The Righteous Will Live by His Faith

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The Righteous Will Live by His Faith

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting older  that I feel this world  is going down the tube  at a much faster rate  than ever before.     Teenagers are beating  innocent kids  to death.    Teachers are being told  they must teach the gay life style  as something good  or they will be considered “dangerous”  to the security  and peace  in our school systems  and have to lose their jobs.     Violent rap music,  video games,  and media  are creating monstrous acts  of belligerence  and hatefulness  in children.     Loose morals are creating  all sorts of social problems  in homes,  work environments,  and government.     The list could go  on and on.

The truth is  that all these kinds  of sins  have been going on  since before Cain killed Abel  as recorded in Genesis, chapter 4.     But,  it certainly is escalating.     Around 600 B.C. the prophet Habakkuk  was feeling bad  about all the sins being committed  in Judah.     He could not figure out why  there was so much evil  going on — and even more importantly,  why did the evil doers seem  to be winning out  all the time.     They are  the really bad guys.     Why should they always get  their way?    Does it even pay  to be righteous?

Habakkuk wanted to know  how much longer  he had to wait  before evil doers  would meet their due  and rightly be punished.     Strange as it may seem to us,  God’s wisdom allows evil doers  to do their thing  in preparation  for a worse punishment  because of the innate grossness  of their hearts,  which are always arrogantly defying God  and His righteous ways.

Just as it was  in Habakkuk’s day,  these people either feel  they are smarter than God  and able  to get away with everything  because God is too weak  to do anything about it  —  or they feel  there is no God,  so it does not matter  what they do.

They don’t believe  in a Judgment Day,  so they want  to live it up now  and get all the gusto,  sensual pleasure,  and “enjoyment”  they possibly can  in this life.

A small part  of God’s answer  to Habakkuk’s questions is  in Habakkuk 2:4,  where God Almighty says,

Behold,  as for the proud one,   
His soul  is not right  within him;
But  the righteous will live  by his faith.

No matter how rotten  the people  in this world get,  God wants us  —  His children  —  to live rightly,  according to His word.    When we,   by faith,  trust so much  in God’s love,  forgiveness,  and salvation  in Jesus Christ  that we don’t let the world warp us  into its ways,  God will strengthen us more  to live  in His truth  while here on earth,  and then,  live eternally  in all the glories  of heaven.

Our knowledge  of the truth  and our faith  in the truths  of God  will strengthen us  to stand up  for what is eternally right  in God’s eyes.     We are all sinners  while living  on earth,  but God makes us righteous  by faith in Jesus’ sacrifice  for us  on the cross.     So,  when the world mockingly shows us  our sins,  we certainly do acknowledge them   —  but more importantly,  we joyfully show  how our sins have been washed away  in the blood  of Jesus.     God looks  at us  as being pure  and holy  —  not because of anything good  we have done  —  but because  of our faith  in Jesus’ merits for us.

The life,  suffering,  death,  and resurrection  of Jesus  is what proves  that our sins are totally washed away  for His name’s sake  —  because all of that  was prophesied  throughout the Old Testament.     This is God’s righteousness making the full payment  for all our sins  — and giving us righteousness  as a gift  because of our faith  in His holy promise.

We have every reason  to rejoice  because we are redeemed.    Our salvation is sure.     As Jesus said  on the cross  in John 19:30,  “It is finished!”     Because God’s work  of redemption  is finished,  we can happily live  for Him  with a life  that shows its appreciation  by standing strong  in the love  of God.     No matter what happens  in this world,  the one who lives by faith  is never defeated eternally  —  like the unbelievers.

As we rejoice,  we say,  “Hallelujah!     Lord,  Your love for us  is beautiful,  faithful,  and ever so complete.     Blessed be Your name  forever.”

Love,
Margaret

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A Christian devotional to glorify the LORD of lords and God of gods

 

Pray for our country.

 

This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

 

The word of the LORD is tried;
He is a shield  to all  who take refuge  in Him.
Psalm 18:30

 

Sing for joy in the LORD,  O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming  to the upright.
Psalm 33:1

 

How blessed are those  who dwell in Thy house!
They are ever praising Thee.
Psalm 84:4

 

Just as a father has compassion  on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
Psalm 103:13

 

Oh give thanks to the LORD,  for He is good;
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 107:1

 

Glory in His holy name;
Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.
Psalm 105:3

 

Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12

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