A Dire Situation

And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay. “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous shall live by his faith. “Moreover, wine is a traitor, an arrogant man who is never at rest. His greed is as wide as Sheol; like death he has never enough. He gathers for himself all nations and collects as his own all peoples.”
Habakkuk 2:2–5
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A Dire Situation
The situation a man finds himself is dire. The sinner in us is a great big mess. We have arrogance and greed. We murder by our hate and mistrust. We gossip and backstab and hurt our neighbor’s reputation. The evidence is against us, and we deserve the wrath and anger of our God. We have transgressed his Law. Our sin deserves the eternal punishment of hell and damnation. But God would not leave his own to the destruction and hell of Satan. He has provided an escape. “The righteous shall live by faith.” To be righteous isn’t an act or a work. It isn’t something that we can accomplish by a speech or a “good life.” It is only acquired by the blood of Jesus applied to us. We hold that one is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. We are righteous only when Jesus rescues us and applies that work to us in faith by Baptism. This is the God that you have. He would not let you alone to death and demise. He sets in motion a plan of rescue. He sends Jesus to pay your ransom and get you back. This Jesus goes to the cross, suffers the pain of hell and death and then rises again. And you are back! You are counted righteous. You have the righteousness of Jesus wrapped around you.