When one reads the Bible, particularly the New Testament, he gains the feeling that what we call the Christian life, or the Christian salvation, is different from what the Scriptures describe. After thinking about this difference for some years I have come to the conclusion that we have created a plan of salvation that is not scriptural. I think the root of the problem is a misunderstanding of what the Apostle Paul meant by "grace." I think also that the philosophy of Dispensationalism, with its emphasis on a special "dispensation of grace" uniquely different from what is found in the Old Testament, has made a major contribution to the unscriptural beliefs and practices we see today.

I guess one of the main passages that started me thinking this way is found in the Book of Hebrews.

If you will turn to Hebrews 10:38,39 you will find the following:

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved. (NIV)

Martin Luther is reported to have been impressed with the expression "The just shall live by faith." This saying has become associated with the Protestant Reformation.

However, the just shall live by faith actually is an Old Testament statement.

See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright—but the righteous will live by his faith— (Habakkuk 2:4—NIV)

The unrighteous individual lives by his pride. The righteous individual lives by faith in God, the opposite of living by pride.

Today it seems to me the just shall live by faith has come to mean that the righteous person states his or her belief in Christ and then makes no effort to improve on imputed righteousness by attempting to live righteously. Thus the opposite of living by faith has become, not "accepting Christ"; or after having accepted Christ, ignorantly attempting to live a righteous and holy life as though such human striving were somehow part of salvation.

The idea is that if we believe the facts about the atonement we are living by faith. We need make no effort to live righteously because it is our faith (belief about Christ and His work) that saves us; and while we ought to live a godly life we must avoid the appearance of being "legalistic," meaning, one who views the keeping of God's commandments as a necessary part of the new covenant. We are saved only by believing what we have been taught about Christ.

This wrenching of Paul's doctrine of grace is not what Habakkuk meant. He meant the righteous live by bringing every decision to God rather than trusting in one's own ability.

There is a deadly difference between interpreting the just shall live by faith to mean our behavior is not a critical part of our redemption, and interpreting the just to live by faith to mean we ought to be looking to the Lord for every aspect of our life rather than trusting in our own wisdom and strength.

This Old Testament expression is repeated three times in the New Testament. The third time is as we wrote above: "But my righteous one will live by faith."

To be continued.