This Friday and Saturday, there's
some help needed with these portraits that are being taken. Somebody
needs to help sign people in. And if someone has the free time
to do that this Friday and Saturday, that would be very helpful. Now, the passage of scripture
I just read, the just shall live by faith. This is one of four
times stated in the Word of God, and it's a very important verse
of Scripture, that just shall live by faith. You see, faith and spiritual
life are inseparable. Where you have one, you have
the other. Now, let me repeat that. I want
you to hear what I'm saying. and spiritual life are inseparable. Where you have one, you have
the other. And where one is absent, they
both are absent. Now, I realize that in order
to believe, you have to have life. You don't believe and then
live. You have to have spiritual life
to believe. Logically, Life has to come first,
doesn't it? Logically. You can't believe
and then all of a sudden live. It takes life, it takes spiritual
life to believe. But experientially, as far as
our experience goes, as far as chronologically it would go,
sequences of events, faith and life come at the exact same time. Now, I don't understand how to
bring that together, but I don't feel the need to. There's a lot
of things in the Word of God. I don't understand how to bring
it together, but I believe it. They come together. You believe when you live and
you live when you believe. They happen at the same time.
And a mistake here is a mistake on life. That's how important
this is. The just shall live by faith,
the just. Now this word just, the just,
there are the just and the unjust. There are the righteous and the
wicked. That word just is quite often translated the righteous. This is a description of every
believer. And this is such a comforting
and blessed thing. I'm looking at some people who
God would testify that you're righteous. If you don't feel
righteous, But if God says you're righteous, you're righteous. Every believer is righteous before
God. Their sin was placed upon Christ,
and Christ bore it and was punished for it, and His perfect righteousness
is placed upon them. Thus, every believer is righteous. That's so wonderful. I'm righteous
before God. There is such a thing as being
truly righteous before God. This is not just a piece of paper
that says you're righteous and a document that says, yeah, he's
righteous, kind of like a deed or a marriage certificate. No,
I am righteous altogether in the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. The just. The just. The just shall live
by faith. He has life before God. The law doesn't condemn him.
The law finds him not guilty. He has life before God. He's not dead in sins, but he
has spiritual life before God, having been begotten by the Spirit
of God. The just shall live. Like I said, I don't want to
simply give the correct meaning of this passage of Scripture,
I want to be one of these people who live by faith. I want to
be one of these people that God says he's just, he's righteous,
and I want to enter into this thing of living by faith. The
just shall live by faith. The just shall not live by works.
The just shall not live by religious ceremonies, baptism, Lord's table,
and any other kind of religious ceremony you can come up with.
The just shall not live by their feelings. The just shall not
get assurance from their circumstances where everything's going good.
God must be blessing me. Everything's going bad. I'm in
trouble. No, you don't live by looking at what your circumstances
appear to be. Not how good you feel or how
bad you feel, how spiritual you feel or how far off you feel.
The just shall live by faith. Faith finds its all in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul said, I live, yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me in the life that I now live in the flesh.
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself for me. The just shall live by faith. Now listen to this. The just
shall live by faith, not for faith, or because of his faith. That would make faith the Savior
and not the Christ. The just do not live because
of their faith. The just live because Christ
died for them. The just live because God the
Holy Spirit gave them life. The just live because God's grace
has been extended toward them and made them new creatures in
Christ Jesus. The just live because their sins have been put away.
They don't live because of their faith. They believe because God's
done something for them. He saved them. The just do not
live on their faith. You know, I can't live on my
faith. My faith is a weak... It's not something I can live
on. I can only live off Christ. I can't live on my faith in that
sense. Faith is the means through which
this life is received. Now turn with me to John 1. The just shall live by faith. Verse 12. Let's start in verse 10. He, the Lord Jesus Christ, was
in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew
him not. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not, but as many as received him. Now, what's it mean to receive
him? Well, we don't have to guess. Let's go on reading. As many
as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on His name. Now, this is what it means to
receive the Lord Jesus Christ. It means you believe, you rely
upon His name. His name, the Lord our righteousness. I'm relying upon His name as
my righteousness before God. Every name He has, I'm relying
upon His name as my salvation. I'm trusting His name. When my
name is called, He's going to answer for me. Now, that's who
I'm relying on. I'm relying on His name as everything
in my salvation that just shall live by faith, not by their devotions,
Not by their Bible reading, not by their study and effort, not
by their prayers, not by their good works, not by their witnessing,
not by anything they do. The just shall live by faith. Abraham believed God and it was
counted to him for righteousness. Now, God told Abraham, you look
at the stars, can you count them? He said, no, so should I see
be. Abraham believed what God said. Did Abraham have any evidence
that it would take place? No. All he had was the naked
Word of God, and that's what faith does. Faith believes God. I want to be somebody who believes
God, don't you? The just shall live by faith. Now, faith is everything in life. You know, you think of life,
just think of physical life, our physical existence. There
are some people who are very ill, very weak, very sick. There are some people who are
full of strength and vigor and life. You have somebody that's
seemingly weak and just at the verge of death, and somebody
else that's just strong. Well, put that in a spiritual
context. weak believers. You do weak believers. And you know what is the cause
of their weakness? Weakness in faith. Any spiritual weakness, it can
all be traced to this, a weakness in faith. And you have strong
believers and you know what they have? Strong faith. Abraham, staggered not at the
promise of God through unbelief, but he was strong in faith, giving
glory to God, being fully persuaded that what God had promised, he
was able also to perform. Any growth or maturity in spiritual
life comes from a growth and maturity in faith. Now, what
I want to do is look at the four places that this is quoted. I
was telling Lynn and Aubrey while we were driving over here, this
is the verse where Martin Luther, by his own testimony, was crawling
up some steps in the Church of Rome on his knees. And these
steps supposedly had drops of the blood of Christ on them.
And it was part of the pilgrimage at the time. Somehow you could
put away sin by crawling up those steps and kissing each step.
And he said while he was doing that, this scripture came to
his mind. He'd read it before. And it just
came to his mind, the just shall live by faith. And he thought,
what in the world am I doing this for? And he left that foolishness
and lived by faith. Now, first thing I'd like for
us to do is turn to the book of Habakkuk. Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk. Habakkuk, check for two. Habakkuk says, I will stand upon my watch, are
you there? Habakkuk chapter two, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk. Chapter two, verse one, he says,
I will stand upon my watch and set me upon the tower and will
watch to see what he will say unto me. That's a wise thing
to do, isn't it? to wait and see what the Lord
has to say to you. May God give us grace to do that.
I want to be just like a backer right now. I want to wait and
see what he says to me. You know what he says to me is
a whole lot more important than what I got to say to him. I want
to hear what he's got to say to me. And he says, and I shall
answer when I'm reproved. Now, this is what this has to
do with is knowing how to answer when you're reproved and exposed
for your sin. And the Lord answered me and
said, write the vision, the word from God, write it down. This
is where the authority comes from. This is scripture. This
is the word of God. Write the vision and make it
plain upon the tables. Easy to understand that he may
run that reader that you ever heard that phrase. Take it. Run
with it. You read it. You understand it. You take it.
Run with it. What a blessed thing that he may run that read it.
Verse three. For the vision, the Word from
God is what a vision is, a revelation from God. Remember, where there's
no vision, the people perish. We must have a Word from God. For the vision is yet for an
appointed time, but at the end it shall speak. Now, a whole
lot of what we believe has to do with the future, doesn't it?
It's about what we shall be. It's about When Christ shall
return and glory starts, a whole lot of what we believe has to
do with the future. Now, it has to do with the here
and now. Faith is always in the present, but it has to do with
the future. For the vision is yet for an
appointed time. But at the end, it shall speak and not lie. Though
it's hairy, wait for it. It's worth waiting for because
it will surely come. It will not tarry. Behold, verse
four, his soul, which is lifted up, literally swollen, in pride
and self-righteousness. His soul, which is lifted up,
is not upright in Him. It's deceitful. It's not real. But the just shall live by his
faith. Now, the first thing that I see
here about faith is faith is opposed to all forms of self-righteousness. That one whose soul is lifted
up in Him. He's not upright. He's deceitful. What is self-righteousness? It's very simple. It's any righteousness
that comes from self. What is self-righteousness? It's
any righteousness that comes from self. You see, it's deceitful. It's not upright. It is a lie. That one who's lifted up, his
soul is not upright. He's a liar and deceiver. He
has no grounds for which to be proud. But the just shall live
by faith. That word can just as easily
be understood like this. The just shall live by Trust. Reliance. I am relying. Listen, all my eggs are in this
basket. I'm relying on this, that when
Jesus Christ lived, He worked out a perfect righteousness for
me, and that's my righteousness before God. I'm relying on that
as God is my witness. I say this carefully. I say this
fearfully. But I'm relying on the righteousness
of Jesus Christ. I am relying on the fact that
His blood is enough to wash away all my sin, and I don't need
anything else. That's it. I'm relying on that. Lynn and I were talking this
afternoon. She talked about that scripture we read in Philippians
3. That says it all. We are the
circumcision which worship God in the Spirit by the Holy Spirit,
rejoice in Christ and only in Christ, and have no confidence
in the flesh. That's what faith is. It's the
opposite of pride and self-righteousness. It's relying on the Lord Jesus
Christ only. It's believing the gospel. It's the assurance that comes
from believing that what Christ did is everything. It's not the
bare moon's minimum. It's everything in salvation.
I really believed that when He said it is finished. My salvation
was finished, signed, sealed, and delivered. I can't get any
more saved than I am right now through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The just shall live by faith, trusting His righteousness, You
realize you have no personal righteousness. You really believe
that? You believe that? You believe that about yourself? You have
no personal righteousness. But you have the very righteousness
of God. It's so simple. The just shall
live by faith. I turn to Romans 1. This is the second time it comes
up in the scripture. Paul quotes this. Romans chapter 1. Paul says in verse 14, I'm a
debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the
wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you that are in Rome also. This
is my agenda. I'm going to preach the gospel
for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation to who? To everyone that believeth. To the Jew first and also to
the Greek. For therein, in the gospel, is the righteousness
of God revealed. From faith to faith, as it's
written, the just shall live by faith. Now, in the gospel,
we have this glorious phrase. The righteousness of God. The
righteousness of God is revealed. Now, understand this. I know
I've said this before, but I want to say it again. David said in
Psalm 71, 16, I've made mention of thy righteousness, even thine
only. Now, why did he say, I've only
made mention of thy righteousness only? Because his righteousness
is the only righteousness there is. The only righteousness there
is, is the righteousness of God. If I'm saved, it's because I
have the righteousness of God. Now, the righteousness of God,
you may speak of the righteousness of God imputed to me. You may
speak of the righteousness of God imparted to me, but it's
still His righteousness. It's not human righteousness.
It's His righteousness. Now, the righteousness of God
imputed to me is the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ charged
to my account. And it's mine and I'm accepted.
And it's the very righteousness of God. The righteousness of
God imparted to me is what happens in the new birth when God gives
life. He gives us new and holy and
righteous nature. The new nature, that which is
born of God, the righteousness of God, the gospel declares the
righteousness of God. This righteousness is revealed
from faith to faith, from the faith of God to To the God given
faith of men, you know, only faith understands faith. It takes
faith to believe and it takes faith to have faith as it's written,
just like Habakkuk said, the just are justified through faith. Galatians, Chapter three. This was a blessing to me to
think about this. Verse nine. So then. They which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham for. As many as are of the works
of the law. Are under. The curse. Now, if any part of your salvation
is dependent upon something you do, that means you're of the
works of the law. And if I'm of the works of the
law, what does the word of God say? I'm under the curse. Let's go on reading. For it is
written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that
no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident.
It is very clear. It is very plain. For the just
shall live by faith. Now, I love this statement. That
no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it's evident.
It's clear. Now, let me give you three reasons
why it's evident. First, read verse 10 again. Cursed
is everyone. that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them." You know
anybody like that in and of themselves? You know anybody who fits that
description where they continued in all things which are written
in the book of the law to do them? Why nobody? Unless Christ's righteousness
is charged to you. That doesn't describe any man.
No man has lived up to that standard. It is evident. Find me a man
who in himself, without Christ's righteousness imputed to him,
could be described by verse 10. There isn't anybody. Nobody's
done this. But here's the second reason
it's evident. It's evident because God never intended to save anybody
by law keeping. He never did. I'm saved the same
way Abel was. Looking to the Lamb. I'm saved
the same way Noah was, being in the ark. I'm saved the same
way the children of Israel were, being in the house, being in
Christ with the blood over the door. It's always been the just
shall live by faith. God never intended to save anybody
by works. This is always the way it's been.
Look in Galatians 3, verse 18. For if the inheritance be of
the law, It's no more promise. If God
gives the inheritance to me because of some work of obedience on
my part, it's no more promise, but God gave it to Abraham by
promise. Wherefore, then, serveth the
law. It was added because of transgressions to the seed should
come to whom the promise was made, the Lord Jesus Christ and
those in him, and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Now, a mediator is not a mediator of one. But God is one. Is the law then against the promises
of God? God forbid, for if there had been a law given which could
have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
But the scripture had concluded all under sin that the promise
by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them to believe.
But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up under
the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore, the law
was our schoolmaster. To bring us to Christ that we
might be justified by faith. All the law does is show you
that you're nothing but sin. That's it. Doesn't do anything
more than expose to you who you are. And it's our schoolmaster
to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
But after the faith has come, we're no longer under a schoolmaster
for you are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. You see, there's always only
been one way. of salvation. God never intended
anybody to be saved by the law, but by the faith of the Lord
Jesus Christ. I love to think of Abel. He's
one of my heroes. Killed because of the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Killed because of his testimony.
What's the New Testament have to say about him? By faith, Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice and came. He offered the blood of the Lamb.
He wouldn't come any other way. By which, he obtained witness,
witness by God, that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts. He testified of that sacrifice
he brought. That's how he was righteous.
God testifying of his And by it, he being dead yet speaketh. It's evidence. The just, the
righteous before God shall live by faith. Now, let's turn to
Hebrews chapter 11. Hebrews chapter 10, I'm sorry.
Hebrews chapter 10. Now, the writer of the Hebrews
is quoting Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 37, For yet a little while, and he
that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. I was thinking
about this while I was driving back from Paikva last night.
I thought, I wish the Lord would come back soon. I really, even so come Lord Jesus. Come, he that shall come will
come. We can count on that. I wish
he'd come back soon. Don't you? Now, verse 38. The just, the righteous before
God, shall live by faith. Not by works, not by feelings,
not by experience, but by believing that Christ is all in his salvation. Now the just shall live by faith,
but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure
in him. But we are not of them who draw
back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of
the soul. Now, what is this thing of drawing
back? If any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure. As a matter of fact, if I draw
back, I draw back to perdition, according to that passage of
Scripture. What is this thing of drawing back? Now, this word
drawing back is a nautical term. I don't know anything about sailing,
but it has something to do with sailing. To draw back means you're
slacking the sail so you don't drive along quite so fast. You
kind of slacken them and go slower. You don't go quite so fast. You let it down. Now, at all times, in all of
our experience, the just shall live by faith. Never anything
else. And if we draw back, if we let
the sail dance and make it not quite so strong in that area,
we do so to perdition, he says. Let me show you how this word
is used a couple of other places. Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20. Verse 20. Paul is giving a summary of his
preaching, and he talks about how I kept back nothing that
was profitable unto you. That's what it is to draw back.
It's to keep back. It's to hide. It's to not put
to the forefront what you believe. Look in verse 27. Here's the
same word. I have not shunned to declare
unto you all the counsel of God. I didn't take the sails in. I
preached all the counsel of God. Turn to Galatians chapter 2.
I think this tells us even more. Galatians 2. Verse 11. But when Peter was come to Antioch,
I withstood him to the face. Because he was to be blamed. Now this is a very intense meeting
between Paul and Peter. And Paul actually publicly exposes
Peter in front of a bunch of other people. And can you imagine
how difficult that was for Paul to do that? Can you imagine how
difficult it was for Peter to take it? Oh, that would embarrass
me to death if somebody I respected and loved exposed me publicly
about something. But that's what was going on
here, and Paul said, I had to do it. Now let's go on reading.
Verse 12, For before the certain came from James, He did eat with
the Gentiles. He was having a good time fellowshipping
with them, enjoying them. But when they were come, these
Jewish believers, he withdrew. That's the word. He let the cell
down. All he did was move tables. He didn't say anything. He just
said, I'm going to get up here and walk over here and sit down
with the Jewish brethren. And by that, he was saying, it's
true, Christ is everything in salvation. I believe that. But
you're a little bit more pleasing to God. You're a little bit more
accepted. You're a little bit more holy
by observing what the Jews observe. And what he was doing by that
statement, he was saying that Christ is not all in salvation. He was slacking the sails. Now, in this thing of faith,
believing God at all times, in my experience, at all times,
I can't get an inch past this. The just shall live by faith. I never grow beyond that. And
if I do, I've left the Lord Jesus Christ. Look the way he says
that back in our text in Hebrews chapter 11. Verse 38, Now the just shall
live by faith, but if any man draw back, if he slackens the
sails, so you don't go quite as strongly along and open up
other things, God says, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.
But we are not of them who draw back
under perdition. but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul." That's a powerful statement, isn't it? We are of
them which believe to the saving of the soul. The saving of the
soul. If I'm saved, it's not because I believe. If
I'm saved, it's because God the Father elected me before time
began to be saved. If I'm saved, it's because Jesus
Christ was my covenant head and my surety, and he walked upon
this earth as my representative, and he kept the law for me. If
I'm saved, it's because my sins were placed upon Him and He put
them away. If I'm saved, it's because God
the Holy Spirit gave me life. And you know what? I believe
that. That simple. I believe that to
the saving of the soul. You see, faith is the evidence
of things not seen. I can remember a time when I
struggled so much. What is this thing of believing?
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. I believe the
Bible is the Word of God. I believe the contents of the
Bible. But what does it mean to believe?
And I couldn't figure it out. What's it mean to believe? And
I try to believe. But you know, you don't try to
believe. I try to decide to believe. But you don't decide to believe.
You just believe. You find yourself believing. God says believe, and you believe. May God give every one of us
grace to believe His gospel. I want to be in on this. The
just. the righteous before God shall
live by faith. Let's pray.