BOOK OF ROMANS
Lesson No. 16 THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH CHAPTER 1

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” —Romans 1:17—

Hebrews 11:1 gives us the definition of biblical faith which constitutes two things: 1. Confidence— “substance of things hoped for.” This is our belief that is real and true based on the Word of God. 2. Conviction— “evidence of things not seen.” This is a proof by which a thing is proven and tested; not proven by the things we just see but proven by the truthfulness of God’s Word; the confidence and the conviction that God is there and that He declared Himself through His Word. Whatever His Word SAYS, WE BELIEVE. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:27-29).

MESSAGE

1. The believer’s walk is a continuing life of faith. Three (3) times the Word of God has underscored its importance (v.17; Gal. 3:11; Heb. 10:38).

2. Man deliberately turned away from their faith in God. Using their finite mind for their own knowledge of God, they took away the joy of knowing God by faith (vv. 18-20).

3. God was not slack in revealing Himself to man but man resorted to his own vain imagination for his belief in God— “thinking they are wise, they became fools” (vv.21-22).

4. Rejecting the reality of God’s existence, they turned to the god of their own making; basing their belief on the god that they can see, handle and touch (vv. 23-25). This is the difference between Biblical faith and human belief.

5. Human belief or believing in one’s self or in a material god has caused man to do abominable wickedness against God (vv. 26- 27). This is a deliberate act of idolatry.

6. Man’s deification has led to rejecting any knowledge of God and doing all forms of unrighteousness (vv. 28-31). Man has rejected to worship, honor and glorify God.

7. Man’s rejection of true faith does not mean he has no knowledge of God’s judgment. Man can only blame himself for what he does to his own life (v. 32) and this rejection is not excusable

CONCLUSION

The knowledge of God does not necessarily mean true faith or biblical faith. Man can retain his belief in God and yet not really know Him. All the gods of this world are the creation of man’s vain imagination, crafted by his own hands to be worshiped by sight and not by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). The real knowledge of God both personal and experience can only come by faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ through the revelation of His Word. Biblical faith has given us something to look forward to (Titus 2:13). We are believers of the invisible God who manifested Himself in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to us through His Word (Col. 1:15; Heb. 11:27; 1 Tim. 1:17).

—BMA’s Messages 04.24.16