Listen Up: Always Something To Learn

"...but the just shall live by his faith." Habakkuk 2:4

"...as it is written, the just shall live by faith." Romans 1:17

"...for, The just shall live by faith." Galatians 3:11

It would seem that for the average individual, we have a difficulty in listening. Sometimes I'll be in a conversation and then drift off into, "mitchell-land" and think about anything except what the talker is trying to convey to me. Then they ask for a response. Now this is where I get in trouble. I can try to bluff your way by saying something generic such as, "Ya i agree," hoping that the answer is sufficient and makes sense. The other option usually is the route of admitting that you haven't been listening, which sometimes doesn't work the best because you offend the speaker. Job 33:14 reminds us that, "God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man percieveth it not." Sometimes we don't listen to God when He is speaking to us. I'm glad that God reminds us three times in three different places that the just shall live by faith, while teaching us something different about His character in each scripture. It shows us the importance of listening to God each and everytime He speaks.

Habakkuk needed to be reminded that "the just shall live by his faith." He lived in a world where he thought nothing was making sense. Israel had sinned against God, but those that were more wicked than them were prospering as a result. I know I would be crying to the Lord just as Habakkuk, "This isn't right that these sinners are benefiting because they are wickeder then I am!" He needed to be reminded just like we do so many times that "the just shall live by his faith." God is always in complete control and has the complete ages from beginning to end in His scope (Revelation 21:6). It certainly is amazing to think of that. Being reminded of the greatness of God builds up our faith in him. The God we have faith in is revealed to us as the omniscient and omnipotent God, who was revealed to Abram as Almighty God (Genesis 17:1).

The church at Rome was told by Paul about the gospel of Christ being the power of God unto salvation to every one that believed (Romans 1:16). Faith in Christ transforms a life, changing one from an enemy of God to having peace with Him (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:16). By that same faith we can see how righteous God is. This present world does not glorify God as He deserves, but those who have believed can see the righteousness of God and how in the end He will uphold His own while revealing His wrath that abides on the sinner presently (Romans 1:18, John 3:36). Paul felt the need to remind these at Rome that "the just shall live by faith." The God we have faith in is revealed to us as the Lord our Righteousness, which is the name whereby the Lord will be called in the Millennium (Jeremiah 23:6).

The churches of Galatia had gone down the slippery slope of legalism to the point that they had been teaching that the law must be obeyed as a requirement for the saints to live as God would require them (Galatians 3:3). Paul refutes this, first by explaining how his gospel was received independently from Christ, but yet matching that of the other apostles (Galatians 1:1-17). Then he dives into the issue of justification by faith instead of by works (Galatians 2:16). Finally, Paul compares it through the example of Ishmael and Isaac: one born of bondage as the law, one of liberty as of the promise of God (Galatians 4:22-31). It is obviously the conclusion to God being one who is only pleased by faith (Hebrews 11:6) that "the just shall live by faith." The God we have faith in is revealed to us as one who has made us free by Christ (Galatians 5:1) and a God of promise who cannot lie (Titus 1:2), as was revealed to Abram (Genesis 12:1-3).

God often teaches us something from His word. Sometimes we might think that it's just more of the same thing but by these three examples where the same scripture is used, it is evidently seen that God can teach us something new with the same phrase at three different times. Truly we need to always listen to what God is trying to tell us because He loves to reveal to us new and wondrous things about Himself through His written word. Total dependence on God in our lives will open up a new avenue whereby God can teach the just who live by faith.