by Roby Ellis
[Scripture Reading: Romans 1:16-17]
Introduction
A. There are many who would tell us that salvation is by faith alone.
B. While there are many who recognize the essentiality of faith, there are but few who understand the Biblical principle of living by faith.
I. God taught Habakkuk to live by faith.
A. To this man it appeared that God was allowing the wickedness of His people to go unpunished (Habakkuk 1:1-4).
B. When God says He will punish them by the Chaldeans, he again questions the justice of this punishment (Habakkuk 1:5-17).
C. God shows the prophet that He will also judge Babylon in time, but only after He uses them to correct His children (2:1-20).
II. In every age, the just have lived by faith.
A. This was true in the Patriarchal age (Hebrews 11:4-27).
B. This was true in the Mosaic age (Hebrews 11:28-39).
C. This is true in the Christian age (Hebrews 10:38, Romans 1:17).
D. Although the commandments have changed through these ages, the one constant that has remained is the need to live by faith!
III. How does one live by faith?
A. When God commands something of us, we obey, even if we do not understand why He has commanded it (cf. 2 Kings 5).
B. This applies to God’s plan for salvation, worship, etc.
C. When we see evil around us, we do not question God’s justice, knowing He will deal justly in due time.
D. When it seems that everyone has forsaken us, we keep in mind that our God never will (Hebrews 13:5).
Conclusion
If you have never obeyed the Gospel, start living by faith right now.