I'm going to preach to you this
morning on this subject, the just shall live by faith. And my text is taken from Romans
chapter 1, in which the Apostle Paul wrote, for therein is the
righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is
written, the just shall live by faith. My friends, we know
that there are all sorts of religions, denominations, and churches in
our land today. But there are only two religions. Only two, according to God's
Word. There are just two religions.
That is the religion of works and the religion of faith. The
religion of works and the religion of faith. Only two religions
in the world today. And it all goes back to two young
men. Both of them were fallen sons
of Adam. Our father Adam. Two young men who endeavored
to approach the living God. To worship him and find acceptance
from him. Cain came before God with an
offering of his works. Abel came before God with an
offering, the blood offering of the Lamb. God rejected Cain's
offering of human works and God accepted Abel. The Lord had respect
to Abel and his offering of blood. because Moses wrote in Leviticus
17, for the life of the flesh is in the blood. I have given
you the blood on the altar to make an atonement for your souls. It's the blood of Christ that
makes atonement for the soul. And the same principle is taught
by our Lord Jesus Christ in the story of the Pharisee and the
Republican. Two men, again, see, Cain and
Abel, two men came before God. One rejected, one accepted. And
two men, Christ said, went up to the temple to pray. One of
them was a Pharisee. And he stood and prayed with
himself. He said, God, I thank Thee that
I'm not as other men are. I thank Thee, God, that I'm not
unjust. I'm not an adulterer. I fast
twice a week. I give alms of all that I possess."
This Pharisee stood and prayed before God and exclaimed before
God how good he was, full of good works. But the publican,
the other man, Christ said, stood afar off. He would not even lift
up his eyes to heaven, let alone his hands. But he smote on his
breast, and he cried, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. And the Lord Jesus said, This
sinner, this publican, went down to his house justified rather
than the Pharisee. Listen, for Christ said, Everyone
that exalteth himself shall be abased. and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted. For by grace are you saved through
faith. It is the gift of God. It's not
of works. It's not of works. It's the gift
of God. It's not of works lest any man
should boast. An old writer once told it like
it is. He said this, Vain are the hopes
of the sons of men on their own works have built, their hearts
by nature are unclean, and all their actions reveal their guilt. Let Jew and Gentile stop their
mouths without a murmuring word, and the whole race of Adam's
son stand guilty before the Lord. Lord Jesus, how glorious is Thy
grace! when in thy name we hope and
trust. The grace of God, the blood of
Christ, gives us a righteousness and makes believing sinners just
before God, for the just shall live by faith. This one sentence,
the just shall live by faith, is repeated four times in the
scriptures. Four times. Habakkuk, Romans
1, Galatians 3, Hebrews 10. The just shall live by faith.
And this sentence, this sentence became the seed of the Great
Reformation. The seed which God planted in
the heart of Martin Luther, that monk who shook the world 600
years ago. Listen, listen to the Apostle
Paul. In Galatians chapter 3 verse
11, listen to him, he said, no man, no man is justified by the
law in the sight of God. It's evident, it's true, that
just shall live by faith. Here's the key word, here's the
key word, no man is justified by the law in the sight of God. A man may try to justify himself
in his own sight by his works. They try to justify themselves
before men, but not before God. No man is justified by the law
in the sight of God. It's evident the just shall live
by faith. In verse 12 of that same scripture,
Paul said the law is not of faith. The law has nothing to do with
faith. The law reaches the outward man,
not the heart. And the law does not require
faith. The law requires obedience. Pure, simple obedience. Those who live by the law have
to die by the Lord. By the law shall no man be justified
in the sight of God. But let me tell you this, some
people were justified before God, before the law was given. That's right. Before the law
was ever given by Moses, some people were justified. Job was. Noah was. Enoch was. How were they justified? By faith,
by believing God. Some men were justified after
the law was given. That's right. Moses wrote the
law. But Moses wasn't justified by
the law. David, Isaiah, these men were
just before God. How? By faith. By faith. And no person was ever justified
before God by the law. For the justified shall live
by faith. Listen to verse 13. God hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law. How did God redeem us
from the curse of the law? You know how? Christ was made
a curse for us. The curse of the law is a universal
curse. The scripture says, Cursed is
everyone, everyone that looks to the law. Cursed is everyone
that continues not in the things written in God's book. That's
right. The law of God is a universal
curse. And the curse of the law is a
just curse against thee and thee only have we sinned that God
may be justified when he speaks and when he judges us. It's a
just curse. And the curse of the law is fearful. Oh, how fearful is the curse
of the law. You know what the scripture says?
In Hebrews 10, it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands
of a living God. Yes, sir. This curse of the law
is universal. It's a just curse, it's a fearful
curse, and I tell you this, the curse of the law is a present,
present curse. Scripture says, he that believeth
not on the Son is already condemned. It's a present curse. Because
he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. The curse of the law is a present
curse, but He that believeth on the Son, he that believeth
on the Son of God hath eternal life. He that believeth not on
the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. But he that believeth on the
Son hath everlasting life. Now this curse of the law The
curse of the law is universal. It's upon all who try to obey
God through the law. It's a curse. It's a just curse. It's a fearful curse. It's a
present curse. And the curse has not been removed
because they're unbelievers. They do not believe God. You
know what Paul said in Galatians, in Corinthians chapter 5, But
God hath made Christ Jesus to be a curse for us. He knew no
sin. He knew no sin. He kept the law
perfectly that we might be made the holiness of God and righteousness
in Jesus Christ our Lord. What was that again? God hath
made Christ Jesus a curse for us. We're under a universal curse,
a just curse, a fearful curse, a present curse, but God hath
removed the curse in Christ Jesus, who was made sin for us, that
we might be made the holiness of God in Him. Listen carefully. Listen. Christ, Scripture said,
who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we, who have no
righteousness of our own, might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. And with His spotless garments
on, we are as holy as God's own Son." Isaiah wrote these words
in Isaiah 45-24. Surely, shall one say, in the
Lord, in the Lord Jesus Christ, through His blood, I have righteousness
and strength. For to Him, to Jesus Christ,
shall all men come. For the Lord God shall all the
seed of Israel in Christ be justified and glorified forever. Oh, listen to this as I close
this message. The just shall live by faith. And someone wrote this, the Son
of God in mighty love came down to earth for me and for you. He forsook his throne of light
above and an infant on earth to be. Jesus Christ, whom the
angels adore, became a man of grief for me. In love, though
rich, He became poor that I in Him enriched might be. The eternal Son of God went to
Calvary's cross for me. He paid my debt. He bore my load
in His own body on that awful tree. And he said, it's finished,
it's finished, the veil is rent in two. Victory was won, and
he redeemed even me. And now I leave the bondage,
the curse of the law, and I return, O Lord of glory, to Thee. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. I hope this message will be a
blessing to you, and that you'll listen again next Sunday morning
at this same time. Until then, God bless you, everyone.