The Just Shall Live by Faith - this great principle was the Scripture that so inflamed the soul of Martin Luther that it became the watchword of the Reformation. It occurs first in the small prophecy of Habakkuk but is then quoted three times in the New Testament. The term “just,” of course, means “justified” or “righteous.” God says a person is enabled to live righteously by his faith. Paul’s lengthy explanation to the Galatian legalists begins: “Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.” Thus, justifying, saving, living faith begins and centers in Jesus Christ, first as Creator of all things, then as the Savior who “hath redeemed us from the curse of the law”

“Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” - (Habakkuk 2:4)

This great principle — “the just shall live by faith”—was the Scripture that so inflamed the soul of Martin Luther that it became the watchword of the Reformation. 

It occurs first here in the small prophecy of Habakkuk but, is then quoted three times in the New Testament. 

The term “just,” of course, means “justified” or “righteous.” 

God says a person is enabled to live righteously by his faith.

The nature of this faith is clarified by three quotations. 

The first is Romans 1:17: 

“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” 

The phrase “from faith to faith” means “from the beginning of faith to the end of faith,” and the context indicates that the foundational item of faith is faith in “his eternal power and Godhead,” which “from the creation of the world are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20).

Similarly, in the last occurrence: 

“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him” - (Hebrews 10:38). 

Then the writer notes that the basic item of faith is special creation:

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” -  (Hebrews 11:3).

The middle occurrence is Galatians 3:11: 

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

Paul’s lengthy explanation to the Galatian legalists begins with Galatians 2:16: 

“Even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ.” 

Thus, justifying, saving, living faith begins and centers in Jesus Christ, first as Creator of all things, then as the Savior who “hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” - (Galatians 3:13).

BY HENRY M. MORRIS, PH.D. 

Days of Praise

the Institute for Creation Research 

At the Institute for Creation Research, we want you to know God’s Word can be trusted with everything it speaks about—from how and why we were made, to how the universe was formed, to how we can know God and receive all He has planned for us.

icr.org

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Heaven on Earth -heaven is not the final destination for believers in Christ. The current heavens and earth will be destroyed and replaced with new heavens and a new earth. What we think of as heaven - a place of full enjoyment of the presence of God - will not be in heaven but on earth - the recreated new earth. The new heavens and earth are the eternal home for the believer. God will dwell among His people. On the new earth, we will continue to work, learn, grow, develop, and accomplish things. Since there were animals in Eden, there may very well be animals on the new earth as well

Me, Myself and I - we all stand condemned before a righteous God. There is one reason and one alone that God flings wide the gates to His kingdom ... and that is trusting in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. This is eternal life – that they know God and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent. Heaven’s admissions policy is to know God and His only begotten Son. It all centers around believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross, for apart from Calvary there is no forgiveness of sin – no salvation – no heaven. There is no other way to reach God except through the death of Jesus Christ our Lord

SOLA SCRIPTURA - the Bible is the Word of God. Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian. The Bible declares itself to be God-breathed, inerrant, and authoritative. God does not change His mind or contradict Himself. Many church traditions which have developed over the centuries are in fact contradictory to the Word of God. The Word of God is the only authority for the Christian faith. Traditions are valid only when they are based on Scripture and are in full agreement with Scripture. Traditions that contradict the Bible are not of God

What is sola scriptura?

The phrase “sola scriptura” is from the Latin: “sola” having the idea of “alone,” “ground,” “base,” and the word “scriptura” meaning “writings” - referring to the Scriptures. 

Sola scriptura means that Scripture alone is authoritative for the faith and practice of the Christian.

The Bible is complete, authoritative, and true. 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” - (2 Timothy 3:16).

Sola scriptura was the rallying cry of the Protestant Reformation.

For centuries the Roman Catholic Church had made its traditions superior in authority to the Bible. 

This resulted in many practices that were in fact contradictory to the Bible. 

Some examples are prayer to saints and Mary, the Immaculate Concepcion, transubstantiation, infant baptism, indulgencies, and papal authority.

Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Church and father of the Protestant Reformation, was publicly rebuking the Catholic Church for its unbiblical teachings.

The Catholic Church threatened Martin Luther with excommunication (and death) if he did not recant.

Martin Luther's reply was, “Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning, unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted, and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the Word of God, I cannot and will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience. 

"Here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! 

"Amen!”

The primary Catholic argument against sola scriptura is that the Bible does not explicitly teach sola scriptura.

Catholics argue that the Bible nowhere states that it is the only authoritative guide for faith and practice.

While this is true, they fail to recognize a crucially important issue. 

We know that the Bible is the Word of God.

The Bible declares itself to be God-breathed, inerrant, and authoritative. 

We also know that God does not change His mind or contradict Himself.

So, while the Bible itself may not explicitly argue for sola scriptura, it most definitely does not allow for traditions that contradict its message. 

Sola scriptura is not as much of an argument against tradition as it is an argument against unbiblical, extra-biblical and/or anti-biblical doctrines.

The only way to know for sure what God expects of us is to stay true to what we know He has revealed — the Bible.

We can know, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that Scripture is true, authoritative, and reliable. 

The same cannot be said of tradition.

The Word of God is the only authority for the Christian faith. 

Traditions are valid only when they are based on Scripture and are in full agreement with Scripture.

Traditions that contradict the Bible are not of God and are not a valid aspect of the Christian faith. 

Sola scriptura is the only way to avoid subjectivity and keep personal opinion from taking priority over the teachings of the Bible.

The essence of sola scriptura is basing your spiritual life on the Bible alone and rejecting any tradition or teaching that is not in full agreement with the Bible.

Second Timothy 2:15 declares, 

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Sola scriptura does not nullify the concept of church traditions.

Rather, sola scriptura gives us a solid foundation on which to base church traditions.

There are many practices, in both Catholic and Protestant churches, that are the result of traditions, not the explicit teaching of Scripture.

It is good, and even necessary, for the church to have traditions. 

Traditions play an important role in clarifying and organizing Christian practice.

At the same time, in order for these traditions to be valid, they must not be in disagreement with God’s Word. 

They must be based on the solid foundation of the teaching of Scripture.

The problem with the Roman Catholic Church, and many other churches, is that they base traditions on traditions which are based on traditions which are based on traditions, often with the initial tradition not being in full harmony with the Scriptures.

That is why Christians must always go back to sola scriptura, the authoritative Word of God, as the only solid basis for faith and practice.

On a practical matter, a frequent objection to the concept of sola scriptura is the fact that the canon of the Bible was not officially agreed upon for at least 250 years after the church was founded.

Further, the Scriptures were not available to the masses for over 1500 years after the church was founded.

How, then, were early Christians to use sola scriptura, when they did not even have the full Scriptures?

And how were Christians who lived before the invention of the printing press supposed to base their faith and practice on Scripture alone if there was no way for them to have a complete copy of the Scriptures?

This issue is further compounded by the very high rates of illiteracy throughout history. 

How does the concept of sola scriptura handle these issues?

The problem with this argument is that it essentially says that Scripture’s authority is based on its availability. 

This is not the case.

Scripture’s authority is universal; because it is God’s Word, it is His authority.

The fact that Scripture was not readily available, or that people could not read it, does not change the fact that Scripture is God’s Word.

Further, rather than this being an argument against sola scriptura, it is actually an argument for what the church should have done, instead of what it did.

The early church should have made producing copies of the Scriptures a high priority. 

While it was unrealistic for every Christian to possess a complete copy of the Bible, it was possible that every church could have some, most, or all of the Scriptures available to it.

Early church leaders should have made studying the Scriptures their highest priority so they could accurately teach it.

Even if the Scriptures could not be made available to the masses, at least church leaders could be well-trained in the Word of God.

Instead of building traditions upon traditions and passing them on from generation to generation, the Church should have copied the Scriptures and taught the Scriptures (2 Timothy 4:2).

Again, traditions are not the problem.

Unbiblical traditions are the problem. 

The availability of the Scriptures throughout the centuries is not the determining factor. 

The Scriptures themselves are the determining factor.

We now have the Scriptures readily available to us.

Through the careful study of God’s Word, it is clear that many church traditions which have developed over the centuries are in fact contradictory to the Word of God.

This is where sola scriptura applies.

Traditions that are based on, and in agreement with, God’s Word can be maintained.

Traditions that are not based on, and/or disagree with, God’s Word must be rejected. 

Sola scriptura points us back to what God has revealed to us in His Word. 

Sola scriptura ultimately points us back to the God who always speaks the truth, never contradicts Himself, and always proves Himself to be dependable.

Are you struggling with a big decision or wondering how your eternal future will play out?

Why not talk to the God of the universe and let Him work in your behalf?

He says, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you" - (Psalm 32:8).

Ask God to show you what to do. 

Pray the following prayer:

“Heavenly Father,

I admit that I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and begin a new life with You.

Please forgive me. I now receive your Son, Jesus Christ as my Savior, my Master and my Lord. I believe and confess that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose from the dead.

I want to receive all that Jesus Christ has provided for me as my Savior. Your Word says, ‘Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ - (Romans 10:13).

I believe and confess that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no man comes unto the Father, but by Him.

Lord Jesus, I pray and ask You, to come into my heart and be Lord of my life. I thank You that you have given me eternal life, and according to Your Word, I am born again.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit Who is in me now. I surrender my life to You. I promise to study Your Word – the Bible.

Use me for Your glory.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

GotQuestions.org is the primary site of Got Questions Ministries

Got Questions Ministries is an internet based ministry whose mission is to glorify God and reach people for Christ by providing biblical answers to spiritually-related questions.

GotQuestions.org

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"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 

"Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." - 1 Peter 2:9–10 English Standard Version

As we consider the Aaronic/Levitical priesthood, it is important to remember that although the tribe of Levi was set apart to perform the sacrifices and lead worship in the tabernacle and temple, God never intended the descendants of Levi to be the only priestly figures in the nation of Israel.

In fact, the Lord originally called His people out of bondage in Egypt so that the entire nation would serve Him as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” - (Exodus 19:1–6). 

The priestly institution itself was needed only because the sin of the people had not yet been finally dealt with, and an intermediary was required between Israel and God lest His holiness break out and destroy His sinful people (Exodus 19:24; Amos 5:6).

Only when the wickedness of Israel had finally been dealt with could the people of God truly become that nation of priests that requires no Levitical mediator between them and the Almighty. 

Having sanctified and perfected us in His Father’s sight forevermore through His offering of Himself (Hebrews 10:10–14), Christ Jesus has made all who are in Him the priesthood that God always intended His people to be. 

No longer need we rely on an intermediary who is a sinner like us; rather, the Lord has become the mediator between Himself and His own in the person of the God-man Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:15).

Peter explains in today’s passage that we are that royal priesthood who need none but Christ to stand between us and the Father (1 Peter 2:9–10). 

Martin Luther pointed out in his Babylonian Captivity of the Church that “all we who are Christians are priests,” and no believer has greater access to the Creator than any other. 

Pastors and elders are appointed to teach the church the will of God from His Word (1 Timothy 3:1–7), but they do not represent us before the heavenly throne like the Levitical priests did under the administration of the old covenant.

In Christ, there is a true priesthood of all believers. 

All of us who trust in Jesus alone for salvation have free access into His presence, and all of our lawful vocations are set apart for true God-honoring service.

The janitor who does his work to the Lord is in no worse position spiritually than the most gifted preacher on the planet, for all Christians have been declared righteous servants of the creator God.

Coram Deo
In our justification, God has declared us righteous in Christ through His blood. 

In our sanctification, God is working to make us righteous in what we do, say, think, and feel. 

As the Lord’s holy priesthood, we can be sure that His work to sanctify us is not in vain and that even though we might get discouraged at times, He will most certainly transform us into the holy priests He has designed us to be.

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 What Are the Five Solas?

The five solas were not exactly Reformation slogans, but they serve as a good summary of the Reformed faith. 

Neither Martin Luther nor John Calvin nor any other Protestant Reformer summarized his teachings in a tidy list including Scripture alone, Christ alone, faith alone, grace alone, to the glory of God alone. 

Taking flight in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this fivefold summary became the shorthand version of what is known as Reformed theology. 

While this description of the Reformed faith came later, it still captures well the core of the gospel in all its graciousness and Christ-centeredness, just as it is revealed in the Scriptures. 

These five solas show the glory of God’s gracious way of salvation in a way that sets the tone for true theology, resounding in how we think and live in this world.

Sola Scriptura

Theology must be Scripturally grounded. 

God’s life-giving speech reveals to us His salvation and calls us to faith and repentance. 

We were once darkness, but now we are light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8). 

Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers, lest they see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:4). 

Yet the God who commands light to shine out of darkness shines in our hearts, giving us the light “of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

God always does this by the Spirit working through the Word. 

The Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture, and He speaks through Scripture (Hebrews 3:7). 

The Scriptures teach us everything that we need to make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ and to be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:15–17). 

This is why those who do not speak according to the rule of Scripture have no light in them (Isaiah 8:20). 

Yet without the Spirit, even the Scriptures cannot help us. 

We are dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1–2), our minds and hearts are darkened (Ephesians 4:18; Romans 1:21), and we need someone to raise us from the dead and turn on the lights (Ephesians 5:14). 

If Scripture is sufficient to make us wise for faith and life in Christ, then Scripture alone can be our guide to walking with God. Everything else is both useless and superfluous. 

Yet we must be born of the Spirit in order to see God’s kingdom (John 3:5). 

Only through the Spirit working by and with the Scriptures in our hearts can we walk in the light with the God who is light (1 John 1:7).

Solus Christus

Theology must be Christ focused. We should believe everything Scripture teaches us because it is God’s Word (John 8:47). 

Christ is the main point of the Bible, and the whole Bible testifies to Him (John 5:39; Luke 24:27; 1 Peter 1:10–12). 

Without the Spirit, we could not receive God’s testimony in Scripture; without Christ, even God’s words cannot save us. 

Theology is Christ-focused because no one comes to the Father apart from Him (John 14:6) and because the Spirit seeks to glorify Him for our salvation (John 16:8–14). 

Jesus is truly God and truly man. He alone can reconcile God and man, killing animosity and creating friendship (Genesis 3:15). 

The Father is well pleased with His Son (Mark 1:11), and He is well pleased with us only when we are in the Son (Ephesians 1:6). 

Jesus alone can save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) because He alone is their Prophet revealing to them by His Word and Spirit the will of God for their salvation; He alone is their Priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice for them; and He alone is their King who subdues them to Himself, rules and defends them, and restrains and conquers all His and their enemies (Westminster Shorter Catechism 24–26). 

There is no fellowship with God apart from Christ, and we count all things loss compared to the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord (Philippians 3:8).

The five solas guard and clarify the gospel, mounting a friendly offensive attack on an unbelieving world, transforming Christ’s enemies into His friends.

Sola Fide

Theology must be faith driven. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). 

Like the empty hand of a beggar, faith reaches out to receive Christ. 

By faith, we believe that He who has promised is able to perform that which He promises (Romans 4:21). 

God will fulfill His purposes, but if we do not believe, then we will not be established (Isaiah 7:9; 45:17). 

Faith has no merit before God. We are justified by faith without the works of the law (Romans 3:28). 

We are not saved by good works but are saved for good works (Ephesians 2:8–10). 

Knowledge of Christ through Scripture, assent to these truths in our minds, and Spirit–wrought trust from our hearts characterize saving faith. 

We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20).

Sola Gratia

Theology must be grace-saturated. If we are saved by faith, then we are saved not by works but by grace alone (Romans 11:6). 

Grace is God’s generous disposition by which He lavishes us with good things that we do not deserve.

Everything we receive from God is by grace, from our daily bread to the final resurrection of our bodies (Psalm 145:8). 

The grace of God is vested in Christ and He alone gives saving grace to those whom the Father pities in His mercy (Psalm 103:13). 

This is why the Apostle Paul’s letters begin, “Grace and peace to you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2). 

The Holy Spirit teaches us through Scripture that salvation is by grace alone because salvation is by faith in Christ alone. 

Grace is not a sentimental idea leading us to ignore our sins, not caring how we live. 

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11–14).

Soli Deo Gloria

Theology must be God-dominated. Each of the three persons of the Trinity saves us in harmonious unity in a way that leads to worship all three divine persons.

We have fellowship with the Son in grace, with the Father in love, and with the Holy Spirit in strength and comfort (2 Corinthians 13:14; Acts 9:31). 

Because we have nothing that we have not received (1 Corinthians 4:7), we should do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17). 

We live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). 

If we should live to God’s glory, then should we not listen to the Spirit speaking in His Word, receiving God’s grace through faith alone in Christ, all to God’s glory alone?

Ultimately, the five solas are not merely a summary of Reformed theology. 

They guard and clarify the gospel, mounting a friendly offensive attack on an unbelieving world, transforming Christ’s enemies into His friends. 

The word alone is important in the solas. 

Alone secures the God-centered character of the gospel and of the Christian life. 

The five solas do not say all that needs to be said about true theology, faith, and life, but they are a good start and a clear guide to keep us on the right track.

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