Tuesday, August 11, 2015

THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH

Who are “the just” and are the only ones who live, and by whose faith? I can hear the sceptics, asking these questions when this seemingly quaint phrase is used. 

As ancient as modern man thinks the Word of God (the Bible) is, God's Word is written forever in the Heavens, and therefore in eternity. We live in a time where every person does what is right in his/her own eyes, thereby creating their own philosophies which they then extrapolate into an entry card to Faith. Ask anyone these days if they’re going to heaven, and the answer is “SURE”! If they  are a little more honest, the answer would be “I sure hope so”. The few odd ones I have spoken to have literally told me they are not afraid of the “lake of fire”! Good gravy, Gert!  Could they be serious?

In reality, the Just really WILL live by Faith. From biblical Hebrew to the New Testament Greek, the Word from the great God of Heaven is plain. Here is what He says:
"Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith..." Habakkuk 2:4
"For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith...." Romans 1:17
"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
"Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him...."Hebrews 10:38

I think we are starting to get the idea. The questions for us humans, redeemed and unredeemed are simply: who or what is "the Just" and what does it mean "to live"?

The just or "the righteous" (according to the Sacred Scripture) is the man or woman, boy or girl whose conduct - body, mind and soul - are in alignment with the perfect standard of God. Not that any living person can achieve that perfection. It is precisely for that reason we cannot make ourself "just" or "righteous" in the Eyes of God that He has to save us, rescue us from the pit of Hell and then IMPUTE or credit our account, free of charge. This act of His Grace JUSTIFIES us, makes us ACCEPTABLE in His perfect 20/20 Spiritual Eyesight. There is no other way to be a child of the King and have eternal life. There is no such fiction as reincarnation, purgatory, 100 levels of consciousness of anything else man-made religion concocts.  It is only God the Father, seeing us through the Perfection of Christ, when we repent and accept Jesus as Lord, which can bring us into being made Just in His Sight.

Secondly, being made right or justified by His Grace, we now have eternal life. Indeed shall we live in eternity (or Heaven) with God the Father in the eternal kingdom. However, Eternity actually begins the moment we are saved. At the point of Adoption into the Kingdom, when we are converted from the domain of darkness, into the Kingdom of His marvelous Light, we inherit eternity past, the present and into eternity future. The Holy Spirit, Who is sent to seal us as His, immediately testifies to that fact and if a person does not possess such a transformation, conversion is in perilous doubt.

Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God Who raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same Spirit Who lives in us who are made just and are future citizens of Heaven. He immediately sets to work, to the degree He is allowed, to guide us into the way we should live - IN THE PRESENT. We, the Just, MUST live by Faith - NOW.

We are to live in the Faith, as plainly stated in Scripture. This means we are to eat, sleep, walk, talk, act, speak and think as one whose life is not his/her own, but made right and on loan from God, Who saved us.

The just who shall live by Faith is one whose daily life is fully dependant on God and knows it. Therefore the just who lives by Faith recognizes Who sustains our very breath, bread and eventually the brevity of our earthly life. 

The just who shall live by Faith is one who seeks and pursues the One Who died for us and then gave us a new permanent purpose in life.

The just who shall live by Faith is not only relies on and hopes in the God Who sits on the Throne above, but obeys Him (as stated in Scripture) and trusts fully in Him.

The just shall live by Faith and shows it as a living walking example of the Word of God, and as one whose prayer life jumps out and is a beacon to those who seek authentic intercession and someone to pray for them.  Oh yes, my friends, let us simply just live, love and long to reach others with the only Faith that matters AND saves- Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. Amen.

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