Faith to Faith

Romans 1:8-17

I. The faith of Paul was active and visible. His faith impacted the lives of multitudes everywhere. Our faith should also be active, visible and impact others.

• A. In the book of Romans, Paul contends heavily for active faith.

II. Rome was the center of the known world at the time this epistle was written.

• A. This was the nerve center of all military power, government authority, culture, law and pagan worship.
• B. Rome was associated with authority and control.
• C. With this in mind, Paul begins this epistle to the church in Rome with, “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ…”
• D. The use of the word servant denoted the lowest estate possible of a person.
• E. It tells of someone who has relinquished their will to someone else’s.
• F. It is important to note, Paul did not become the slave to just any master..but THE Master.
• G. He used to be a slave to religious tradition, then he became the slave of the greatest high King.
• H. Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10 that if he were to begin to please men, he would cease to be the servant of Jesus Christ.
• I. When Paul informed the Roman church he was the servant of Jesus, he was also letting them know he was not the servant of tradition, church politics, or the decadent demands people may place on him.
• J. He could truly help the church in Rome because he was not bound by any other, but Jesus Christ.
• K. He did not have to worry about pleasing the richest tithe payer, the best singer, the most talented individual in the church.
• L. He was not the servant to these things, but to God alone.

III. He follows the message of being a servant with stating he was also called to be an apostle, or one who is sent.

• A. Now he established his ministerial authority.
• B. Not only was he a preacher, but he was a church builder as well.
• C. Building yourselves up on your most holy faith. There is a need for a true apostolic ministry in these last days.

IV. Romans 1:5 lets us know, Paul was calling all nations to obedience to the faith.

• A. What is the faith? It is conviction of the truth. You must KNOW and obey the truth.
• B. Hosea 4:6 tells us, God’s people were destroyed because of lack of knowledge.
• C. We must know the truth, so we are able to obey the truth. New converts class.
• D. Then verse 5 ends with stating this obedience to the faith is for the name of Jesus.
• E. We don’t do anything for our name to be magnified. It is for the name of Jesus to be lifted up.
• F. We must always endeavor to promote the name that above every name.

V. Read verse 7.

• A. The phraseology of this verse may lead you to think it indicates two different, separate divine beings.
• B. If you are going to pick apart the language of the Bible you must know certain rules of the language.
  1. You must know the Granville Sharp rule. This rule deals with the unusual word construction in the Greek language.
  2. This rule states, “when the copulative kai connects two nouns of the same case, if the article…or any of its cases precedes the first of the said nouns or participles, and is not repeated before the second noun or participle, the latter always relates to the same person that is expressed or described by the first noun or participle; it denotes a further description of the first named person.” (A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Dana and Mantey)
  3. In other words, verse 7 is speaking about the same divine being, but with further clarity.
• C. Paul then states he prays for the church in Rome always. Paul’s faith caused him to pray for others without ceasing.
  1. Remember, we are talking about Faith To Faith.
  2. Because Paul felt such a debt to the Lord, he also felt a debt to the church. He did not dwell on his needs, but on the needs of others.
  a. He did not mention praying without ceasing for his desires, but he prayed for the church and it’s needs and desires without ceasing.
• D. Then in verse 11 Paul expresses his longing for fellowship.
  1. Not for selfish reasons, but to impart any spiritual gift he can.
  2. Paul’s faith caused him to seek for ways to minister to others.

VI. Verse 15 leads us to understand, faith will not allow us to procrastinate.

• A. Paul was ready to preach.
• B. Paul was ready to minister.
• C. Paul was ready to impart.
• D. Paul was ready to pray.
• E. Paul was ready to give.
• F. Paul was ready to do anything necessary for the church to succeed and the name of the Lord to be promoted.

VII. Faith will not allow us to be ashamed.

• A. Read verse 16.
• B. So many people are embarrassed about being a child of God.
• C. So many people are ashamed of the standards we live by.
• D. So many people are ashamed of being so different from the mainstream religious world.
• E. True faith will not allow you to be ashamed.
• F. You have nothing to be ashamed of!

VIII. When we live by faith, God’s righteousness is revealed.

• A. Righteousness in this verse can be said this way, “State of him who is as he ought to be.”
• B. We are living in a world with a skewed idea of God.
  1. He is really a woman.
  2. Since God is in all and all is a part of God, then we are God ourselves.
  3. He will accept you no matter what you do, say, or live.
  4. It doesn’t matter what you believe, everyone is trying to go to the same place.
  5. All gods are the one in the same.
• C. The reason we need to allow the faith of the apostle Paul to be manifest in us, is; if we live a life of faith to faith, God’s righteousness will be revealed.
  1. He will be known as He ought to be known.

IX. Finally, the just shall live by faith.

• A. The justified, redeemed, true child of God will live by faith.
• B. When we look at the faith of Paul we understand to live by faith, we are servants to Jesus.
• C. A servant does not have any other worries but pleasing his master.
  1. All needs are met by the master.
  2. Everything is handled by the master.
  3. If we seek to please Jesus, He will keep us, lead us, help us, guide us, bless us.
  4. Only if we are His servants.