Habakkuk 2:4  See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright - but the righteous will live by his faith.

This is probably the most famous passage in the book of Habakkuk. It was certainly one of Paul's favorite verses, and he quotes it both in his letter to the Romans and his letter to the Galatians. It is the beginning of God's answer to Habakkuk's complaint that God must not tolerate the evil that is present in the world. It is God's answer to us when we make the same complaint. And God wants Habakkuk to make His answer very plain to us.

"The righteous will live by faith." Faith is not something everyone can see. It is not tangible - it is not something we can take out and show people to prove that we have it. Sure, we can express our faith, and we do every time we proclaim the creed with the body of Christ or partake of the sacraments.

But, here in this verse, faith is contrasted with things that can be see. Pride puffs up, and greed betrays itself in its desires. Pride and greed are something that can be seen. And these things not only can be seen but unmistakably point the way to death.

For it is by faith that we live. Our faith in Jesus Christ, given to us by God through the Holy Spirit, makes us righteous and brings us life. This is the message that St. Paul makes it clear to us, too. We are justified by faith alone - not by anything that can be seen nor by anything that we do, but only by our faith and this a gift from God. Praise Him!
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