Six essential words

6 words separate those who merely know about God from those who know Him.

Your most important encounter with God starts with faith—that great and unseen force that pulls a man ever forward towards God when reason tells him to stop.

It's the quiet whisper in the dead of night that says, keep going, just keep going... don’t stop! In Romans 1:17, the apostle Paul—one of the most unshakable men in all of history engages with the issue of faith, with one awesome truth: The righteous shall live by faith.

That’s formidable. Faith isn’t some vague optimism or a bit of positive-speak, nor is it the blind leap we so often hear about—it's the weighty anchor that holds a soul steady when it seems like apocalyptical winds are lashing. It is what quite literally separates those who merely know about God from those who know Him.

Paul writes, For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17). That’s a big statement. A bold, audacious and radical one. One that reaches back through the years, echoing the very words of the prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:4). And it speaks to something more than mere belief—it speaks to a life utterly transformed by the reality of the gospel. Paul is inspired by the Holy Spirit and connecting the dots that Habakkuk has put before us.

The Scandal of Righteousness

Righteousness is one of those words we throw around in church, but have we ever stopped to wonder what it truly means? If you ask your non-Christian friend, they might say it’s about being good, moral, upstanding—nice. Paul is talking about something much deeper. The righteousness of God isn’t something we achieve in any manner or form. It’s not earned by effort or acquired through discipline or any faint, mere, hushed whisper of it. It is revealed, given as a gift, and that gift is received by one means alone—faith.

That’s why this verse is so radical.

The Jews of Paul’s day sought righteousness through the law, through obedience, through human effort - keeping every part of the law; straining at gnats and swallowing elephants, or was it camels? Our righteousness—focused on all that Jesus accomplished for us—exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees who put the focus on themselves, their role, importance, and the number of followers they had on Facebook, Twitter, and TokTik*.

The Greeks highly valued and pursued wisdom, reason, the power of the mind, but here comes Paul, standing between them both, declaring that righteousness is not achieved but received. Not through the strength of man, but through faith in the One who gave Himself for us.

And that’s scandalous—it’s a blinder! It means that the worst sinner, the most broken soul, the man who has wrecked his own life beyond repair, even intentionally—he, too, can stand righteous before God. Not because of his works, but because of Christ’s and the blood that ran down that rugged cross, staining the earth with a love so deep it could not be measured. You may have forgotten how awesome that is for yourself and your walk with God?

From Faith to Faith

Paul says this righteousness is revealed from faith for faith. It starts with faith, and it ends with faith—it is faith all the way down and through. It's not just the entry ticket into the Christian life; it’s the road, the journey, the air we breathe.

Some believe that salvation is by faith, but the Christian life is by effort, and that God saves us by grace, but then it’s up to us to maintain it. Far from it! That’s not the gospel. That’s religion.

The truth is, we live by faith. Daily. Moment by moment. When the doctor calls with news we never wanted to hear, when the job falls through, when the prayers seem unanswered, and ‘stuff’ just goes wrong—faith keeps us walking and working, breathing and clinging to the promise that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

And that kind of faith? That kind of faith changes you.

The Power of a Life Lived by Faith

If righteousness comes by faith, (and it does) then it means the Christian life isn’t just about behaving better—it’s about being made new, and that is the power of the gospel.

It doesn’t take bad people and make them good; it takes dead people and makes them alive. They don’t just believe in God—they trust Him. They don’t just acknowledge Jesus with their lips; they cling to Him with their souls.

That’s obviously why Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). This gospel—this message that righteousness comes by faith—isn’t just another philosophy. It isn’t one path among many. It's unique—it's the power of God. And if you’ve ever truly encountered the power of God, you know it’s not something you can ignore. It’s not something you merely talk about like an Alpha discussion topic. It’s more, it’s something that transforms you, reshapes you, and rebuilds you into something you never thought possible. Makes you a child of God.

Faith in the Storm

Faith isn’t always easy, though. There are days when faith feels like holding onto the edge of a cliff with trembling fingers and torn finger nails. There are seasons when the world looks so dark, so uncertain, that faith seems foolish. But that’s the thing about faith—it isn’t dictated by circumstances; it's rock solid.

Faith is what saw Abraham stare at the stars and believe he would have descendants as numerous as the heavens despite all the odds being stacked against him (Genesis 15:6). Faith is what led Moses to stand before the Red Sea, staff in hand, trusting that God would make a way whilst the Egyptian army came hard after them (Exodus 14:21), and faith is what held Jesus to that cross, enduring the weight of sin for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2).

Faith is what carries us forward when everything else says turn back.

That, in effect is why Paul says the righteous shall live by it. Not just think about it. Not just agree with it. They will live by faith. Every step, every breath, every battle fought in the unseen realm—it is all by faith.

*Yes, I know it’s TikTok… just checking you were paying attention!