I'm going to open my Bible first
to the book of Habakkuk. There's a statement that appears
in the Word of God four times. It's first found here in the
book of Habakkuk. If you don't want to turn, you
can just jot down the reference. Habakkuk 2.4. It says, Behold,
his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him, but the just
shall live by his faith. The just shall live by faith. And then in Romans 1, this is
where the chaplain read a few moments ago, Romans 1 verse 17. It says, it talks about the gospel
of Christ. He's not ashamed of the gospel.
For therein, verse 17, is, in the gospel, is the righteousness
of God revealed from one degree of faith to another. From faith
to faith means from one degree of faith to another. As it is
written in Habakkuk, that just shall live by faith. And then in Galatians, I'm taking the time to read all
of these because I want you to see that this statement is found
in the Word of God four times. In Galatians 3.11, in Galatians 3.11, but that no man
is justified by the law in the sight of God, it's evident. For
the just shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith.
And now Hebrews chapter 10, verse 37 and 38. The apostle Paul, I believe he's
the author of Hebrews, he writes in verse 38, Hebrews 10, 38.
Now the just shall live by faith. But if any man draw back, my
soul shall have no pleasure in him. But thank God we're not
of them who draw back under perdition, but we're of them that believe
to the saving of the soul. What does this mean? The just
shall live by faith. The just shall live by faith. What does it mean? It's important
for us to know what it means. I'm sure you do. But let me rehearse
it again to you. And I think really the key to
answering the question that just shall live by faith, what it
means, is to tell what it doesn't mean. I really believe the key
to understanding what this means, if we'll show what it doesn't
mean, it'll clear it up. Most people miss it a mile. We do not live upon faith at
all. We live by faith. There's one
of the key with the just you live by faith. We don't live
upon faith. This is what today's generation
is saying. Faith is a power. Take hold of
it. Faith is a power that gets things
done. Faith doesn't produce any blessings,
it receives blessings. Faith is not going to do anything
for you. It's God who does it. You don't live upon faith. Faith
is not a feeling. Faith is not a power. Faith is
not a positive mental attitude. Faith is not an influence. Faith
is not a feeling. We live by faith on Christ. That is the key. We live by faith
upon Christ. I don't find any hope in faith,
I find hope in Christ. Christ is my hope. Faith is not
my hope. That's the reason that I can
have hope though my faith is imperfect. And though my faith
is weak. Though my faith sometimes doesn't
seem like faith at all. But He never changes. I'm like
a roller coaster, aren't you? But He never changes. My hope's
not in faith. I don't find any hope in faith.
Christ is my hope. I don't find any peace in faith.
Christ is my peace. He said, you come to me, I'll
give you rest. You're not going to find any
rest in your faith or peace in your faith. You're not going
to find any righteousness in your faith. Christ is our righteousness. You don't find any wisdom in
faith. Christ is our wisdom. So we live by faith upon Christ. Faith does not produce any blessings.
It does not secure any blessings. They're given by God. That's
right, they're given by God. Horatio Bonar said this, now
unless Moses touches the rock with the rod, he takes the rod
and touches the rock, the water is not going to come out. It's
got to be touched. It doesn't say it has a certain
way, smitten, how hard or how soft. But Moses must touch the
rod to the rock where the water's not coming out. But the rod didn't
produce any water at all. It's the rock that produced the
water. The water came from the rock. The water doesn't come
from my faith. It comes from my Lord, the object
of faith. Now that's so important. Bonar
went on. Now listen to it. This is quite
good. Faith is not my physician. It
only brings me to the physician who heals my diseases. Faith
is not the Savior. It's not faith that was born
at Bethlehem. It's not faith that died at Calvary.
It's not faith that loved me and gave himself for me. It's
not faith that bore my sins. It's Christ. Faith is not our righteousness
or our perfection. Yet only by perfection can we
be saved. Only by perfection can a man
come to God, but my faith is imperfect. Now listen, God requires
a perfect righteousness, but He doesn't require a perfect
faith. So faith is not my righteousness, it's Christ. Faith is not the
Christ, not the mediator. Faith is not the priest. Faith
is not the altar. Faith is not the blood. Faith
is not the sacrifice. Faith is not the mercy seat.
Faith does not work. There works a faith, but faith
doesn't work. Faith receives a work done ages
ago. Faith doesn't cleanse us, it
brings us to the fountain, open for sin and uncleanness. Faith doesn't bring us to God.
Christ suffered the just for the unjust that He might bring
us to God. Let's don't put faith where He
must be. He must be. He must be. Bonar said this, when the Israelites
looked to the brazen serpent, They were healed. And one might
say, well, by looking they were healed. Even as our Lord said
to that woman, thy faith hath made thee whole, but that's figurative
language. It was not the act of looking
that healed them, it was the object to whom they looked. Christ
is that brazen serpent. It's an object. It wasn't just
by looking, they might have looked over here somewhere. They were
looking to Him. even as we are looking to Christ,
the author and finisher of our faith. Let that be established. We live upon Christ by faith. Abraham believed God, that God
was able to do what he promised. Now, seven things I want you
to remember here. You might want to jot these down
here. things to remember about this business of living by faith. The just shall live by faith,
not on faith, not upon faith. By faith upon Christ. Now here's
the first one. Faith lives upon the name of
Christ. Turn to Acts 4. The name of Christ. Faith lives upon the name of
Christ. Acts chapter 4. Listen to the
Apostle Peter here in Acts 4 verse 10 Be it known unto you all and
all the people of Israel That by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth whom you crucified Whom God raised from the dead even
by him does this man stand here before you hope? This is the
stone which was set at naught of you builders, which has become
the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved." I live upon the name
of Christ. The name of Christ. It secures
my blessings. His name. His name. Did you ever have a door open
to you in the name of someone else? I'm sure you have if you'll
think back. I have an illustration. I'm a
nobody, a stranger, unknown. I was up in Pennsylvania years
ago preaching for Jim Eccles back in the 60s. Jim was pastor
of Moreto Faith Tabernacle up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. At that time I was a much greater
baseball fan than I am at this time. But I loved baseball. And I had a friend who played
for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Phil Garner. He was the third baseman
on that great Pittsburgh team that finally won the World Series
in 1969. And I went up to see Jim, preached
for him, and Jim and I believe Ed Stevens and I went down to
down to Pittsburgh to see a ball game. I called Phil before I
went and told him I was coming to the game. He said, when you
get to the certain window, you give them my name and the tickets
will be there. And then after the game you give
them my name, or before the game you give them my name and you
come down to the locker room and come on in to the locker
room and meet the players. And now this is a little guy
from eastern Kentucky. I don't even know anybody in
Pittsburgh. But I walked up to that huge Three River Stadium,
Jim and Ed and I. And I gave them another man's
name. And they said, here's your tickets reserved for you. Come
on in. We went down this long stairway in the hall. We went
right up to the door of the locker room and went right in. There's
not one fellow in 30,000 in Ashton walked in the locker room of
the Pittsburgh Pirates, but I did, did with Jim. Right in the, right
in the, met Stargill and Parker and all those fellas, you know.
On somebody else's name. And that's how everything I get
from God is in the name of somebody else. I don't merit one thing
from God, not even a glance this way. Not even consideration,
mind you. But in the throne of the living
God is off-limits to me. I know that. Off-limits. And it's off-limits to all men
and women. But I tell you, if you come in
His name, you can come boldly before the throne of Almighty
God. My faith won't get me a hearing.
Isn't that right? My faith is not going to get
me here, but He can. That's what I'm saying. That's
what I'm saying. I can say, I believe, I believe,
I believe. It's Him. I believe Him. I'm coming in
His name. What you ask the Father in my
name, He'll give you. That's what I'm talking about.
I live by the name of Christ. Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will
provide. Jehovah Shalom, the Lord my peace. Jehovah Sidkenu, the Lord my
righteousness. Jehovah Rea, the Lord my Shepherd.
Isn't it? His name. And I don't care if
you're a preacher for 45 years. It's still His name. Alright,
secondly, faith lives not only on the name of Christ, but faith
lives on the blood of Christ. Every moment of every day. On
His blood. Turn to Hebrews 10. Let's read
this. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10,
verse 19. It says here, having therefore,
brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. I tell you, do I sin into the
hill of the Lord if the blood is on the mercy seat for me? Do I approach the throne of God
if the blood's on the mercy seat? Do I stand in His awesome, awful
presence accepted if the blood's on the mercy seat? That's what
he said. He said, Moses, take these tablets. Bring me the tablets. I'll put
the law on the tablets. You put the tablets in the ark. Put the mercy seat on top. And
then the priest sprinkles the blood. And then you come. It's
the blood that maketh atonement for the soul. It's the blood
of Jesus Christ, God's Son, that cleanseth, cleanseth, cleanseth
us from all sin. We're redeemed, Peter said, not
with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with
the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without spot or blemish.
And here's another scripture I want to read, Hebrews 9, just
back. One page, verse 11. Hebrews 9, verse 11. But Christ
being come, high priest of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, not that
went out yonder on the desert, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood,
He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. But the blood of bulls and of
goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctified
to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without
spot to God, purge your conscience. from dead works, to walk with,
to love, to serve, to worship the living God. Frederick Whitfield
wrote a hymn, I need thee precious Jesus, for I am full of sin,
my soul is dark and guilty, my heart is dead within, I need
the cleansing fountain where I can always hide the blood of
Christ, most precious, the sinner's perfect plea. All right, thirdly,
turn to John 6. Faith lives on the name of Christ. Call that name often. Call that name frequently. You
can't call that name enough. Call that name. We don't have
any interest based on our names and the blood. The blood of Christ. And then thirdly, faith lives
on the flesh of Christ. Now, I want you to look at this
in John 6 verse 55. I'm going to give you something
here that I feel like is something we need to hear to
help us understand this Scripture. Now listen. He says, for my flesh,
John 6, let's read John 6, verse 54. Whoso eateth my flesh and
drinketh my blood hath the eternal life. And I'll raise him up at
the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father
hath sent me, and I live with the Father, so that he that eateth
me Even he shall live by me. Faith lives upon Christ, his
flesh. This is the bread that came down
from heaven. Now watch it. Not as your fathers
did eat manna and are dead. He that eateth this bread, my
flesh, will live forever. How do I illustrate that? He talked about Israel and the
bread they ate in the wilderness. Israel in the wilderness for
40 years is a picture type of true Israel,
the church, you and me. How did Israel survive in the
wilderness? The wilderness did not provide
them with anything by which to survive. How did they survive?
God gave them bread, manna from heaven. Every day, manna from
heaven. And they ate that manna. And
God gave them water from the rock. And by God's power and
grace, their clothes never wore out, their shoes never wore out.
In other words, the wilderness didn't provide them with one
thing to sustain them. Not food, not water, and not
clothing. They survived as he gave them
the bread and the water and his power kept them. Now how do believers
live spiritually in this world? This world supplies us with,
this world is contrary to spiritual growth and spiritual rest, it's
contrary. The world makes no contribution
at all to our spiritual life. It's detrimental to spiritual
life, the world is. So how do we survive? I tell
you, Christ is my meat. Christ is my drink. And it's
by His power that my spirituality, righteousness, and covering never
wears out. That's right. That's what He
means here. Your fathers did eat that manna.
It was supplied physically. They ate it, but they're dead.
They drank from that rock, but they're dead. They went through
this 40 years, and they're closed in water, but they're dead. But
spiritually, we feed on Christ. He's our meat, and He's our drink,
and by His power, He sustains us. He's all that we need. Christ
is all that we need. There was a fellow down in Mexico. I've mentioned him to you before.
His name is Fidel. He's the head cowboy out on the
ranch in San Rafael and quite a drinker, a heavy drinker he
was. And he sobered up. They started
an Alcoholics Anonymous on the ranch because the ranch owner,
Roberto, went on the wagon. And he helped organize an Alcoholics
Anonymous and Fidel and Roberto and all these fellas came to
Alcoholics Anonymous. Well Fidel kept listening to
Brother Milton preach the gospel and God saved him. God saved
him. He met the Redeemer. And they
started listening to him at Alcoholics Anonymous. And so Carmelita went
to him one day, she was worried that he wasn't coming anymore.
And she was also worried because he had joined the church and
been baptized, and that church was kind of her project. She loved building that church,
and she didn't want Fidel to bring any repost on that church,
I'm sure. So she went to him, took it upon
herself to go to him. She said, Fidel, you're not coming
to A.A. He said, I don't need A.A. Oh,
she said, yes you do too. You know, you've been an alcoholic.
He said, I don't need A.A. I've got Christ. That's right. A.A. is temporary. Christ is
permanent. A.A. keeps you from doing what
you want to do. Christ changes you won't. That's
what I'm saying. You can put restrictions on a
fellow and motivation and all these things, but Christ gives
him a new direction. That's the difference, you see. He's my mate. The world doesn't
help me at all. It hinders me. All of the world's
organizations, oh, they can give you temporary relief, I know
that. For folks that don't know Christ, A.A.' 's fine, I recommend
it. For folks that don't know Christ,
there are a lot of things that are fine. But when you have Him,
He's your meat. Is that right? It's right. It
is right. That's how Israel survived in
the wilderness, miraculously. That's how we survived in this
world, miraculously. Alright, thirdly. Fourthly, faith
lives on the righteousness of Christ every day, all the time. Let's look at this scripture,
Romans 10. Romans 10, verse 1-4. Romans 10, verse 1. Brethren, my heart's desire and
prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved. I bear them
record, they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, God's holiness,
and I told you the other day in a message, that's threefold,
God's personal, essential holiness, the holiness He demands and requires
of us, and the holiness He provides for us, and the holiness He requires
of us, is because of His essential holiness. And the holiness He
provides for us is in Christ. So they're ignorant of God's
righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness,
and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the goal of the law, the consummation of the
law, the end of the law, the object of the law, for righteousness
to everyone that believe it. One day, my friends, I was brought
to realize something that I did not know before. Though I had
been in church for many years and been a preacher. But I was
brought to realize that my birth, I wasn't just a sinner outwardly,
I was a sinner inwardly. The reason I was a sinner outwardly
is because my birth was all wrong. My heart was all wrong. My birth,
my nature, my identification with Adam made me an enemy of
God. Yet the world and the religious
people kept telling me that I was on friendly terms with God, and
I wasn't. God's angry with the wicked.
God hates the workers of iniquity. God will not clear the guilty.
They failed to tell me that. There was no fear of God before
my eyes because I had the wrong God in my sights. And I realized
that, like Paul said, when the law came, I died. I died. I found out that I was a rebel
by birth, by nature, by identification, and Adam, I died. Secondly, I
realized that my sinful motions within, And my deeds of evil,
my sinful motions, and character, and nature, and my evil disposition
separated me from God. I was in this world without hope,
without Christ, and without God. A lost soul. Although religious. And then
the third thing I found out that nobody ever bothered to tell
me. I never heard anybody preach it. Don't hear many today preach
it. I also found out that God is so holy, so immaculately,
infinitely, indescribably holy, and I'm so sinful that even my
good deeds were filthy rags in His sight. I didn't know that.
I thought God was on the side of anything good. Now, he said the plowing of the
wicked is sin. When a wicked man plows his field
and grows his crops to feed his family, it's wicked, it's sin
in God's sight, if it's not for the glory of Christ. That's right. Isn't that right? Even my good
deeds, my preaching, my singing, my song leading, my working with
young people, these good deeds, this righteousness of mine was
filthy rags in God's sight without the Redeemer. I didn't know that. That for God to accept any righteousness,
it must be perfect. For God to accept any work, it
must be perfect. For God to accept anything, it
had to be perfect. I never had done anything perfect. And then I got the answer. Over
here in Isaiah 45. He gave me the answer. I didn't
get it. He gave it to me. Somebody said, I got saved. I
didn't. I was saved by His grace. I didn't get saved. It wasn't
an accident. Verse 22 of Isaiah 45, He said, when I found out all
these problems I had, He said, verse 22, Look to Me and be ye saved. All the ends
of the earth find God. Back in the previous verse, he
said, I'm a just God and a Savior and there's none beside me. I'm
God, there's none else. Now listen to verse 23. I have
sworn by myself the words gone out of my mouth in righteousness
and shall not return that unto me every knee should bow and
every tongue shall swear. And surely, shall one say, in
the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Even to him shall
men come, and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. But in the Lord shall all the
seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." is a man, and maybe the only
one in here who knows who Count von Zinzendorf is, but I'm going
to read a psalm by von Zinzendorf written in 1739. Listen. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are, my glorious dress. Mid flaming worlds in these arrayed
with joy, I lift up my head. This spotless robe, the same
appears when ruined nature sinks in years. No age can change its
glorious hue. The robe of Christ is ever new. That familiar? Oh, let the dead
now hear thy voice. Bid Savior thy loved ones to
rejoice. Their beauty this, their glorious
dress. Jesus Christ, my righteousness. I live on that. There's not a
thing I've ever done worth a plug nickel to God, except in Christ. That's right. Take all the works
of all the beautiful people here tonight, God's children, and
put them all together, and you couldn't squeeze one drop of
credit out of it, not one, without Him. But by Him and His righteousness,
it's accepted as praise and adoration and worship and good works in
Him. Works of faith, labors of love.
Fifthly, quickly, faith lives upon the Word of God. The Word
of God. I love this. Matthew 4. Listen to this. Matthew 4, verse
3 and 4. Matthew 4, verse 3 and 4. Our Lord's answer to the tempter,
to Satan. The tempter came to him and said
in Matthew 4, verse 3, If thou be the Son of God, command these
stones be made bread. He'd fasted 40 days. Don't you
know he was hungry? So very hungry. I don't know
what that means, hunger. Satan tried him and said, just
make these stones bread. Do it yourself. Figure out a
way. But he answered and said, it's
written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. That's the children's
bread. his word. One time Peter and
the apostles had been out fishing all night, caught nothing. The Lord stood on the shore watching
them as they came in and they began to gather their nets into
the boat. He said, have you caught anything?
No. We talked all night, caught nothing. He said, just push off
from the shore here, right over there. Cast your nets on the
right side of the ship. Peter looked at him and said,
Lord, we've been out here all night
and caught nothing, nothing. Nevertheless, at your word, I
let down my net. Against hope, against reason,
against effort, against all these things, against me, but you tell
me. That's what I'm going to do. That's it. We live. There's nothing
more precious to a believer than the Word of God, incarnate and
inspired. By His Word, faith comes, comfort
comes, hope comes, assurance comes by His Word. We live on
the Word. Is there anything I'd recommend
to all of us tonight? Make much of the Word. The more
you read His Word, the more you grow in grace and the knowledge
of Christ. The more you mature, the more
comfort we find. There's none anywhere else. There's no comfort to be found
anywhere else, not in the words of men. The words of God. In the sixth place, faith lives
on the intercession of Christ. Here's one verse I'll give you.
In 1 John chapter 2. Faith lives on the intercession
of Christ. One of the old writers said this.
Listen to this while you're finding that 1 John chapter 2. One of
the great old writers of the past said, I may be condemned
by the world, and believers generally are. I may be condemned by the
law, and the law pronounces everybody guilty. I may be condemned by
my conscience, and I will be, and I am. Yet, I shall carry
the day in the court of heaven, for I have an advocate. Jesus
Christ is in the midst of the throne. He's the perfect man. He's the accepted sin offering.
He's the Lamb slain. He has the Father's ear, and
He's never lost a case. And he has taken up my cause
and made it his own. And his will is the law of heaven's
court, because he said, Father, I will that those whom thou hast
given me be with me where I am. And let's read it now. My little
children, 1 John 2, 1. My little children, these things
write I unto you that you sin not. Wouldn't that be wonderful? And if any man sins, thank God,
we have an advocate. We have an advocate with the
Father. It doesn't say if any man lives
perfectly, we have an advocate. Perfect people don't need an
advocate. It doesn't say if you're sinless, you have an advocate.
If you never fall, if you never fail, you have an advocate. People
who never fall, never fail, don't need an advocate. It's sinners
who need an advocate, a lawyer, One to plead our cause, so if
we sin, we have already an advocate who's with the Father. And He's
Jesus Christ. And He's righteous. He's righteous. Father can't deny Him. Can't
refuse Him, because He's righteous. He's fulfilled everything God
requires. He despaired not his own son,
shall he not with him freely give us all things that he purchased?
Then in the seventh place, faith lives on the office of Christ. Now this is important here. Hebrews
5. Hebrews 5. Faith lives upon the
office of Christ. And I frequently use that word,
His office. His office. With that office
goes the authority. In Hebrews 5 verse 1, for every
high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God. God ordained them and appointed
them that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sin, who can
have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the
way, for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity.
And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for
himself to offer up for sin. That's talking about the high
priest. And no man takes this office, this honor unto himself,
but he is called of God as was Abel. And a man doesn't just
say, now I'm going to be the high priest next to you. No,
you're not. The one whom God ordained, the one whom God appointed,
that's the only one he'll do business with in things pertaining
to God. That high priest God appointed,
Avon and his sons represented Israel to God and God to Israel.
He was the mediator, the priest. So, also Christ, our Lord. He glorified not himself to be
made a high priest. He didn't take that office upon
himself. But he that said unto him, Thou
art my son, today have I begotten thee, he made him the high priest. As he saith also in another place,
Thou art a priest forever. He's always had this office,
after the order of Melchizedek. So that faith lives on Christ,
His intercession. His office. He's my prophet. He reveals the Father. The Father
designated Him as the prophet. He spoke to our fathers by the
prophets. He spoke to us by His Son. He's my priest. He's my altar, my offering, my
mercy seat. And He presents me before the
Father. He's my king. His is the kingdom. He conquered
me. He bought me. He destroyed my enemies. I belong
to Him. He's my shepherd. I shall not
want. He's the captain of my salvation.
He's my mediator. Christ, the designated one. I like what old John Jasper said
when that man asked him, John Jasper, are you going to heaven? He said, yes. He said, John Jasper,
when you get to heaven, And they stop you at the door. And they
ask you, what right you got to be here? What you going to say? Quickly he replied, I'm going
to say I ain't got no right to be here at all. I'm not here
on my rights or righteousness. I'm here on the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's already entered in, my forerunner,
and prepared for me a place. I got a reservation. Would you
move out of the way? Let me proceed. That's right. It's him. His name. I know him. And I have a glorious interest. We're not going to slip in the
back door. And also the gates are going to be thrown wide open.
Wide open. In his name. Everybody comes
in his name. Going to come in, welcome.