"The just shall live by his faith." This weighty statement occurs in the second chapter of the
prophet Habakkuk; and it is quoted by an inspired apostle in three of his epistles, namely,
Romans, Galatians, and Hebrews, with a distinct application in each. In Romans 1:17 it is applied
to the great question of righteousness. The apostle declared himself "not ashamed of the glad
tidings; for it is God’s power to salvation, to every one that believes, both to Jew first and to
Greek:for righteousness of God is revealed therein, on the principle of faith, to faith:according
as it is written, But the just shall live by faith" (JND).

Then, in the third of Galatians, where the apostle is seeking to recall those erring assemblies to
the foundations of Christianity, he says, "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of
God, it is evident:for, The just shall live by faith."

Finally, in the tenth of Hebrews, where the object is to exhort believers to hold fast their
confidence, we read, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of
reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive
the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the
just shall live by faith." Here we have faith presented not only as the ground of righteousness, but
as the vital principle by which we are to live, day by day, from the starting-post to the goal of the
Christian course. There is no other way of righteousness, no other way of living, but by faith. It
is by faith we are justified, and by faith we live. By faith we stand, and by faith we walk.

Now this is true of all Christians, and all should seek to enter into it fully. Every child of God is
called to live by faith. It is a very grave mistake indeed to single out certain individuals who
happen to have no visible source of temporal supplies, and speak of them as though they alone
lived by faith. According to this view of the question, ninety-nine out of every hundred Christians
would be deprived of the precious privilege of living by faith. If a man has a settled income, if
he has a certain salary, if he has what is termed a secular calling by which he earns bread for
himself and his family, is he not privileged to live by faith? Do none live by faith save those who
have no visible means of support? Is the life of faith to be confined to the matter of trusting God
for food and raiment? What a lowering of the life of faith it is to confine it to the question of
temporal supplies! No doubt it is a very blessed and a very real thing to trust God for everything;
but the life of faith has a far higher and wider range than mere bodily wants. It embraces all that
in anywise concerns us, in body, soul, and spirit. To live by faith is to walk with God; to cling
to Him and lean on Him; to draw from His exhaustless springs; to find all our resources in Him;
to have Him as a perfect covering for our eyes and a satisfying object for our hearts; to know Him
as our only resource in all difficulties and in all our trials. It is to be absolutely, completely and
continually shut up to Him; to be undividedly dependent upon Him, apart from and above every
creature confidence, every human hope, and every earthly expectation.

Such is the life of faith. Let us see that we understand it. It must be a reality, or nothing at all. It
will not do to talk about the life of faith; we must live it; and in order to live it, we must know
God practically_know Him intimately, in the deep secret of our own souls. It is utterly vain and
delusive to profess to be living by faith and looking to the Lord while in reality our hearts are

looking to some creature resource. How often do people speak and write about their dependence
upon God to meet certain wants, and by the very fact of their making it known to a fellow-mortal
they are, in principle, departing from the life of faith! The language of faith is this:"My soul, wait
thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." To make known my wants, directly or
indirectly, to a human being, is departure from the life of faith, and a positive dishonor to God.
It is actually betraying Him. It is tantamount to saying that God has failed me, and I must look to
my fellow for help. It is forsaking the living fountain and turning to a broken cistern. It is placing
the creature between my soul and God, thus robbing my soul of rich blessing, and God of the
glory due to Him.

This is serious work, and it demands our most solemn attention. God deals in realities. He can
never fail a trusting heart. But then, He must be trusted. It is of no possible use to talk about
trusting Him when our hearts are really looking to our neighbors for help. "What doth it profit,
my brethren, though a man say he hath faith?" Empty profession is but a delusion to the soul and
a dishonor to God. The true life of faith is a grand reality. God delights in it, and He is glorified
by it. There is nothing in all this world that so gratifies and glorifies God as the life of faith. "Oh
how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; which Thou hast
wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!" (Psalm 31:19).

Beloved reader, how is it with you in reference to this great question? Are you living by faith?
Can you say, "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who
loved me, and gave Himself for me"? Do you know what it is to have the living God filling the
whole range of your soul’s vision? Is He enough for you? Can you trust Him for everything_for
body, soul, and spirit_for time and eternity? Or are you in the habit of making known your wants
to man in any way?

These are searching questions; but we entreat you not to turn away from them. Be assured it is
morally healthful for our souls to be tested faithfully, as in the very presence of God. Our hearts
are so terribly treacherous that when we imagine we are leaning upon God, we are really leaning
upon some human prop. Thus God is shut out, and we are left in barrenness and desolation.

And yet it is not that God does not use the creature to help and bless us. He does so constantly;
and the man of faith will be deeply conscious of this fact, and truly grateful to every human agent
that God uses to help him. God comforted Paul by the coming of Titus; but had Paul been looking
to Titus, he would have had but little comfort. God used the poor widow to feed Elijah; but
Elijah’s dependence was not upon the widow, but upon God. Thus it is in every case.

(From Miscellaneous Writings, Volume 5.)