in wrath remember mercy . . . the just shall live by faith - Free sermon ...
in wrath remember mercy . . . the just shall live by faith - Free sermon ...
in wrath remember mercy . . . the just shall live by faith - Free sermon ...
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song; and it is <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> process from <strong>the</strong> one to <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r that <strong>the</strong> little book discloses <strong>the</strong>heart of its mean<strong>in</strong>g to us.Ch. I. A “BURDEN”: FAITH GRAPPLING WITH PROBLEM.Ch. II. A “VISION”: FAITH GRASPING THE SOLUTION.Ch. III. A “PRAYER”: FAITH GLORYING IN ASSURANCE.The key verse to Habakkuk is chapter ii. 4 – “The <strong>just</strong> <strong>shall</strong> <strong>live</strong> <strong>by</strong> his <strong>faith</strong>”; and aroundthis truth precious lessons for <strong>faith</strong> are written. The liv<strong>in</strong>g message of <strong>the</strong> little book isclear. Faith has still its problems. If Habakkuk’s days seemed draped with dark enigmas,even more do our own. But this book tells us not to judge merely <strong>by</strong> <strong>the</strong> appearances of<strong>the</strong> hour. God has given us great promises, and is work<strong>in</strong>g out great purposes. He cannottell us <strong>the</strong> whole <strong>in</strong> so many words; but He has revealed enough to make <strong>faith</strong> <strong>in</strong>telligent,and to give it scope for development.Boice: But for <strong>the</strong> most part <strong>the</strong> questions have shifted, and <strong>the</strong> problems bo<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g mostth<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g people today are what we would call personal and historical. They boil down to<strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividual’s <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> history. On <strong>the</strong> personal level, <strong>the</strong>y express <strong>the</strong>mselves<strong>in</strong> such questions as: Who am I? Why am I here? What is <strong>the</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g of life? On <strong>the</strong>historical level, <strong>the</strong>y emerge as: What is <strong>the</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g of history? What is God’s<strong>in</strong>volvement with history? Why is <strong>the</strong>re evil <strong>in</strong> history? Why doesn’t God do someth<strong>in</strong>gabout wickedness? How can I believe <strong>in</strong> a lov<strong>in</strong>g, personal God when He allows badth<strong>in</strong>gs to happen to me?Habakkuk raises <strong>the</strong>se questions too. He asks, “Is God <strong>in</strong> charge of history?” and, “IfHe is, why do th<strong>in</strong>gs happen as <strong>the</strong>y do?” In deal<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>the</strong>se questions he speaks asdirectly to our own times as any comparable portion of <strong>the</strong> Word of God.[Quot<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> four lessons from D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:]1) First, history (regardless of how it seems to us) is under God’s control.2) Second, history follows a div<strong>in</strong>e plan.3) Third, history follows a div<strong>in</strong>e timetable.4) Fourth, history is bound up with <strong>the</strong> div<strong>in</strong>e k<strong>in</strong>gdom.[Quot<strong>in</strong>g poem about <strong>the</strong> end of Chap. 3 composed <strong>by</strong> William Cowper, English poetwho suffered from acute mental distress and illness]Though v<strong>in</strong>e nor fig tree nei<strong>the</strong>rTheir wonted fruits should bear,Though all <strong>the</strong> fields should wi<strong>the</strong>r,Nor flocks nor herds be <strong>the</strong>re;Yet, God <strong>the</strong> same abid<strong>in</strong>g,His praise <strong>shall</strong> tune my voice;For, while <strong>in</strong> him confid<strong>in</strong>g,I cannot but rejoice.