Justification by Faith: It's a Matter of Life and Death
by Jimmy Humphrey
There have been few doctrines that have been more hotly disputed, nor few doctrines that have been so heavily defended, as the doctrine of justification by faith. It is not the purpose of this essay to give a full survey of the ins & outs of this doctrine as contained within the Scriptures, nor is it the purpose of this essay to survey the historical arguments for or against this doctrine. Rather, the purpose of this essay is simply to show how where one stands in regard to this doctrine is a matter of life and death. In order to understand why this is the case, we will now turn to one of the greatest passages cited as proof of this doctrine, and attempt to understand how Paul was stating something that was more than a mere theological truth that was being used to formulate part of some abstract doctrine.
Justification by Faith Alone
Paul was interested in visiting the Church in Rome while on his way to Spain, so as to preach the gospel where he had yet to preach it, and obtain some fruit from the Gentiles there. Being that he was the "the apostle to the Gentiles," such was a fitting thing that he sought to do, as Rome was the capital of everything Gentile. However, before coming he wished to establish the credibility of his ministry with the Roman Church, and he did so by setting forth the gospel that he had been preaching.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (NASB)
Starting in Romans 1:16, Paul explains that he is not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the very power of God for the salvation of whosoever should believe it. Since, as Jesus said, "Salvation is of the Jews," (John 4:22) the apostle Paul states that there is a Jewish priority in regard to the gospel-- it is "to the Jew first." But, while the Jews have priority in regard to the gospel message, Paul wants his Roman readers to understand that the Gentiles also are included as intended recipients of God's saving message-- it is "also to the Greek". For God had said to Abraham, "In you all the families of the earth will be blessed." (Genesis 12:3) Thus, while God gave priority to bestowing blessing upon Abraham, it was for the purpose that he would "be a blessing," (Genesis 12:2) and that "blessing" is to be found in nothing less than the saving power of the gospel message itself, which has come also to the Gentiles.
Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."
The gospel message, Paul says, expresses the very righteousness of God in each individual who has faith in the God who saves. One might ask, how does God demonstrate His righteousness through the faith of the individual? He does so by showing that all of our good works amount for nothing, and that He alone is able to do anything for us so that we might be saved. As Paul goes on to demonstrate in the next couple chapters of Romans, all of mankind is in need of saving, because all of mankind has sinned and fallen short of the God's glory. Man finds himself in a predicament in which he can do nothing to save himself, for it is his very self that is the problem to begin with. Crippled by his sin, man is unable to pull himself out of the very grave he has dug.
Thus, all the good he might attempt to do will forever amount to nothing of saving value. Mankind is sold to the sentence of death, whereby if there is any hope for him to escape the judgment that is to come, the way of escape must be offered through Another. Thus, Paul goes on to argue in Romans 5 that the accomplishments of Jesus Christ alone have salvific value. As important as good works are, and as important as a repentant heart is, these things can do nothing to bring about justification with God. We are not saved through personal obedience to God's law, for as Paul makes abundantly clear: "through one act of righteousness there resulted justification." (Romans 5:18) There is only one act of righteousness that merits salvation in God's sight, and that was the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Therefore, since it was "through the obedience of the One" that salvation was made possible (Romans 5:19), God's righteousness is demonstrated "from faith to faith." (Romans 5:17) For faith agrees with what God has done in Christ, and confesses that all our good works amount to nothing more than "filthy rags," which are unable to do what Christ has done. All our works will never do what the "one act" did. When there is only one act that matters, there is room for nothing else but faith. Not faith plus works, not faith plus circumcision, not faith plus water baptism, not faith plus paying tithes, not faith plus tongue talking, but rather, faith plus nothing. It is by faith, and faith alone.
Why It's a Matter of Life and Death
Having quickly established the doctrine of justification by faith alone from Romans, I would like to examine a little closer a quote Paul makes from Habakkuk 2:4. This quote found in Romans 1:17, "But the righteous man shall live by faith," has a significant background that I believe often gets overlooked. Indeed, once one understands the context that this utterance by Habakkuk was made in, one will see why this issue is a matter of life and death. And once that is seen, one will understand why Paul went to such great lengths to make sure that no notions of works based salvation ever entered the gospel message.
Habakkuk is a little known prophet from the Old Testament who lived a generation or two before the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 B.C. In his book, Habakkuk is troubled by the injustice and lawlessness that abounds in Judah, and how unrighteousness just seems to flourish everywhere. While making a lamentation to the Lord, God suddenly answers Habakkuk with a startling message: The vicious Chaldean army will soon be raised up to bring about the destruction of Jerusalem. Protesting, Habakkuk argues with God that such is simply unfair. As wicked as Judah is, the Babylonians are far more wicked. Indeed, they are so wicked that they ignorantly make an idol out of the weapons of their warfare, and offer sacrifices to them. Surely God will not use such a people to judge His own people, would He?
In response the Lord says:
Record the vision, and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)
The Lord reaffirms His message to Habakkuk: Judah will be punished. He says the time has not yet come for this punishment, but be sure, the time is coming. The prophet is thus ordered by the Lord to write this message down on stone for future generations to read, so that the one who reads it in the day of God's judgment may run for his very life. Indeed, for that generation this word will literally become a matter of life and death. The prophecy continues:
Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by His faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)
There is hope for the one living in the land when the day of judgment finally does come. His life will be saved, but it will be saved only by faith. For the day was coming when armies would surround Jerusalem and cast a violent siege against it, and flood the land with an unstoppable army that consists of violent savages who have an appetite that is never satisfied. With this in mind, the only hope one could have for his life to be saved in those days, so as to allow him to be saved from the impending slaughter, is to ultimately trust in the Lord by faith alone, for salvation.
Indeed, as history unfolded, Judah tried many different ways to avert the impending doom. Various political alliances were formed, many radical actions were taken by the people, and many animal sacrifices were made in the temple. Yet, none of these acts secured the salvation of God's people from the Babylonian army. Finally the day came when Babylon would lay a final siege against Jerusalem, surrounding the city with her armies, making it impossible for the people to come out of the city to get food. The siege lasted two years, and after the food supply ran out, many people were reduced to cannibalism. It is in this context that the words of Habakkuk were to be realized. For in those days, the way of salvation would be by faith, and faith alone. For faith, in those days, is all that they would have had to live on. There simply would be no room for works.
Conclusion
It is the context of Habakkuk's oracle, that Paul quotes from, which formed the underlying argument he would assert in his epistle to the Romans for justification by faith. Salvation is by faith, and faith alone. Just as no amount of works could save the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the judgment that was to come, so it is the same for us, that no amount of good works can save us from the judgment that is to come. Judgment is coming, and it cannot be averted. Therefore, the only thing that can save one from the wrath that is to come is faith, and faith alone.
The role faith played in salvation, as Habakkuk and Paul understood it, was more than just as a mere mental ascent that was part of some magical salvation formula. Rather, to them, faith was a radical disposition and trust in the Lord alone for salvation. He alone can save. For Habakkuk's readers, to miss it here would spell certain death. But to genuinely grasp it would mean life. Let us therefore understand, to miss what the apostle Paul said here spells certain death. But to genuinely grasp it will mean certain life. This truly is then, a matter of life and death. The just shall live by faith.