Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the book of Romans. Tonight is study 21 of Romans, chapter 1, and we are going to read Romans 1:7-10:

To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 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; Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

I will stop reading there. We were looking at verse 6 in our last study regarding “the called of Jesus Christ,” and we talked about the fact many are called, and few are chosen. I think we understand that. Then it goes on to say in Romans 1:7:

To all that be in Rome…

Remember when we began looking at the first verse of Romans 1:1, we looked at the Apostle Paul and how it was that he came to Rome, and how he was an example to the believer in his being driven out of Judaea. They wanted to kill him, and he had to go before judges and councils, and he had to make a plea to appear before Caesar and, therefore, to Caesar he would go, and he was sent to Rome. And we saw that Rome was a picture of the world outside the churches. The book of Acts concluded with Paul in Rome in his own hired house, receiving all who came unto him, and that is pointing to the Latter Rain.

Here, God is addressing the Epistle to the all those that be in Rome, and this is why it was called the book of Romans. This was a long opening introduction to get to this point. In many other Epistles, it comes a lot sooner, but we saw that God put a lot of important information in these verses.

Again, it says, “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God…” Go to 1Thessalonians 1, and this is part of another introduction, as it says in 1Thessalonians 1:3-4:

Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.

The beloved identify with God’s elect or those who are loved of God. We are loved of God because of His beloved Son Jesus, who bore the sins of His people, making payment for them and saving us, and thereby He became God’s beloved Son in whom God was pleased. And we are in Him and, therefore, we also are the beloved, and we also become sons of God. This is why God is addressing His people here and in other places with the name “beloved of God.” It goes on to say in Romans 1:7:

…called to be saints …

This word “called” is the same word used in the previous verse which we looked at, and we know that many be called, but few chosen. The Greek word translated as “saints” is Strong’s #40 (hag'-ee-os), and it is often translated as “holy.” For example, it says in Ephesians 1:4:

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Or, that we should be “saints,” and without blame before him in love. There is no blame for our sins because they were all washed away by the baptism which Christ was baptized with. And, again, the fact that we are saved ties in with being chosen and being God’s elect, and that which God has done on our behalf. We find it says in Colossians 3:12:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved…

That is the same word “hag'-ee-os,” and the same word for “beloved.” And notice also that it says, “as the elect of God,” and then it goes on to say in Colossians 3:12:

… bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

This is all connected to the fact that God has saved us out of the world, and that we have been given to Christ by the Father according to God’s predestination program or His election program, which has made us holy as our sins have been washed away. We bear no sin in God’s sight. He sees no sin upon us. And it is sin that is impure, unholy and filthy. Without sin, we are pure, holy and righteous, and that is what God reckons to all His elect. We are holy, based on His salvation program.

Turn to Revelation 20:6:

Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection…

That is the resurrection of the soul, and since we had part in that, we will have part in the second resurrection, which is that of the body. Blessed and holy is he that had part in (experienced( the first resurrection, and it is all due to God’s magnificent salvation program.

Going back to Romans 1:7:

To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…

We were called to be saints or called to be holy. The Bible says we are holy because He is holy. That is the nature of God. It is what He is like, and He makes His people like Him. It goes on to say in Romans 1:7:

… Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the more typical greeting that we find in most Epistles: “Grace to you and peace.” The Bible says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” So, it is saying, “To you at Rome,” or to you the reader, this is the desire of the Apostle Paul as God moved him to write this. Could it be that you are one of God’s elect and chosen, predestinated unto salvation? Therefore, “Grace to you and peace,” as Jesus is our peace; without Him, there is enmity and warfare with God, and you would certainly be on the losing side of that battle as God will destroy you for evermore. But in Christ, there is peace with God. The warfare is ended. There is not just an end of battle, but we are actually taken into His family, loved and adopted as sons of the Father.

And all this is “from” God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. And there we see that equality, as Jesus said, “I and the Father are one.” There is an equality between God and Christ. Can you imagine if Jesus were not God, and if he was “lesser” than God, whether that be an angel or whoever some people think He is as they demean His glorious person? They say He is not God Himself. If that were true, how could these statements and so many other statement in the Bible be made that put Him on an “equal footing” and on the same level as God? Jesus is the one giving “grace and peace.” It is coming from Him, as well as God the Father. It is not possible that He is not God. The Bible declares everywhere that He is Emmanuel, “God with us.” And He was the Word that was made flesh, and the Word was God – He is equal with the Father because He is one with Him within the Godhead. We know that the Bible teaches us that there are three Persons, but one God.

It goes on to say in Romans 1:8:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

This word “first” is the word “pro-ton,” and here it would be first in order. I guess that is the best way of understanding it, and not necessarily that it is the “first” in importance. It is the first order of discussion, as he has already addressed the people in Rome.

You know, some theologians think (and they have expressed this in their commentaries) that Paul is speaking to the Romans and he is actually saying that their faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. You might say, “Well, of course they believe that because that is what it says.” “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” But hold it – let us not be quick to come to that conclusion. Is that true? Is it true that the faith of these true believers in Rome was spoken of throughout the whole world?

We should probably allow the Bible to condition that statement regarding “the whole world” to be limited to the known world or to the Roman Empire. Remember it said in Luke 2:1: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.” Of course, he only had authority over the nations that came under the Roman Empire, and he did not have authority over nations that were not under the Roman Empire. He did not have power over them to tax them. It is obvious there were other nations in the world in faraway places that could not be reached and were not subject to taxation. So “all the world” here is conditioned to mean all the nations that were under the authority of the Roman empire, and that was a significant number because it was a large empire.

And that could be in view here where it says, “that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” First, would it have been true that the faith of these believers in Rome (maybe a couple hundred) was spoken of throughout the whole world, even if it was limited to all the Roman Empire? I think that is kind of doubtful. Certainly, in Judaea there would have been some reports here and there, and there would have been some believers in Judaea that would have said to one another, “There are some believers in Rome, and they seem to be faithful.” But it would have been fairly low key and a minor discussion, unless something major had happened to highlight their faith, but we do not read anything like that in the Bible. Actually, we do not read too much about the Roman believers in the Bible and, certainly, nothing dramatic like what we can read in the book of Acts about other cities. So we wonder, “Why would their faith, in particular, been spoken about throughout the whole world?”

I am sure you can probably see where this is going. The way this verse is written is leading us to ask the question, “What is meant by your faith? Is it actually referring to the personal faith of these Roman believers that is being spoken of throughout the whole world? Or, is it the faith of them?” And that is an important distinction. We know there are some Scriptures that speak of faith when Christ would perform a healing. For example, let us turn to Matthew 9 where it speaks of the woman who had an issue of blood. It says in Matthew 9:21-22:

For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

It sounds like it was her faith that made her whole, but we know that the healing of the sick and infirm always points to salvation. The healing of the physically ill points to the healing of the spiritually ill, or the sin sick souls. If her faith (the faith belonging to her) made her whole, then that would agree with what so many gospels out there say: “You can believe. You can exercise your faith in Christ and become spiritually whole. You will become saved.”

But God is very jealous and very careful of this kind of thing, because salvation is of the Lord. It appears that it was her faith that made her whole, but it was Jesus who did the action of healing. He is the one who healed her infirmity, and He is also “the faith.” Now if it were her faith and the spiritual application of that was followed, then the deeper spiritual meaning would be that a man can exercise his own faith to become saved, but that would be a “work.” We read it earlier in 1Thessalonians 1:3: “…your work of faith.” But we know that Galatians 2:16 tells us that it is impossible to be justified by good works. It says in Galatians 2:16:

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

So faith is a “work,” and that is why it must be Christ’s faith that saves and, therefore, it can justify the sinner. If it were the sinner’s faith, it is a “work,” and no man is justified by “work,” and that is the insurmountable problem have for those who do not like this idea because they want to keep the ability to get themselves saved. Who would not want that? All you have to do is say, “I believe,” or “I accept Christ,” or maybe walk down the aisle and be baptized, or whatever, but it is in your hands and under your control. Therefore, before you get too old or too sickly, you can get yourself saved, but that is not the true Gospel. That is not the Gospel of the Bible.

There is another verse in Luke 7 where we read of the woman who anointed the Lord’s feet with oil. It says in Luke 7:47-50:

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Here is a direct statement concerning salvation, and Christ is declaring, “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” And, again, it cannot be her faith that saved her. It is an impossibility. It will not fit or harmonize. It is unacceptable when compared to all that the Bible says and, yet, we do see that Jesus said, “Thy sins are forgiven.” He is the one who saved her. He is her “faith.” It is the faith of Christ. How were you saved? How was I saved? How were any of God’s elect children saved? It was by the faith of Jesus Christ and, yet, the faith of Christ is the gift of God: “For by grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves…” You see, it is not your faith, my faith, or that woman’s faith that saves. It is not of ourselves. It is of Jesus. It is of Him.

Let me reword this statement and I think we will see what Jesus is saying, if we replace the word “faith” with the word “God.” Then it would say in Luke 7:50: “Thy God hath saved thee; go in place.” It is a true statement, is it not? Jesus is God. Thy God has saved you We immediately know that it was not the woman’s faith – she is not God. She did not have any part in it. It was Christ who saved her. You see, that is the reason God used the word faith, because it was the manner in which He wrote the Bible that would allow man to go in the wrong direction. When man would take up a verse and, in his pride and arrogance, to run with it, going far away from God, but God opens up the eyes of His people and we are able to see. For example, it says in Acts 3:16:

And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

That is, by Jesus. In Acts 26, Jesus is speaking, and it says in Acts 26:17-18:

Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

They may receive “forgiveness of sins,” just like the woman we read about in Luke 7. Jesus said, “…sanctified by faith that is in me.” That is, it is the faith of Him, the faith of Jesus Christ, and that is what saves.

It says in Romans 3:3:

For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?

It is the faith belonging to God. Then it says in Romans 3:22:

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

We read Galatians 2:16, but as we close this study, let us read Galatians 3:22:

But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

These all refer to the faith of Christ, and there are many more that maybe we will look at in our next study.