Sayre Woods Bible Church

Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:20-22)

In chapter three, Paul made clear that a person is made right before God through faith in God and not through their own works or good deeds. In chapter four, he illustrates his point by pointing to the life of Abraham.

Genesis 15:6 says that “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” God promised Abraham a multitude of descendants even though at the time Abraham didn’t have a child and Sarah and he were past the age of child-bearing. Yet Abraham believed in God. He trusted God’s promise. He believed God’s power. And God saw Abraham’s faith and declared Abraham to be righteous. Abraham was made right before God through faith.

What is faith? I like the definition given in Romans 4:21–”being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” Faith is knowing the promise of God, knowing the power of God, and being “fully persuaded” that God can and will accomplish His promise.

In Christ, God promises us the forgivenss of sins, the resurrection of the body, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and an eternal, abundant life. Faith is being fully persuaded that God can and will accomplish this promise in us.

Thus, walking by faith means that, despite our circumstances, we walk in confidence that God has power to accomplish His promises. What are some of God’s promises?

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

What promises encourage your heart? Walk by faith today being fully persuaded that God has power to do what He has promised.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. (2 Peter 1:3-4).

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-24).

There is so much in these four verses. Basically the whole message of redemption is summed up here. The big question of Scripture (since Adam’s sin in Genesis 3) is “how is a person made right before God?” How is the separation from God removed and “right-ness” restored? Paul tells us in these verses.

1. Righteousness comes from God. It does emerge from within ourselves. Paul says that this is the message of the “Law and the Prophets.” All of Scripture is telling us that if we are going to get right with God then God must take the initiative.   

2. Righteousness comes apart from the law. We cannot be made right before God by simply trying to obey the law. Why? Because we cannot perfectly obey the law. We all stumble. As Paul says in Romans 3:20, the purpose of God’s law (the Ten Commandments and other moral laws) is not to make us righteous but to reveal that we are not righteous! Who can say that they have never lied or coveted or taken God’s name lightly or dishonored their parents or loved some other object more than God? No one…if they are honest and not lying to themselves. We are all guilty. We all fall short. We are all in the same boat–sinning against God and falling short of His glory, His character.

3. Righteousness is given freely through faith in Jesus Christ. I love Romans 3:24. Most people know Romans 3:23–”all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”–but verse 24 is more unknown. That’s a shame. Both verses need to be memorized together. We have all sinned. We all stand condemned before God. But we all can be justified (made right) before God through the free, overflowing grace of God provided in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Four words stand out to me in these verses. “There is no difference” (3:22). Despite all our different nationalities, languages, personalities, gender, social status, upbringing, actions, likes, dislikes, etc., we are really all the same. We are all sinners. We all fall short. We all cannot save ourselves. And we are all loved by God and freely offered redemption through Jesus Christ. There is no room for pride. No room for bigotry or self-righteousness. We all need grace.

LORD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE!

Behold, the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith. (2:4)

Habakkuk asks God, “How can You judge one nation with another nation that is less righteous than it?” (1:12-17) Habakkuk is so eager for a reply that he sits on the walls of Jerusalem and waits for God’s answer. I like how the NKJV puts it: I will “watch and see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am reproved” (2:1). In other words, Habakkuk was waiting for God’s answer and expecting a reproof from God for asking such a bold question.

God replies in 2:2-20. His answer could be summed up in two statements:

1. God will judge the proud and the wicked. Nations may fight and gain land. Leaders may rise up and gain power. But in the end, “The nations weary themselves in vain. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (2:14). To use a football analogy…the enemy may have one or two good plays during the game, but in the end they will lose. God and His people will prevail.

2. The just shall live by faith. This is one of the most important statements in the Bible. In fact, it is quoted by Paul in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 as the cornerstone of the gospel. Deliverance and life come through faith in God. We are delivered by faith. And we are to walk by faith. In the context of Habakkuk, God is saying, “You may not understand My ways, but you are to trust My grace.”

Many times in our lives we question God. We do not understand His ways. We do not see what He is doing. We ask the perennial question of man–”Why?” Sometimes God gives us an answer; sometimes He does not. Sometimes He gives an answer and we still do not understand. But in the end we have to make a choice–do I trust Him or not?

The same is true with my children. Sometimes they simply do not understand why I ask them to do something or why I allow a nurse to give them shots or why I hold them down while a doctor puts stitches in their head. In the midst of their confusion and pain, they simply have to trust my love. That’s their only option.

God is good and He loves us. That simple truth is what carries us through difficult times.

Today begins our reading of the OT prophet, Habakkuk. Habakkuk prophesied around 610 BC, just a few years before the southern kingdom of Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians (~606BC).

How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but You do not listen? Or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save? Why do You show me iniquity and cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; there is strife, and contention arises. (1:2-3)

Habakkuk was a man who had questions for God–”Why, Lord? Are You there? Are You listening?” Habakkuk lived in a time when his nation of Judah was sinking lower and lower into immorality. Violence was everywhere. Greed was rampant. Conflict and strife abounded. And people were sinning out in the open. (Sound familiar?) Yet in the midst of all this God seemed to be silent. Judah was God’s people yet God seemed to be oblivious to their sin. Habakkuk cannot fathom this. “God, why don’t You act? Why are You allowing me to see all of this?”

Habakkuk was privileged to hear God answer his questions. And God’s answer was not what Habakkuk was expecting (1:5-11). Basically God said, “Oh, I see Judah’s sin and here is what I am doing about it. I am raising up the nation of Babylon and giving them more and more power so that they will eventually come down and destroy Judah.”

Whoa. Habakkuk wanted an answer but he did not want that one. He probably wanted God to remove the evil leaders in Judah from power and restore righteousness. Instead God promised judgment from a godless nation. It would be equivalent to God telling us in America today, “I see America’s wickedness and that is why I am raising up the Islamic nations/groups to judge your nation.”

Wouldn’t you have a problem with that? Habakkuk did. That is why he responds to God in 1:12-16. “Wait a minute, God. I know You are holy and must judge sin but how can You use an even more wicked nation to judge a less wicked nation? I mean we are bad but not that bad! Plus if You let this more wicked nation succeed all it will cause them to do is give credit to their false gods and to their own strength.”

God’s answer to this second question is contained in chapter two. Make sure you read it ;>).

Habakkuk 1 reminds me of two things:

1) God is okay with our questions, as long as they are questions from a heart open to answers. Sometimes our questions flow from a stubborn, prideful, cynical heart. God does not honor such questions. But sometimes our questions flow from a sincere heart that simply does not understand God’s ways. God honors these kinds of questions and even invites them. The Psalms are filled with them. When we struggle with God, it shows that we are spiritually alive and seeking to apply our faith in a sin-cursed world. God always prefers questions and struggles of faith over apathy and indiffference.

2) God’s answers aren’t always what we are looking for. Let’s be honest, we have questions for God and we want His answers to be to our liking. But God’s ways are higher than our ways and sometimes His answers cause us to ask more questions! It is like my kids. They ask me a question and when I give them an answer they don’t like, they go and seek a second opinion. “Mom, can we do this?” I guess that’s human nature. We really don’t want an answer, we want someone to agree with us. The amazing thing is that even in this situation, God is gracious enough to listen to us and gently guide us into His truth. That’s the theme of chapter two.

God, thank You for Your grace! Thank You for hearing me in my struggles. Help me to hear Your answer and trust You even when I do not understand.