Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 2809
“The just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:4.
“The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17.
“The just shall live by faith” “Now the just shall live by faith.”
Galatians 3:11. Hebrews 10:38.
THE fact that these words are so frequently found in the Word of God is a sufficient justification for often preaching from them. There seems to be, among certain preachers and hearers, some sort of question about preaching more than once from the same text, yet it would appear that this is by no means a wrong practice, but a most proper one. Indeed, our Lord Jesus Christ may be thought to have preached the same sermon more than once, for the Sermon on the Mount contains many passages similar to those uttered by Him on other occasions. The Apostle Paul imitated his Master’s example when he wrote to the Philippians, “To write the same things to you, to me, indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” We need not hesitate to follow such leaders as these!
As the Truth of God contained in our texts is so often brought before us in the Scriptures—and is revealed at least four times in almost the same words—we ought to regard it as of the greatest imaginable importance, as indeed it is. A mistake upon this subject would be a mistake concerning life—for we are told, again and again, “The just shall live by faith”—and a mistake concerning life is a vital mistake and will be a fatal mistake to those who make it unless it is corrected and rectified by a power higher than their own. Therefore, we ought to give most earnest heed to that which lies near to the very heart of true religion and which is, indeed, its very life. To the Believer, faith is of the utmost importance. He should endeavor not to lose any of his Divine Graces—he should seek, by the power of the blessed Spirit, neither to lose patience, nor hope, nor love, nor any other Grace or virtue. But still, the root of true religion is faith, so he must first of all see to that. If we fail in faith, we shall fail everywhere. I might almost say of faith, with regard to religion, that it is like the heart, out of which are the issues of life. If faith is weak, we are weak all over—for service, for suffering, for everything! But when faith is strong, it imparts strength to all the members of the spiritual body and the whole spiritual manhood is full of vigor. So, my Brother, or Sister, see first and foremost to your faith! May God the Holy Spirit graciously strengthen it and may our consideration of these four texts tend to the same end!
First, in the great change from condemnation to justification, these words are true—“The just shall live by faith.” And, secondly, using a very wide term to take in all the rest of our daily life—in reference to what we have been accustomed to call sanctification—these words are also true—“The just shall live by faith.” It is the same life all the way through, and the same method of living that life, namely, “by faith.”
I. First, then, IN THE GREAT CHANGE FROM CONDEMNATION TO JUSTIFICATION, these words are true—“The just shall live by faith.”
We all need to be delivered from the condemnation which is our due because of sin. When a man’s conscience is awakened to see the fearful penalty which he has incurred by his transgressions, he cries out for someone to rescue him from the death which looms before him as the result of his condemnation. He begins to seek a way of escape and he tries all
sorts of ways and runs in them with great perseverance, earnestness and self-denial—but he makes a mistake as to every way of escape until he comes to this way—“The just shall live by faith.”
This is the famous text which was the means of the emancipation of the soul of Martin Luther. I have stood at the bottom of the Santa Scala, or Holy Staircase, at Rome, which is superstitiously believed to be the very one down which the Savior came from Pilate’s Hall. I have never gone up those stairs because no one may go up them except upon his knees and I would not do that. But I have walked up and down the steps by the side of them. There are certain holes cut in the wooden floor which encases the marble staircase and that wooden floor has been worn away many times by the pilgrims’ knees. There are places cut—where the priests say that the blood of Jesus fell—in order to enable the poor votaries of superstition to kiss the spot where the blood drops fell. I have seen scores of men and women going up that staircase on their bended knees, for they are told that there are great indulgences to be obtained by crawling up those stairs! Luther was doing this, for he had gone to Rome determined to get rid of his sins, if possible, and while he was in the middle of that slavish toil, seeking to gain everlasting life by his penances, this text came into his mind—he had read it in the Bible in the monastery—“The just shall live by faith”—and, to the astonishment of those who looked on, he rose from his knees, never to go up the Santa Scala any more in that fashion!