The Just Shall Live by Faith

But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11

The words, ‘the just shall live by faith’ are first seen in Habakkuk 2:4, when, in response to his complaints concerning the prophesied Babylonian invasion, the Lord told Habakkuk to look to Him rather than at the circumstances.

They are seen again in Romans 1:17 where Paul stresses justification; and in Hebrews 11 where the emphasis is on faith. Here in Galatians, the accent is on live. Want to be happy, fruitful, excited, and set free in your Christian life? The just shall live — really live — by faith.

Martin Luther beat his body with whips, crawled for miles on his knees, fasted for weeks at a time in order to get close to God. But nothing worked. And then one day he read this verse — and he understood that the Christian experience is not ‘Do, do, do’ — it’s ‘DONE!’ Jesus did it all.

Dear saints, get rid of the burden of trying to be spiritual. Get rid of the notion that since you had morning devotions ten times in a row, God owes you a blessing. It doesn’t work that way. You are justified by faith alone.

‘Then I don’t have to have morning devotions?’ you ask.
No, you don’t.‘I can sleep in?’
Yeah, you can.
‘I don’t have to pray, or study the Word?’
Nope.

You don’t have to do any of those things. You get to. You get to check in with God morning-by-morning, moment-by-moment. You get to spend time late at night or before the sun rises seeking the face of the Lord. It’s not got to, it’s get to — and that makes all the difference in the world, for once you’re free from the ‘got to’s you invariably do more than you ever did before.

James said, ‘Faith without works is dead’ (James 2:20) because true faith will always bring about lots of works.

When you fell in love with your husband or wife, you didn’t have to be told to call her; you didn’t have to be reminded to hold his hand; you didn’t have to be urged to communicate. When you’re in love, you long to be in touch — and that’s what the Father wants from you and me. ‘Love Me,’ He says. And the more I realize that He loves me through His grace and mercy being poured out upon me, the more I have no choice but to love Him in return. So I do more under love than I ever would do under the Law.

Think about that first letter your girlfriend wrote you, guys. As you stuck it in your pocket, did you say, ‘Boy, one of these days I really need to read this letter. I’ll set my alarm fifteen minutes earlier tonight and read it first thing in the morning’? And then as you rolled out of bed half an hour after the alarm went off, did you say, ‘I really want to read this letter, but I don’t have time now. Maybe tonight. No, Home Improvement is on. Can’t miss that. I’ll get to it tomorrow’?

No! It doesn’t work that way. When you received that letter, you ripped it open, read it, analyzed it, parsed the verbs, researched it, read between the lines — you couldn’t put it down!

The same thing happens when you understand grace and mercy. You say, ‘You bless me, Lord, when I don’t pray. You love me when I’m not lovable. You take care of me when I fail to walk with You. You’re faithful to me day after week after year. I want to find out more about You.’ That’s what it means for the just to live by faith.

by Jon Courson