Righteous Live by Faith

All Praise to the Triune God.

A passenger ship was sailing in the mid-ocean through the night in a very violent rainstorm and
hurricane. The rolling and pitching of the ship was to the highest degree, creating terror in the
minds of the passengers about a horrible shipwreck. The frightened passengers noted that a little
girl, seemed to be at perfect peace. The adult passengers couldn't figure out why the little girl
was so calm during all this excitement. One of them asked her, "How is that you can be so calm
when all the rest of us are so worried about what might or could happen?" The little passenger
smiled and said, "My father is the Captain." Nothing worries her as she trusts in her father.

"The one who is righteous will live by faith" Romans 1:17. This expression sometimes means
God's eternal and essential righteousness, which includes both justice and mercy, and is
eminently shown in condemning sin, and yet justifying the sinner. We can interpret this verse in
another way, 'If there is no faith, the righteousness is not sufficient for to live. Yet another way,
faith brings righteousness; but righteousness not the faith. Where this faith comes from? In the
same Epistle St. Paul says that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
Romans 10:17. Accordingly, we can acknowledge that faith is generated by the word of God. If
there is no 'word of God, there is no faith'.

In this context, I invite your attention to three other instances in the Scriptures where the same
point is discussed. Prophet Habakkuk says, "See, the enemy is puffed up; his desires are not
upright; but the righteous person will live by his faithfulness" - chapter 2 verse 4. Here the
prophet says that the pride man's desires are not just, whereas the righteous will live by his faith
in God. These words are part of the consolatory answer which prophet Habakkuk receives in the
stress of the Chaldean invasion of Judah. Though his irresistible hosts sweep over the land, the
prophet says 'the righteous man who puts his trust in God shall live'. St. Paul was quoting
prophet Habakkuk in Romans 1:17, in Galatians 3:11 and in Hebrews 10:38. He refers this
Scripture where he was discussing what is faith in God and what is the result of such faith. We
can even think that St. Paul could not find a more apt expression to explain the importance of
faith in God. He is emphasizing the idea that righteousness by faith is for both Jews and Gentiles
when he says, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith" in the
preceding part; it is the faith in God. Paul stresses that we are justified or made right before God
by faith. The Law has no ability or not sufficient to justify anyone. As Habakkuk had recorded,
people have always been saved by faith.

St. Paul here means, as the following chapters of Romans and the other epistles reveals, that
God’s righteousness comes to us, not on the basis of the works of the Law of Moses or any other
set of religious works but on the basis of our faith in Christ’s atonement. It is a living faith and it
continually brings us to holy behaviour. And he explains in detail how this faith has worked for
the redemption of Old Testament fathers in their daily life, in their agonies, in their struggle etc,
in Hebrews chapter 11.

Paul Lee Tan, a bible preacher and author, in his book Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations refers a
third century Rabbi, who noted that, 'Moses gave 365 prohibitions and 248 positive commands.
David reduced them to eleven commands in Psalms 15; Isaiah made them six in chapter 33
verses 14 and15; Micah bound them into three in chapter 6 verse 8; and Habakkuk condensed
them all to one, namely - “The righteous shall live by faith”. And this is what St. Paul quotes
when he speaks about faith.

Is faith so important in our life? Let us see what Jesus says. "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to
sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail." Luke
chapter 22, verses 31 and 32. Jesus prayed to upkeep the faith of His disciples, He never wanted
His disciples to fail in their faith. And this point was very well acknowledged by St. Paul when
he says, "And without faith it is impossible to please God" in Hebrew chapter 11 verse 6.

As I have mentioned earlier, righteousness is somewhat the fruit of faith. Scripture says, "Surely
the righteous will never be shaken" Psalms 112:6. In the scriptural context, we can also say that
'the faithful will never be shaken'. And this is what we have seen in the story of the little girl, in
the beginning. She had strong faith in her father that he was capable to handle the situation
smoothly and efficiently and that made her not shaking. Nothing bothered the faithful daughter.
This is how the faith works.

Let me conclude by mentioning the strength of faith, as Jesus said: "Truly I tell you, if you have
faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it
will move" Matthew 17:20. If a mustard seed size faith can perform such a miracle, what
wonderful things a real faith can bring in our lives?