Habakkuk 1.1-4; 2.1-4
Before we can ever believe, god must – FIRST – love!
“… but the righteous live by their faith …”
“… but the righteous live by their believing …”
According to legend, that’s the verse that began it all! The verse that sparked a fire that changed the world! Habakkuk. Chapter two. Verse four. Those half-dozen-or-so words are ground zero of the Reformation. Or, at least, of Luther’s part of it. “The righteous shall live by faith!” By believing! Luther saw those words, as the story goes, and the church has never been the same. And this morning, it’s tempting to retell the tale. But frankly, it’d be nothing new. We’ve heard it before. Probably, more than once. Read the book. Seen the movie. But nothing ever changes.
That’s because we’ve gotten it wrong. Luther’s big discovery? His big recovery? It isn’t faith, like we think. It’s love! Love! And that’s something not a lot of people talk about. It’s the love – god’s love – that inspired the good doctor. It’s the love – god’s love – that encouraged him! And faith … believing … was only a small part of it! Only a response!
You see, love without faith still goes on. But without love, faith doesn’t exist. Can’t exist. Love’s something we all talk about. Talk about a lot. Not just in the church, but out here in the world. But here, we have our own unique take on it. Here, we call it grace. Charity. And it’s not the same thing the world sings about. In the world, more often than not, it’s all rainbows and roses. It’s butterflies and goosebumps. Candlelight and soft music. And when it’s not romance, it’s behavior. Lifestyle. Of the big-hearted. Of the open-handed. But for us, love’s our reason-for-being. Love – or rather, grace – is life itself. And faith? Believing? Well, it’s what follows in love’s wake.
“The righteous shall live by faith!” Luther’s insight? God’s people live not by doing their best … or by trying their hardest … or striving and straining and struggling to be repaid and rewarded. God’s people live, simply, by trusting and believing that god cares! Cares with all god’s heart! With all god’s mind! With all god’s strength! With all god’s being! But before the righteous can believe, before the righteous can trust, before the righteous can have faith, god must, first, love! Without love – without grace – there’s nothing to believe in! “The righteous shall live by faith!”
That’s why the most important thing in this place is the gospel! The goodNews! Not a steeple or coloredGlass! Not songs or prayers! Not pulpits or pews or any of a hundred other things that sidetrack and distract! It’s the gospel proclaimed, the goodNews dispensed! In water and bread and wine! Grace isn’t an accident! Charity isn’t by coincidence! It’s deliberate! It’s intentional. And it’s a gift! It’s THE gift! Given us by a god who has our best at heart! It’s as uncomplicated, as straightforward as that. Love is a gift! Unearned! Undeserved! Love is a gift! Pressed down! Shaken together! Overflowing!
And faith isn’t the reason; it’s the result! Believing isn’t the cause; it’s the effect! It’s grace that makes us who we are! That makes us what we are! Faith accomplishes, believing achieves nothing! Grace, charity, love does it all! Faith isn’t what makes it work. Believing isn’t what makes it come true. It’s what happens when god picks us up and wraps arms around us! It’s what happens when god holds us close and never, ever lets us go!
“Faith is a living, daring confidence in god’s grace,” Luther writes. “A trust of god’s favor, so certain and so sure, that it risks death a thousand times, trusting it alone!” The outcome is always – is ALWAYS – in god’s hands! Not in our commitment or devotion! Not in our best laid plans! It’s not our faith that makes us happy; it’s god’s grace! It’s not our believing that makes us bold; it’s god’s charity! It isn’t that faith and believing and trust doesn’t matter. It does. But only – ONLY – as an echo, as a reflection, of the love! It’s grace that transfigures! It’s charity that transforms! It’s god who changes lives! Who changes worlds!
The righteous don’t live by faith. By believing. They live by charity! Grace! They live by the love of god in Christ! But that’s the elusive, slippery thing about believing. We tend to think that it’s enough … simply to believe. As if believing, in and of itself, makes it all happen. But it doesn’t. It can’t. It won’t. Faith must depend on something other than itself to do that! Faith, by definition, needs something else to depend on. Needs something else to stake its life on. Something – or someone – else!
Popular opinion has it that believing is the first step. That our decision, our choice, is what gets the ball moving. That somehow, it’s our faith that saves. It’s not. The first step was taken by god, a long, long time ago. And we’re saved, not by our believing. We’re saved by god! Saved by god and the love god has for us all.
“The righteous shall live by faith!” “The righteous shall live by believing!” It’s still an important verse. The words that sparked a fire, still kindle a flame. A fire that changed – a flame that change – the world! But not in the way we imagine. My friends, it’s grace! It’s the love! That makes the difference. When charity and grace lead the way … faith, believing … is close behind!