The Apostle Paul first asserts that he is ready to preach the gospel of Christ.
He then relates why or what is the source of this confident faith of his in the gospel of Christ - in the fact of it's being the power of God for salvation unto everyone that believeth.
He then elaborates on why it is of power to save them that believe said gospel of Christ - For therein is the righteousness of God revealed.
In other words, the Apostle Paul is asserting there that he is ever confident in the gospel of Christ because it contains information about the righteousness of God in His Son and is therefore the power of God for salvation unto everyone who simply believes that God is faithful or true in said assertion concerning His Son.
From faith (from God's faithful assertion about that) to faith to one's deciding to place their faith in God's assertion.
For that is what believing it - it is taking God at His Word, or as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1:13 Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles. 1:14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
That last clause there - "as it is written, The just shall live by faith."
What was the original context?
It was the issue of those who had decided to take God at His Word; when all others were doing anything but that...
God's Word of faith to them...
Hosea 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
Their decision to take Him at His Word in the midst of others who had decided to go their own way without Him.
Hosea 11:12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.
Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
The very principle the Apostle Paul bases his God-given assertion on: that God is faithful to what He has asserted about His Son in the gospel of Christ, said Word of, or concerning Christ, is therefore worth placing one's faith in.
From the fact that He is faithful to what He asserts about His Son; to the need to place one's faith in God's assertion about His Son: for doing so unleashes then said Word's built-in power to save them that believe.
As the Lord Himself had put it...
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
What kind of power is that? What was it able to do?
John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 11:45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.
The gospel of Christ is that powerful.
Thus, the Apostle Paul's solid Rock or confident assertion...
1:15 So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
He then goes into HOW God proved that to be the case, starting with the balance of Romans 1 and all the way into the end of the following...
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Contrary to your Calvinist ideals, nang; all faith is, is a decision to believe a thing is true, or not.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.