The
Just Shall Live By Faith
As we
approach October 31st, many are drawn to the spectacle of
“Halloween’, and the giving of candy and other “treats” to children in
costumes. However that date also
signifies the anniversary of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” being posted on the
door of the Roman Catholic Church. In
that context we are reminded of his work and his contributions to Christian
theology. It was then, in 1517, that he brought focus on the words of the Bible
that stimulated the Reformation Movement leading to the creation of the
Protestant Faith. (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther )
Those key words were: “The just shall live by faith”. (Habakkuk
2: 4, Romans 1: 17, Galatians 3: 11, Hebrews 10: 38)
Martin
Luther’s writings directly challenged the teachings of the dominant Catholic
Church. He cited the Holy Bible as the only true source of knowledge and
inspiration that would lead men to the salvation of their souls (Sola
scriptura). The Bible verse cited above captures the cornerstone of his
argument. (Time does not allow me to address the opposing argument of the
Catholic Church.)
This subject is
not only interesting because of its timeliness, but because it presents an
interesting opportunity for looking at how we interpret God’s word.
The first
time that title phrase was used in the Bible, it was part of an answer given by
the LORD to the Prophet Habakkuk. Habakkuk had questioned the LORD’s intentions
during the dark times Israel was facing after they had been conquered by the Babylonians
circa 612 B.C. One reference cites the context
by saying: “Habakkuk is unusual among the prophets in that he openly
questions the working of God.[23][24] In
the first part of the first chapter, the prophet sees the injustice among his
people and asks why God does not take action: "O LORD, how long shall I
cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you "Violence!" and
you will not save?" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habakkuk)
The LORD’s response lays the groundwork
for what would happen in the future, affecting not only Israel, but mankind in
general. His words were noted in
Habakkuk 2: 2-4, saying:
“2 And
the Lord answered me, and said,
Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth
it. 3 For the
vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not
lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not
tarry. 4 Behold, his
soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by
his faith. (Emphasis added)
As Martin
Luther pondered over these words, he realized that the fate of the souls of men
were not in their own hands, nor in the hands of others (through the Catholic
Church, or otherwise). But rather, man’s salvation would come through their
faith in the LORD. When we look at the
Books of the New Testament, we were to look for that fulfillment of the LORD’s promise,
by faith.
Israel waited
those 600 + years from the days of Habakkuk until the coming of our Lord Jesus.
But it was not in God’s Plan for Israel to recognize Him at that time, to
thereby serve as His “holy Nation of priests” as they had anticipated. (Exodus
19: 1-6) Only a small fraction of Israel had faith in who Jesus was, and would
follow Him for their salvation as their prophesied Messiah. (Luke 1: 67-79) That group of believers became known as the
“Jerusalem Church”.
As an
“off-shoot” of Judaism, these believers continued to observe and practice all
the animal sacrifices, feast days and other requirements of their Hebrew faith.
They also kept separation of their doctrine from the rest of the world
(Gentiles) as the Lord Jesus had commanded them. (Matthew 10: 1-7) As the Son
of God, Jesus foreknew that Israel as a nation would reject Him. He also knew
that He would suffer a horrible death on the Cross, would be buried and
resurrected to complete His atonement for the sins of Israel and the rest of mankind
through His sinless, shed blood. (Hebrews Chapter Nine)
After His
rejection by the Nation of Israel, the Ascended Lord Jesus turned to the Apostle
Paul to carry His message of redemption and salvation to the Gentile world.
(Acts 9: 1-16) It would be through God’s Grace that the faith of mankind would
be given the very important choice. Those among mankind who would believe /
have faith in Jesus and what He accomplished for them would be deemed righteous
/ “just” in the eyes of God. (Romans 4: 1-13)
Collectively, even though they followed different paths, those members of the Jerusalem Church, and those who followed the teachings of the Apostle Paul have been saved by their faith in Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4, Romans 10: 9-13) They have been united in the “Body of Christ”. (1 Corinthians Chapter 12, Romans Chapter 4, et al.)
But some will ask "How do I know if I have this 'faith'?" The answer lies in our Bible. Remember the meeting our Lord Jesus had with the Pharisee ruler Nicodemus, The Lord told him that he must be "born again" to see the Kingdom of God. (John 3: 1-21) That "re-birth" referred to by Jesus was the awakening of man's soul/spirit to receive the knowledge of who He was. It is that "born-again" soul/spirit that confirms for us that we do indeed have this faith.
In the Book of Hebrews, "Faith" is defined as "the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen".(Hebrews 11: 1) It is the "invisible" substance of knowledge that the Holy Spirit brings to our soul/spirit when we have heard and believed the truth of eternal life that we hoped for, through Jesus. (Romans 10: 17) For Christians, that knowledge is all we need as the "evidence of things we have not (actually) seen." Again, that is why we can speak and share with others the Gospel of the Grace of God as noted above. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)
As the
LORD promised Habakkuk in the text above, by the grace of God the faith of
their souls would bring them (and us today) eternal life.
Dr. W. A.
(Bill) Robinson
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