What Does it Look Like for the Just to Live by Faith?
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“See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not upright — but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness” (Habakkuk 2:4).
This verse in Habakkuk presents a contrast between one who is “puffed up,” or prideful, and one who is humble and lives by faith. What does this contrast look like to us?
If you spend much time on social media, you are likely to find a lot of Christians complaining about other Christians. Sadly, it doesn’t take long to find it. It is unfortunate for many reasons, but primarily because it tends to come from a place of being “puffed up,” and a desire to publicly tear down instead of privately build up. It’s almost as if we are looking for ways to have our viewpoint justified and supported by others through tearing down someone else. We are trying to prove that we are right, and others are not. This is the opposite of faith living.
It is an easy trap to fall into, and we are all just a social post away from it ourselves. Yet the Bible clearly teaches that we are not to seek attention, applause, or anything that might puff us up, but rather we are to live by faithfulness to God and one another.
What Does This Verse Mean?
The book of Habakkuk is unique in that it is written in a poetic fashion, and documents a conversation between Habakkuk and God. It addresses the imminent future invasion of the Babylonian army, and the subsequent fall and exile of the Kingdom of Judah.
The majority of Habakkuk 2 consists of the Lord speaking to the prophet Habakkuk. Here, the Lord details that Judah will assume that it is unfair and illogical that a nation far worse than they are should conquer them. Why would God allow this? They will argue that Babylon is a nation “who piles up stolen goods” (v.6), “plundered many nations” (v.8), “builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice” (v.12). No matter how unrighteous or unfaithful Judah had become, what could justify this?
The point is that we can quickly become self-righteous by judging ourselves not by the righteousness of God, but by the actions of others. As long as we feel we are doing better than that other person, then we are okay and God surely will not punish us. But this is not what the Bible teaches.
In Habakkuk we see God saying that it is not our place to decide what God should or should not do. It is not our place to decide whether we are good or bad in his sight. Rather, it is for us to live by faith that God is righteous, holy, and that his actions in our lives, no matter how fair or unfair they may seem, do not change the fact of who he is and that he is ultimately perfect and good.
How Can the Just (or Righteous) Live by Faith?
This chapter contains verses that are well known to many, and quoted often, such as Habakkuk 2:4 itself. Other popular verses are Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea,” and Habakkuk 2:20, “The LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.”
This chapter in Habakkuk held great meaning to early believers, and continues to hold meaning for us today. The comparison of one who lives by faith versus the self-righteousness reminds us of the parable taught by Jesus in Luke 18. Here we see the perfect example of one who think he is justified by his own righteousness, and the one who lives by faith in God, knowing that his righteousness could never, ever be enough. Even the way we pray is an indication of whether we place our faith in God or ourselves.
We live by faith when our first response is to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, knowing that his will and kingdom may not look like what we think we want.
We live by faith when we make decision that don’t follow popular culture, don’t look like the world, and put us at the end of ridicule.
We live by faith when we trust that God is good, and praise him for everything that comes our way, be it comfort and wealth or discomfort and strain.
What Is the Benefit of Living by Faith?
This verse is quoted throughout the New Testament, including Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38. The quote in Hebrews serves as an introduction of what has been referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” which relates the lives of so many from the Old Testament whose faith made a significant difference in not only their own lives, but a significant impact for generations to come. Hebrews 11:1-2 states that “faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”
After this statement comes a list including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and others. The idea is that they chose to live life based on what they could not see, instead of building their own kingdoms on things they could see. Living by faith may often mean that we sacrifice material wealth or public applause. It will mean trusting in God to provide for our needs, and setting aside worry of how we are going to take care of ourselves.
Faith means trusting. We know that God is good. We know that Jesus loves us, and so this gives us courage and faith to stand against anything and everything Satan throw at us.
Living by faith is not easy. It means accepting things that frighten us, and the reality that the world is against us. It is trusting that is spite of what we see, our faith in God who is unseen is what will give us an abundant life, filled with a joy and calm that could never be found in our situation. Living by faith will allow us to live in a way that holds eternal significance, and will bring God glory and praise.
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Jason Soroski is a homeschool dad and member of the worship team at matthias lot church in St. Charles, MO. He spends his free time hanging out with his family, exploring new places, and writing about the experiences. Connect on Facebook or at JasonSoroski.net.