November 3: FROM FAITH TO FAITH (part 4)

For in [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Romans 1:17

These last words —“The just shall live by faith”— rang out in the spiritual ears of Martin Luther in his pivotal moment on Pilate’s Staircase. This text never lost its power upon his soul. It appears four times in Scripture. A view of each setting adds dimension and deeper context:

I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.  Habakkuk 2:1-4

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Galatians 3:11-12

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. Hebrews 10:36-39

Following his return from Rome, the Doctor of Divinity degree was conferred upon Luther in 1512 at the University of Wittenberg (all universities were considered to be arms of the Catholic Church). Now he was an authorized herald of the word of God. This elevation within the church hierarchy provided him with freedom he had never enjoyed before – freedom to devote himself fully to the Scriptures he so dearly loved. Before the Lord Himself, Martin took a personal vow to study carefully and preach with purity only Biblical doctrines, and not the decrees and dogmas of the pope. He saw himself as a shepherd under the faithful leadership of The Good Shepherd to feed the hungry flock of God. He was teaching them to build their lives upon the truth of Scripture and to discern for themselves between God’s truth and misleading manmade doctrines. By simply teaching the Bible, Luther struck at the foundation of papal supremacy. As Luther exalted Christ, he was also exposing the danger of holding human ideas above the word of God. As yet unaware, he was setting in its proper place the vital principle of Reformation: Sola Scriptura!

Jesus said: . . . “Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Matthew 15:6-9 (see also Mark 7:1-13; Isaiah 29:11-13; Jeremiah 12:1-2)