Romans 1:16–17

I have total faith in the salvation of Jesus the Christ to accomplish His will in my life. 

The truth is revealed in Jesus and Holy Spirit is given to teach us His ways.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Because of Jesus, we can be reconciled to God, become a new creation, and let the grip of God's love move us to live no longer for ourselves but for the One who died and rose for us. 

Becoming a new creation is immediate, but it is also ongoing. As we await the ultimate fulfillment of a new heaven and new earth, we pursue the righteousness and holiness of Jesus each day (Revelation 21:1;  Ephesians 4:24). We put away the sin that once gripped us and allow the love of Christ to grip us instead as we repent and draw near to Him (James 4:8), delighting in His Word and His ways (Psalm 119:15-16) and loving others as Christ loves them and gave Himself up for them. First5 

“Becoming a new creation is immediate, but it is also ongoing.”

Romans 1:16–17

16 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. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” The New King James Version

The New Testament speaks of salvation in the past tense, the present tense, and the future tense. In the past, the believer has been saved from the penalty of sin. In the present, the believer is being saved from the power of sin. In the future, the believer will be saved from the very presence of sin. 

From faith to faith means faith is at the beginning of the salvation process, and it is the goal as well. When a person first exercises faith in Christ, that person is saved from the penalty of sin and declared righteous. As the believer lives by faith, God continues to save him or her from the power of sin to live righteously. The NKJV Study Bible

Faith expresses a high degree of confidence in the gospel. Paul is confident that the hope he has placed in the gospel message will not be disappointed. The Greek word used here, dynamis, often refers to miraculous works. Here, it refers to God’s ability to deliver His people from sin and future judgment. God’s power also relates to the power of the Holy Spirit. The Greek word used here, sōtēria, refers to deliverance from the final judgment. It also might refer to deliverance from sin and the results of sin: death and alienation from God. 

Paul uses references to both Jews and Greeks (or Gentiles) to encompass all of humanity. Although the gospel message applies to all people, Paul describes it as being directed first toward the Jew because God gave the Jews the covenants and promises to which the gospel refers. The priority of the Jews in God’s plan of salvation also anticipates the discussion of Israel’s future role. 

The righteousness of God is one of the key phrases in Romans and Paul’s other letters. It could refer to righteousness that comes from God—that is, the righteous status or right standing that God grants to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Alternatively, it may refer to God’s own righteousness and His saving work. It’s also possible to combine these possibilities: Righteousness is an attribute of God that is manifested in His provision of salvation. As a result, those who believe are granted righteous status before God, who is himself righteous. God reveals His righteousness in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

This good news about Jesus Christ—the gospel message—also might be the way that the righteousness of God is made known. 

Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 to support his position that righteousness before God is only by faith. In the original context faith in God sustains a righteous person through hardship. This same faith in God—which relies on God’s promises for deliverance—is applicable to salvation. 

Faith probably refers both to a life of trust in God and to the eternal life which God grants believers. Faithlife Study Bible

Habakkuk 2:4 

“Behold the proud,

His soul is not upright in him;

But the just shall live by his faith.

Acts 3:26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Romans 2:9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,