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. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.” Galatians 3:11-12
To contrast the difference between faith in Christ and living under the law, Paul wrote that being under the law was actually a curse. The law cannot justify a sinner; it only brings a sinner under condemnation because being under the law makes one have to depend upon his or her own works to justify himself or herself. The major problem in self-justification is that one must be perfect, able to obey every single law without breaking even the most insignificant law. To break only one law makes one a lawbreaker, a transgressor of the law. The criteria for being justified under the law means meeting God’s standard, that is, perfect obedience and a perfect life. No human can meet that standard. How could anyone, considering that we all are born with a sin nature, stop an impure or judgmental thought from passing through one’s mind? Even if one could live a perfect life, he or she would eventually become proud of their ability, and thus, all their efforts would be for nothing.
Since God created man, it was and is His prerogative to define what constitutes justification of a sinner. There are too many factors that come into play when attempting to justify oneself. Man is, by nature, a selfish and proud human being. God did not make man sinless. He gave man free will to make his own decisions. God’s intention was that man would choose to worship, honor, and serve Him, but it had to be man’s decision to do so. Respect, honor, and worship cannot be forced; they must come from the heart of a humble man or woman who understands his or her own poverty of spirit (Matthew 5:3), that is, that they are bankrupt and ruined without faith in the Lord. Oswald Chambers wrote in his “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount” that “The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works.” A frontier is a new and unexplored area. In this case, the moral frontier of a sinner would be the place where faith is introduced to a sinful heart, clearing out any notion of self-righteousness or good works as a basis for being made right with God. Faith is the beginning point of expanding the moral frontier into a heart filled with the love and righteousness of Christ. No longer does the repentant and faithful man or woman wander the unknown aimlessly, but now they have a new outlook, purpose, and a new life in Christ.
However, as Paul points out by quoting from the Old Testament, faith is nothing new. He quotes, “The just shall live by faith”. The Old Testament prophet, Habakkuk (2:4b), wrote this sometime around the captivity of Judah by the Babylonians. This same quote was given in Paul’s letter to the Romans (1:17) and in the book of Hebrews (10:38). Thus, it was always God’s plan for men and women to live by faith in Him. The law is not of faith nor is man able to place his faith in the law. It has no ability to cleanse and make one righteous; it can only judge a person based on a person’s actions and behavior. The threat of punishment for breaking the law can be somewhat of a deterrent, but not able to make folks abide by it perfectly. We know that to be true because the threat of God’s wrath for sin and an eternity spent in the lake of fire has little impact upon the majority of sinners. Those who try to justify themselves live with the consequences of their choices. They are under perpetual condemnation because they have chosen their own way rather than God’s way.
Paul wrote to the Roman (8:1-4) that those who have chosen the way of faith in Jesus Christ will never be held under condemnation because they are free from the law of sin and death. Because the law was weak, Christ came, became sin for us, being nailed to the cross, dying for sinful man, taking our place, and, in exchange, giving us His righteousness. Those who choose to depend on their own self-righteousness have no help to do so, but those who live by faith in the Son of God have all the help that they can possibly ever need. Not only are sinners justified by faith, it is the only way to please God (Hebrews 11:6a)