Martin Luther was struggling. He felt the heavy weight of his sin and the overwhelming responsibility to be good enough for God to give him righteousness. Martin Luther delved into Scripture in his quest for God. In 1515, he read Romans 1:17 and it struck him like it hadn’t struck him before.

Romans 1:17

“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”

Martin Luther looked at the Greek word for righteousness (instead of the Latin one) and saw that the righteousness referred to is God’s righteousness given to believers freely as a gift. Luther now understood that righteousness didn’t come from him and what he could do. Martin Luther said at that moment he became born again. With this new understanding of salvation, Martin Luther challenged the church to teach what Scripture teaches. From that quest, Martin Luther, along with a myriad of other reformers, risked his life for what is now known as the Protestant Reformation. If you attend a Protestant church, your life has been affected by Martin Luther’s salvation brought about in the moment by Romans 1:17 which includes a quote from Habakkuk 2:4.

Habakkuk 2:4: The Proud Chaldeans

In the book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk asks God when He will punish his wayward people. God answers that He will bring the Chaldeans to conquer them. Habakkuk doesn’t think it’s fair for an enemy nation to win and tells God so. God answers Habakkuk telling him that God has a plan for the Chaldeans to eventually be overthrown. In the midst of God’s answer to Habakkuk, in chapter 2 verse 4, God says:

“Behold, as for the proud one,
His soul is not right within him;
But the righteous will live by his faith.“

In the context of the book of Habakkuk, God is comparing the proud Chaldeans who rely on their own strength to people like Habakkuk who realize that God is their strength.

 

Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans: Can’t Rely on Yourself

At first it may not make sense for Paul to use a verse about the Chaldeans to talk about salvation, but it does make sense when we think about the issue of pride. The Chaldeans were proud and dependent on their own strength which was no match for God’s sovereign strength. The same is true of salvation. You cannot rely on your own strength for salvation. You must rely on God’s strength through faith. The only way to make your soul right is to live by faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans is not the only time Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4. He also quotes it in Galatians 3:11.

Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians: Can’t Rely on the Law

When Paul writes the book of Galatians, he is writing to remind the people that following the law does not give salvation. Salvation is only by faith in Jesus Christ. Again, he uses Habakkuk 2:4 to prove this point.

Galatians 3:11 says,

“Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’

Again this fits perfectly with Habakkuk’s theme of pride. If you think your righteousness stems from following the law, you are “a proud one” like the Chaldeans. Salvation is not from the law, but from faith in Jesus Christ.

After Paul points out faulty pride by using Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans and Galatians, the writer of Hebrews uses Habakkuk 2:4 to give a picture of proper pride.

Habakkuk 2:4 in Hebrews: Don’t Shrink Back

In Hebrews 10, the writer proves we can have the confidence to come before God because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. He also encourages God’s people to have perseverance because of the confidence we have. Right before the writer gives us examples of perseverance in chapter 11’s Hall of Faith, the writer says in 10:38-39:

“But my righteous one will live by faith.
    And I take no pleasure
    in the one who shrinks back.”

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.”

Although we have no pride in ourselves that brings us to salvation, once we have salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, we are to live with proper pride, a confidence in Christ that pushes us to press on. After all we have faith and faith means that we don’t shrink back.

Once Habakkuk heard God tell him that “the righteous will live by faith,” Habakkuk decided not to shrink back. He praised the Lord and waited in faith for God to enact His justice.

Martin Luther, once he let go of his pride and came to Christ in faith, he did not shrink back at the Diet of Worms or when his life was in danger. Martin Luther’s proper placement of pride led him to change the world.

You, believer in Christ, you have accepted Christ’s righteousness by faith for salvation so do not shrink back. Live boldly. Change the world. Be proud to be counted as one of God’s people.

 

References

https://www.ligonier.org/blog/justification-faith-alone-martin-luther-and-romans-117/

https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/theologians/martin-luther.html