"THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH"

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"'But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul."

Hebrews 10:38,39
World English Bible

(1) THERE is a solemn significance about these words of the apostle which the thoughtful Christian will not fail to perceive. Those addressed are not worldly people, but consecrated believers, justified by faith in Christ as their Redeemer. By faith they have passed from death to life (John 5:24; Ephesians 2:1,5; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 3:14); to them old things have passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:3; Romans 6:4,8); they are new creatures in Christ Jesus; they are sons and heirs of God, some of whom also become joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:14,17; Galatians 3:26,29; 4:3-6), following in his footsteps of self-sacrifice, even to death. (Revelation 12:11) These are begotten again to a hope of life (eternal), to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away -- an inheritance, however, into which they are not immediately ushered, but which is reserved in heaven for them. -- 1 Peter 1:3,4

(2) The promises of God made to the consecrated are exceeding great and precious, and if they are really believed they cannot fail to powerfully influence the life; but if they are not received, it is manifest that they can have no power over the life. (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4; Acts 17:11; Colossians 1:3-5) And more, if they be not fully believed, if they be not personally appropriated, they are not applicable, and no one can hope for anything in them. (Matthew 13:18-23) This is clearly intimated in the above words of the Apostle -- "The righteous will live by faith." It is not enough that, by faith, we receive the first impulse of life, but, having passed from death unto life, by the same means, we must continue to receive and appropriate spiritual nourishment, that we may grow thereby: we must walk by faith, following the leading of the holy spirit through the Word of Truth. -- 2 Peter 1:5-9.

(3) In this way of faith there is much in the way of present privilege, as well as future prospect. It is the way in which consecrated Christians may enjoy the fellowship and the abiding presence of their Lord Jesus and their Heavenly Father, in which they may have intimate personal communion with them, and in which they may also have received the spirit of adoption and continued acceptance as sons of God, and the comfort of the Scriptures, the communion of saints, and the blessed inspiration, assistance and encouragement of all the means of grace. (Luke 18:29,30; Romans 5:1,2; 8:14,15; Galatians 4:5,6; Hebrews 12:7; 1 Thessalonians 5:11) These present privileges, together with the glorious hopes they inspire and keep alive within the Christian, are the food which they have to eat which the world knows nothing of, enabling them to live a new life apart from the world -- apart from its spirit and its fellowship. (John 4:32-34; 17:14.16; Romans 8:18; 1 Corinthians 1:7,8,10; 3:22,23) This is what it is to walk by faith. It signifies a course of life quite contrary to the usual order of the world, which is to walk by sight and after the desires of the flesh. Men of the world look at the things that are seen: they judge of their relative values, but only with reference to temporal interests, entirely ignoring their eternal interests and the claims of the Creator upon them. Lacking faith in the divine Word, they lack substantial hope beyond the present; and upon their own judgment of the relative values of present earthly prizes and their hopes of winning them, they exercise themselves in their pursuit, leaving the questions of the future and of present responsibility to God practically out of consideration.

(4) But this is not so with the true child of God. He walks by faith and not by sight: he does not look for the things that are seen, but for the things that are unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18), ever bearing in mind that the things that are seen are temporal, uncertain and unsatisfactory, while the things that are unseen are eternal, sure to the faithful, and of inestimable value. (James 1:11) He is living, not for the present, but for the future -- for the things revealed to the eye of faith in the promises of God, all of which are 'yes' and 'amen' in Christ Jesus, to them that believe. (1 Corinthians 1:20; Hebrews 6:11,12) In this life of faith the motives, hopes, aims, ambitions and joys are all of a higher, nobler order than those of the world; but they are such as depend entirely upon faith. (Hebrews 10:23; 1 John 2:15) If the Christian's faith be overthrown he must of necessity to that extent cease to live the life of faith; that is, he will cease to be actuated by the same motives, etc., which his faith previously inspired. And if, through unfaithfulness, his spiritual vision has become dim, so that he can no longer see or rightly estimate the value of spiritual things, the world, the flesh and the devil are still busy presenting allurements and deceptions to lead him farther and farther away from God, in whose favor alone is life.

(5) Weariness in the endeavor to do good and desire for the rewards of unfaithfulness -- approval of the world -- are first steps in drawing back from the way of faith and also from the favor of God. (Galatians 6:9;1 Timothy 1:19) In the light of our text, this drawing back is a most serious matter. The intimation of verse 39 is that it is a drawing back unto perdition, destruction --"'But the righteous will live by faith. If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul."

(6) The drawing back may at first be a very slight departure from the narrow way of sacrifice -- only a looking back, perhaps, with a sigh for the things behind, a little slowing up of speed in the race set before us; then a little disposition to compromise the truth in favor of the cravings of the fallen nature. Thus the way is prepared for the arts of the tempter, who is quick to note our weak points, and to take advantage of them in a manner best suited to our case. Subtle errors are brought to bear against the judgment; pleasing allurements, with a show of righteousness, are presented to the fleshly mind; and, almost imperceptibly, the soul forgets its 'first love' for the Lord, and its first zeal in his service, and drifts away from the truth and the spirit of it, being no longer led of the holy spirit of God. Thus Peter warns us to sober, watchful, firm in faith in order to resist the wiles of Satan. -- Revelation 2:4; 1 Peter 5:8,9; 2 Peter 2:13-22.

(7) Few indeed are the children of God who have never been tempted in this direction; for all who have been begotten of the holy spirit have the treasure of the new mind in sinful earthly vessels, and between the new mind and the sinful flesh there is a constant warfare; and only by continued vigilance can the new mind keep the flesh in abeyance. (Galatians 5:16-24) In the wearisome life-long struggle we often need our Father's disciplining hand to guide and keep us in the way. "What son is there whom his father doesn't discipline?" (Hebrews 12:7, World English Bible) By instruction, discipline, experience, he leads us on, and if at heart our disposition is to be led of the spirit -- to gratefully receive the instruction, humbly accept the discipline, and meekly profit by the experience, then will Yahweh have pleasure in leading us on from grace to grace and from victory unto victory. (Psalm 94:12; Proverbs 3:11,12; 1 Corinthians 11:32; 2 Corinthians 6:9) To merely stand and battle on the defensive is very wearisome, and gains no victory. To gain the victory we must not only put on the armor of God, but we must be heroes in the strife, and wage an aggressive warfare upon the strong desires of the eye, flesh, pride of life and all the foes of righteousness and purity. (Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 John 2:16) Love--love for Yahweh, for Jesus, for the truth, for brothers in Christ, for righteousness, for our neighbors, and yes, for enemies -- must inspire us, or we shall never be victors. (Matthew 22:37-39; Luke 6:27-36; John 14:21; 15:20; Hebrews 10:12; 1 John 3:11,16,23; 4:20,21) A strong, steadfast love will keep us faithful even to death, and make us suitable for use by the Master in the Kingdom. (1 Corinthians 13:1-8,13; 2 Timothy 2:21-23) When fervent love rules in the heart it implies that the heart is fully submitted to Yahweh, and that means that nine-tenths of the battle is already won. (1 Peter 4:8) But even then, as the apostle says (Jude 21), we must keep ourselves in the love of God, in watchfulness and prayer and zeal; and grace will abound where love abounds. -- Mark 14:28; 1 Thessalonians 3:12,13; 5:5-11.

(8) In such faithful obedience to the truth, and earnest endeavor to conform to its principles, the way and the truth grow more and more precious, and our willing feet with joy are led in the paths of righteousness and peace -- into life everlasting.

(9) The life of faith is an individual matter, as well of the heart as of the head. It is far more than an acceptance of doctrines which we consider Scriptural and therefore true; it is more so the assimilation of that which we have proved to be the principles of righteousness and truth, so that its principles become our principles, and its promises our inspiration. (Psalm 4:3-5; Proverbs 2:1-10; Romans 6:13) This is what it is to "believe to the saving of the soul." '"As many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God." And however we may realize our insufficiency of ourselves to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil in this seemingly unequal contest, let us remember, for our encouragement, that he who has begun a good work in us will carry it on to completion, if we humbly submit ourselves to his leading and discipline. Our Lord's promise is that he will not suffer us to be tempted beyond what we are able to endure. Let us hold fast our faith and our confidence in his sure word of promise--hold the truth in righteousness and faithfulness, and we shall not be of them who draw back and mind earthly things.

---------Adapted from article in ZWT, 4/15/1895, page 92; Reprints - R1798

See also:
[Building on the Right Foundation of Faith]
[The Present Advantages of Faith]

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