mutual fellowship with them, and to bear some fruit amongst them, whether this might be in the conversion of souls, or in the imparting of some spiritual gift to those already brought to Christ. Having so great a treasure committed to him as the gospel, he felt himself a debtor to impart it to all, both Jews and Gentiles. He could say, “So, as much as in mc is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.” What entire readiness, yet the most real dependence on God alone. Had he been the servant of men, he might have needed a call from them to preach at Rome, or have a human appointment of some sort: but there is no such thought. Why should it not be so now? If we had more divine energy it would be so. Paul could say, “I am ready.” Yes, yes, the world behind his back: “I am ready as soon as my God shall open the way.” Oh, where are Paul’s successors? May our God awaken us by the consideration of the path of this devoted bond-slave of God.
We now begin to approach the question as to what the gospel is. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” The reason why he is not ashamed of the gospel is stated clearly. The law commanded, but had no power to deliver from sin; nay, it was given that, not sin, but the offense might abound. But, in direct contrast, the gospel is the power (not of man, but) of God unto salvation. There is a vast meaning in this. We will seek to make this plain to our young readers by a few illustrations.
You may have read and heard much that undermines this truth; for there is much preaching that tells the sinner that he must give up his sins, and forsake them before he can come to God and get forgiveness of sins and salvation. This looks very reasonable and plausible. Take this illustration. Let us take our stand a little above the Niagara falls. How calmly the mighty river flows on! smooth as glass to look at, and the nearer the falls the smoother it flows along. A boat is seen gliding down amid stream. There are two men in it. They hear the every-moment increasing roar of the fearful falls. One is awake to his danger: a few minutes and the boat must be over. The other seems stupefied. Both are alike helpless; both in the same boat rushing on so smoothly to utter destruction. Now hail them; try the gospel of man. Tell them to forsake that boat; to give up that mighty river; to come to the bank or shore before they are over, and you will help them! Man, you tell them to do the impossible. Is it not only to mock them? Is it not cruel thus to mock them? one, two minutes and they are over. What is needed is power to save them.
Is not the sinner on the stream of time, hasting to far worse destruction? Yes, he says, The power of sin carries me along. He awakes to his danger, death and judgment close at hand. He hears the roar; but can he save himself? Can he leave the river? If he can, he does not need a savior. It would be glad tidings to that man, gliding on the fatal stream, to hail him and assure him there was One ready and able to save him to the uttermost. Yes, and thus God speaks to the helpless, guilty, perishing sinner, as we shall find further on: “For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Take another illustration. You hear the sudden cry of Fire, fire! You have not proceeded more than a few yards, and you see a house on fire. Flames issue from all the windows on the lower basement. There are some persons known to be in the fourth story, and they are either asleep or stupefied with smoke. If they have power to escape, there is no need of the fire escape. The ladder is placed against the upper window. Now watch that bold and able fireman. What does he do? Does he merely tell the inmates that they must first leave the burning house, and then he will save them? he mounts the ladder, breaks in the window, and enters the scene of danger. He brings them out: they are saved. It is the same in a storm at sea. The helpless wreck is drifting fast to utter destruction, carrying its helpless crew. What would be the use of a life-boat, if the captain remained on shore, telling the perishing men that they must first leave and give up the wreck, and come to shore, and then the life-boat would save them? Such is the gospel of man. Man must save himself; and then Christ will save him. And strange to say, men love and accept such folly as this. Now the gospel of God is the very opposite of this: He sent His beloved Son to seek and to save that which was lost. Yes, lost, as those even in the boat, so near the roaring falls of the river. Lost, as the inmates in a burning house. Lost, as those sailors drifting on the wreck. Yes, if men only knew, and owned their lost and helpless condition, they must then own that gospel to be utter folly that bids them save themselves, and that then God will save them.
Take only one more illustration. A man has been tried and found guilty. He is under judgment, locked up securely in the condemned cell. Would you tell him to come out of that cell; to give up his sins and his chains, and the prison, and. the sentence already passed on him; and then, but not till then, would he be pardoned? Would it not be cruel mockery to a man in his condition? This is the sinner’s real condition, and therefore “ I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth.” The question to one who discovers he is gliding helplessly on to the falls, or the rocks, or is a guilty sinner under judgment, without strength, to such, the question is this, How can I be saved? How can I, a condemned sinner, be justified?
This then is the very question taken up and explained in this first section of the Epistle. Yea, the very reason why Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. “For therein is the righteousness bf God revealed from faith [or, on the principle of faith] to faith: as it is written, The just shall live? by faith.” It is not righteousness of man, for he has none. How can he have any if he is guilty—under judgment? And if he had, it would be righteousness of man, not of God.
We shall find the righteousness of God to be in direct contrast to righteousness of man. Neither can it be by law, for God cannot be under the law he was the lawgiver. Had it said “the righteousness of Christ,” that would have been another truth. But it is righteousness of God revealed, in the gospel, on the principle of faith, to faith. It was announced repeatedly in the Old Testament, but now explained, or revealed. “And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.” a Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength.” (Isa. 45:21-2421Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. 24Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. (Isaiah 45:21‑24).) “In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.” (Psalm 89:1616In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted. (Psalm 89:16).)
Let it be noticed that the righteousness of God is the first and great question in our epistle. It is the first subject, and then the love of God. For the love of God will not meet the wrath of God. The question of righteousness is at once raised. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. who hold the truth in unrighteousness. That wrath is not yet executed, but there can be no doubt of the wrath of God against all the wickedness of men—against sin. It was seen at the flood; in the destruction of Sodom; and on the Holy One made sin for us. It is also revealed that He is coming in judgment, taking vengeance. The wicked will surely be cast into the lake of fire. And am I a guilty sinner? Then what would the love of God alone avail me in the day of righteous wrath against all ungodliness? It must then be evident that the first great question is the righteousness of God in justifying him that believeth. How can God be righteous in accounting such a sinner as I righteous before Him? What a question!
This question, the righteousness of God, is taken up again in chapter 3:21. What then is the object of the Spirit in this large portion of scripture, from chapter 1:17 to 3:21? Is it not chiefly, in utterly setting aside all pretension of righteousness in man, whether without law, or under law? This must be done, for man will cling to nothing like the efforts to establish his own righteousness. Therefore every claim of man is examined. The eternal power of God was manifested in creation, and again in the flood. God was certainly known to Noah and his descendants. “When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” In a word, they sank into idolatry. They apostatized from God until God gave them up. This is repeated thrice. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness,” &c. (ver. 24); “For this cause God gave them up to vile affections” (ver. 26); “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind,” &c. (Ver. 28.) Read the terrible catalog of wickedness into which the whole Gentile world sank. Where then was. righteousness of man? To be given up is the act of God in judicial judgment. He thus gave up the Gentiles, and we see what man became. We also know that when the Jews had fully rejected the testimony of the Holy Ghost, God gave them up, for the present, as a people. Such also will be the end of professing Christendom, “Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thess. 2:1010And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. (2 Thessalonians 2:10).) The fact then that God gave up the Gentiles to the fearful lusts of their hearts, proves their utter apostasy from God. And all profane history corroborates this inspired description of human wickedness.
It may be asked, but were there not rulers, kings, and magistrates, who made laws against wickedness, and punished crime? “Who knowing the judgments of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.” Thus then, as now, the greatest wickedness is found in the rulers or chiefs. For proof we have only to read any of the ancient historians. If man is left to himself, the greater power he has, the greater is his wickedness. It is overwhelming to contemplate the cruelty and dreadful wickedness of heathenism. Such was that world to whom God in mercy sent His Son. In the Gentile world righteousness was not to be found. Multitudes rushed together in amphitheaters to feast their eyes on cruel wickedness.