Romans 1:16-17 says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel … therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith …”
The good news (gospel) about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus for our sins and justification is God’s power to save all believers whether Jews or Gentiles. The gospel is not limited only to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, but these three things are it’s core and make it the good news it is.
In the gospel is revealed a righteousness of God. The word “reveal” means to uncover, unveil or to lay bear. The gospel reveals something that for ages past was a “mystery hidden in God’s mind (Eph. 3:58-11). Prophets sought and searched earnestly to know what the mystery was, but the answer was not forthcoming to them. They were told: “not unto themselves but unto you did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven …” (1 Pet. 1:10-12). It was not until the gospel was preached at Pentecost that the righteousness of God was revealed.
What is this “righteousness” revealed in the gospel? God’s nature is righteousness and His righteousness has been spread abroad to all the nations. However, the righteousness of God’s character and nature was long known to man. That revelation did not first occur in the gospel. The commandments of God are said to be righteousness (Ps. 119:172). Again we say that while all God’s commandments are righteous in their nature and character, that truth was also long known before the gospel was preached.
Righteousness also describes the state of justification the sinner reaches by the blood of Jesus. It is this of which the apostle spoke when he said that in the gospel is revealed a “righteousness of God.” The gospel unveils a way by and through which sinners stained by sin can be pronounced just, clean, not guilty. This is truly what’s meant by the “righteousness of God.”
Jim McDonald