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The Just Shall Live By Faith

Romans 1:16-17 – “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

            This powerful Scripture has been called the cornerstone of the Reformation. The Apostle Paul describes the sinful condition of humanity in Ephesians 2:1-2, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,  in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.” 

            In Romans 3:23, we learn of our need of a savior, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  In John 8:34, Jesus taught that sin enslaves. Our sin has alienated us from God.  Without Christ we are lost and without hope. Henrietta C. Mears writes in her book, What the Bible is All About, “The book of Romans tells us of God’s method of making guilty people good. The key of this great thesis is found in Romans 1:16-17.
The Person of the Gospel – Christ.
The Power of the Gospel – power of God.
The Purpose of the Gospel – unto salvation.
The People to whom sent – to everyone.
The Plan of acceptance – to everyone who believes.
The Particular result – the just shall live by faith.[i]”

The term the just shall live by faith, is a description of justification.  We experience justification the moment we are born again.  Justification simply means, just as if I never sinner. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Our standing changes.  Dr. Jack Hayford writes, “When God justifies, he charges the sin of man to Christ and credits the righteousness of Christ to the believer.”

We once were sinners, but now we are the children of God.  Colossians 1:13 reads, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.”


[i] Mears, Henrietta, What the Bible is all About, Regal Publishing, Ventura, California, page 162.

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