“…the just shall live by faith.”
This
statement is made four times in the Bible: Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians
3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. It is a statement about how those pursuing
righteousness would live – by faith.
The Old
Covenant, the Law of Moses, was exclusively for the Jews and had to be kept
perfectly; if they transgressed one part of it they were guilty of all (James
2:10, Galatians 2:10) and would need to make daily sacrifices for atonement. The
statement, “the just shall live by faith” spoke/speaks of the New Covenant,
established at Jesus’ death (Hebrews 8:7-13; 10:9), a covenant allowing both
Jew AND Gentile (Romans 10:11-12, Galatians 3:26-28) who believe that Jesus is
the Son of God to have life in His name (John 20:30-31, 1 John 5:13). That is
why Habakkuk was told to prophesy of this, that one day the just would live by
faith – that time began in the 1st century and continues today.
Paul the
apostle, a man of Jewish descent, declared that following the Old Law would not
justify a man in God’s eyes, but rather a man who had faith and believed in
Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1-2, Galatians 2:16). He begged his Hebrew brethren who
had become Christians to not return to following the Old Law, but to continue
in their faith of Jesus and the gospel message (Hebrews 10:36-39).
The righteous
live by faith because without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews
11:6)!
Faith comes
from hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). In God’s word we learn that Jesus
is the Christ, the Son of God, that He died for us, and that God has given us
instructions that we must obey (John 14:15; 23-24, 1 John 3:23). God’s grace
allows we who believe and obey to be saved, to have our sins forgiven, to live
righteously before Him, and have hope of eternal life with Him (Ephesians
2:1-10, 1 Peter 1:3-9)! And EVERYONE in the world has this opportunity! EVERYONE
can come to God through faith in Jesus!
Jesus came to
save us, all of us – that’s how much he loves us! – He desires that you will
have faith in Him, in who He is, and that you, through that faith will be
obedient to God, living just as He lived, in full obedience (Hebrews 5:8-9, 1
Peter 2:18-25)! Believe Him! Believe in Him! Let go of any of your own notions
and fully trust and obey God!
Flee youthful lusts and pursue faith!
Let us have a
heart that speaks as Paul spoke in Galatians 2:20:
it is no longer I who live
but Christ lives in me;
and the life that I now live
I live by faith in the Son of God,
who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
(NKJV)
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