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ALTERNATIVES TO FAITH

By Dr. Paul W. Carlin

No statement in the New Testament is more overtly and covertly resisted than, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:17) It is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4, and is also recorded in Galatians 2:11 and Hebrews 10:38. Multitudes of people have a difficult time with salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9), but living by faith is an even harder pill to swallow.

The theme for all of Romans is expressed in the phrase “a righteousness from God is revealed.” The subjective genitive (“of God”) identifies this as “a righteousness that” God provides for anyone on the basis of and in response to faith in the gospel (1:16; 3:22). The NIV’s rendering “by faith from first to last” (Greek: pistos eis pistin, lit. “out of faith in reference to faith”) is probably the more accurate.

This righteousness referenced to here is completely unachievable by human efforts. Though it is not God’s personal righteousness as an attribute, it does come “from God.” Therefore, it is consistent with His nature. A.T. Robertson (Word Studies In The New Testament) calls it “a God kind of righteousness.” This “God kind of righteousness” is imputed (only by God) to believing man in justification, imparting progressively both regeneration and sanctification, and finally culminating in glorification when standing and state become identical.

Apparently unrelated in the English, “righteousness” and “justify” are related in the Greek, i.e., dikaiosyne (righteousness) and dikaioo (justify). To justify a person means to declare him forensically righteousness. The NIV translates dikaioo “declared righteous” in 3:22 and “freed” in 6:7.

Here is the connection with the closing line of verse 17. As a result of faith (“believe” in 1:16) in Christ, a person is declared “righteous” and given eternal life.

That is a wonderful work of God! But there is a continuing work that is just as wonderful…. “the just shall live by faith.”

Live by faith? Come on, there must be a more practical way than that. Well, what are our alternatives?

The Facts Alternative

An alternative to living by faith is living by the facts. I can hear someone saying, “That’s more like it! I am a facts and figures man. Give me facts, man, just the facts.”

This lifestyle accumulates all the apparent realities relevant to a logical decision and acts on them. Everything must fit neatly into the process of human reasoning. Decisions are based on the “if this, then that” logic.

But faith changes the basic nature of facts and the way a Christian sees things (Heb. 11:1). In its very essence, faith is being sure and certain about both what is seen and unseen, hopes and realities. It is only by faith a Christian can place all experiences in perspective. “For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one hope for what he sees?” (Rom. 8:24)

The Feeling Alternative

Or one can live the Christian life by feelings. After all, does this not agree with the 20^th? Century philosophy, “If it feels good, do it!”

Nothing is sadder than to see a believer rise and fall on the winds of his emotion. Feelings are so fickle! The truth is, though, a large percentage of the Christian church

bases their every move on how they feel. Sometimes I think church historians will record the modern church as the “goose bump” generation.

Let me make my point facetiously with a little word substitution. What if Jesus had said in Matthew 17:20, “…if you have feelings as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will move…”

What about when He rebuked the disciples after He calmed the storm in Mark 4:40 with, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no feelings?”

Or what if Romans 4:5 said, “His feeling is accounted for righteousness.”

How about this one: “We walk by feelings and not by sight.” (2Cor. 5:7)

What if it was the “hearing of feelings” in Gal. 3:2 rather than the “hearing of faith?”

Or what about, “For by grace are you saved, through feelings…” (Eph. 2:8)

I am so glad Ephesians 4:13 says, “Till we come to the unity of the faith,” not “the unity of our feelings.”

How would you like to take the “shield of feelings” rather than “the shield of faith.” (Eph. 6:16)

Can’t you just hear Paul saying in 2Tim. 4:7, “I have kept the feelings.”

The Physical Alternative

Why live by faith when one has everything physical going for him, i.e., good looks, talent, brains, credentials, references, acceptance, wit, personality, and gifts of the Spirit. You sure don’t need faith if you have money!

Well, we have a little problem. The Scripture says, “Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.” (Rom. 14:23) That means whatever is a product of ability, personality, talent, promotion, and not faith, is a sin.

History teaches us that Paul the Apostle was short, bald headed, bowlegged, and had inferior eyesight. Yet he built more churches, wrote more of the New Testament, led more people to Christ, and probably the greatest statesman who ever lived.

D.L. Moody was extremely obese, highly uneducated, suffered from depression and wore a full unkempt beard. But he put one foot on America, the other on Europe, and shook tow continents for God.

Faith

The Bible says a Christian should be filled with faith (Acts 6:5); abound in faith (2Cor. 8:7); continue in faith (Acts 14:22); be strong in faith (Rom. 4:20); and stand fast in faith (1Cor. 16:13).

Faith brings salvation (Eph. 2:8-9); produces a pure heart (Acts 15:9); installs courage (2 Cor. 1:24; Rom. 11:20); produces victory (1 John 5:4); brings healing (James 5:15); is essential for answered prayer (Matt. 21:22); produces a life of rest (Heb.4:1-10); and gives us a good testimony (Heb. 11:2).

Faith is not only the Scriptural way for a Christian to live, but also the most logical. If one lives by facts, he will get what facts can do; if by feelings, what feelings can do; if by physical attributes, what they can do. But when one lives by faith, he gets what God can do.