Faith to Faith
"The righteous shall live by faith."
What does this statement mean? Good question. The reference connecting a righteous life to faith is found at least two times in scripture. The first instance is in the Old Testament, where the prophet Habakkuk includes the reference in his prophetic book to the nation of Israel. The second reference is in the New Testament book of Romans, a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. To understand more clearly what "The righteous shall live by faith" means, let's closely examine these two instances.
First, let's check out Habakkuk 2:4. We only know a little about the minor prophet, Habakkuk. We do have his prophetic book and understand he lived about 600 years before Christ (600 BC) when the nation of Israel went into captivity in Babylon. In fact, Habakkuk's writing references the Chaldeans (Babylonians) specifically. While connecting righteousness and faith, the prophet compared a person whose "soul is puffed up" with the righteous who live according to their faith. Habakkuk's book exemplifies the "puffed up soul" in a conqueror who is arrogant and greedy, who "gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples." This aptly describes Nebuchadnezzar, the self-proclaimed "king of kings" and ruler of the Babylonian empire.
Habakkuk's reference to the righteous living by faith contradicts the life of a haughty, self-absorbed conqueror. Within this comparison, we understand the prophet's intent to clearly delineate what a righteous life looks like and what a life detached from faith looks like. The fact that a person lives righteously, preferably interpreted outside of a religious connotation, means that their faith determines their conduct.
Our righteousness is as filthy rags. But our Savior, Jesus Christ, gives us His righteousness and in Hiim we have right standing with God.
The prophet Isaiah points out that all human righteousness is "as filthy rags." The Apostle Paul trumpets Isaiah's claim and states, "None is righteous, no, not one." So we know Habakkuk, who spoke God's word as a prophet, was not talking about a perfectly upright life when referencing "the righteous." Instead, he was speaking of those who, due to their faith in God, live according to God's precepts and instructions. They are righteous, not because they are holy, but because they love God. Habakkuk describes a relationship between righteousness and faith whereby a righteous life is demonstrated through living out one's faith. This life will be the antithesis of a prideful, selfish life.
Fast forward to Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. This writing was penned around fifty-eight years after Jesus died and rose again (58 AD). The statement "The righteous shall live by faith" is found in Romans 1:17. Paul directly quotes Habakkuk in this scripture. The Apostle admonishes the reader on the usefulness and validity of the Gospel, and he finishes his statement with Habakkuk's original statement on righteousness and faith. So, in the book of Romans, the author interjects the statement of righteous living by faith to support his claim that the Gospel has the "power of God for salvation for everyone who believes." "Who believes" may be considered interchangeable with "has faith" in this instance.
Paul's use of the statement connecting righteous living and faith appears to be related to God's righteousness revealed in the Gospel. This righteousness is available to those who have faith unto salvation. Paul takes Habakkuk's reference a step further. He is not talking about living right. Paul is describing a state of being, and for obvious reasons, he would. Remember, Paul is writing after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This event opened up a new understanding of the Messiah and God's plan through the law, prophets, and Jesus' mission. Before Jesus did what He did, everyone - including those closest to Jesus - did not understand His mission. It was a revelation that He would sacrifice Himself. It was crazy to think that would happen. But now it had happened, and Paul understood the implications. Righteousness is available to all but only through the blood of Jesus. Righteousness was no longer living right. Now, true righteousness, the righteousness of God, was available to sinners, but faith was required.
This entirely changed the human perspective on the statement, "The righteous shall live by faith." Before Jesus, people were limited to understanding righteousness from a human standpoint. The most righteous among us was a standard by which we marked righteousness. This may include bible figures like Abraham, Moses, and Elijah. Whomever it was, they would live according to their faith. But after Jesus, our viewpoint was lifted to the Godly dimensions, and now this man who stood before us represented the righteousness of God. Through faith in Him and the sacrifice He made, His righteousness can be our covering, along with the right to be called "the children of God."
So now, the righteous must live according to faith. There is no righteousness without faith. After Jesus, it is understood that righteousness is achieved through faith in the atoning sacrifice of God's only Son. There is no righteousness outside this, and faith in anything else is futile.