The Righteous Live By His Faith

"The just shall live by his faith." (Habakkuk 2: 4)

When I have read this verse in the past, I was always stirred up from within.

Yet when I read this verse, I always assumed that "his faith" refers to us. In fact, it refers to God's faith working in us!

A life of faith is tremendous ease, in which we rest in God's Promises, which are all yea and amen in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 1: 20)

Our righteousness is not from us, not from our works, not from anything that we do. We are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21), and this righteousness we are called to receive as an ongoing gift. The King James Version declares fully that righteousness is a gift:

"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)" (Romans 5: 17)

Yet another translation brings out the ongoing nature of receiving this gift:

"For if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ" (Romans 5: 17, Youngs Literal Translation).

Just as our righteousness is a gift from God, so is the faith by which we live:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2: 8)

This faith is imparted to us directly through the Word of God, or specifically through Christ:

"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10: 17)

Another translation more accurately conveys this passage:

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." (Romans 10: 17 NASB)

Paul also established to the Galatians that he lives by the faith of the Son of God (Galatians2: 20)
Beloved, do not try to work up faith for specific needs in your life. Trust in the Lord, the one who was sent by God the Father to die for us and give us His life (John 6: 29), and by His faith you will live and reign in life!