We live by faith when we make decision that don’t follow popular culture, don’t look like the world, and put us at the end of ridicule. Even the way we pray is an indication of whether we place our faith in God or ourselves. Here we see the perfect example of one who think he is justified by his own righteousness, and the one who lives by faith in God, knowing that his righteousness could never, ever be enough. The comparison of one who lives by faith versus the self-righteousness reminds us of the parable taught by Jesus in Luke 18. This chapter in Habakkuk held great meaning to early believers, and continues to hold meaning for us today. Other popular verses are Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea,” and Habakkuk 2:20, “The LORD is in his holy temple let all the earth be silent before him.” This chapter contains verses that are well known to many, and quoted often, such as Habakkuk 2:4 itself. How Can the Just (or Righteous) Live by Faith? Rather, it is for us to live by faith that God is righteous, holy, and that his actions in our lives, no matter how fair or unfair they may seem, do not change the fact of who he is and that he is ultimately perfect and good. It is not our place to decide whether we are good or bad in his sight. In Habakkuk we see God saying that it is not our place to decide what God should or should not do. As long as we feel we are doing better than that other person, then we are okay and God surely will not punish us. The point is that we can quickly become self-righteous by judging ourselves not by the righteousness of God, but by the actions of others. ![]() ![]() No matter how unrighteous or unfaithful Judah had become, what could justify this? Why would God allow this? They will argue that Babylon is a nation “who piles up stolen goods” ( v.6), “plundered many nations” ( v.8), “builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by injustice” ( v.12). Here, the Lord details that Judah will assume that it is unfair and illogical that a nation far worse than they are should conquer them. The majority of Habakkuk 2 consists of the Lord speaking to the prophet Habakkuk. It addresses the imminent future invasion of the Babylonian army, and the subsequent fall and exile of the Kingdom of Judah. ![]() The book of Habakkuk is unique in that it is written in a poetic fashion, and documents a conversation between Habakkuk and God. Yet the Bible clearly teaches that we are not to seek attention, applause, or anything that might puff us up, but rather we are to live by faithfulness to God and one another. It is an easy trap to fall into, and we are all just a social post away from it ourselves. We are trying to prove that we are right, and others are not. It’s almost as if we are looking for ways to have our viewpoint justified and supported by others through tearing down someone else. It is unfortunate for many reasons, but primarily because it tends to come from a place of being “puffed up,” and a desire to publicly tear down instead of privately build up. Learn more at you spend much time on social media, you are likely to find a lot of Christians complaining about other Christians. Susie and her husband live near Minneapolis with their three sons, three daughters-in-law, and two grandchildren. Maxwell Transformational Leadership Award. The author of eighteen books, Susie is also a veteran in the fitness field and has twice been voted a top-ten finalist for the John C. Susie Larson is a popular radio talk show host, national speaker, and bestselling author. You are invited to join in the conversations with Christian leaders, authors and speakers each weekday afternoon on Susie Larson Live. Susie Larson Live is rich in content and Biblically grounded to daily encourage and strengthen your faith, she engages in conversations that bring Scripture to life, offers practical ways to live out our convictions, and brings stories that inspire us to hang on when life is hard. ![]() Engaging in conversations that bring Scripture to life, Susie Larson offers practical ways to live out your convictions and inspire you to a deep and active walk of faith.Īmidst our fast-paced culture and surrounded by so much watered down theology, do you crave some deep spiritual dialogue based on the Word of God? Do you long to hear from those who are working on the spiritual front lines? Susie’s passion is to see people everywhere awakened to the value of their soul, the depth of God’s love, and the height of their calling in Christ Jesus.
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