It means that those who are righteous before God live by trusting His Word, not by works, rituals, or religious programs.
Paul quotes the Old Testament to show that the righteousness of God is revealed through faith (Romans 1:17). Les Feldick teaches this means taking God at His word rather than relying on religious rituals, works, programs, or denominational membership. Faith is the substance of things hoped for—the evidence of things not seen—and it is how God has accounted righteousness to believers in every age.
Romans 1:17 — This is the verse where the phrase 'the just shall live by faith' appears and frames Paul's entire gospel.
The phrase 'the just shall live by faith' is a quotation from Habakkuk 2:4. In Romans 1:17, Paul connects it to 'the righteousness of God' being 'revealed from faith to faith.' The same statement appears in Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and Hebrews 11:6 adds that without faith it is impossible to please God.
Les Feldick emphasizes that 'the just shall live by faith' means God looks for faith—for men and women to take Him at His Word. He points to Martin Luther, whose great eye-opening statement was this very phrase: salvation is not found in rituals, do's and don'ts, or the religious system. Les defines faith as simple trust in what God has said, and he stresses that this has always been true—from Adam and Eve through Abraham, Moses, David, and even the New Testament believer. Salvation never comes by faith plus works, plus baptism, plus church membership; it comes through believing God. He also teaches that Hebrews 11 gives the Bible's definition of faith as the substance and evidence of things not seen, and that without faith it is impossible to please God.
When Martin Luther came to his great realization, it was exactly this: 'the just shall live by faith'—not by the rituals he had been inundated with, not by all the do's and don'ts of religion. For Les, this became the watermark of the Reformation teaching.
Les takes us to Hebrews 11:1, where faith is defined as 'the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' He explains that faith operates in the invisible spirit realm—you cannot put it in a test tube or handle it in a laboratory. In addition, faith means taking God at His Word: God spoke, and Joseph could believe God's promise because God had said it.
Les emphasizes that all recipients of eternal life in human history—Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, David, Moses—were saved by faith. He quotes Hebrews 11: that without faith it is impossible to please God, so faith must be incorporated into salvation. Paul's example of Abraham in Romans 4 shows that Abraham believed God and it was counted as righteousness.
No—Les is emphatic that righteousness is 'by faith,' not 'faith plus' and not 'faith and.' It is not upon those who repent and are baptized, keep the commandments, or join the church, but upon all who believe. Living by faith means taking God at His Word, believing what the book says even when you do not feel any different, and resting on the fact that God has done it.
Les notes that for the last 1,900 years the Gospel has gone primarily to Gentiles, yet it is still open to any Jew—'there is no difference.' God dealt with Israel as a set-apart nation in the Old Testament, but now the offer is to all who believe. Paul says the righteousness of God is upon all them that believe.
Gospel for Jew and Gentile
Les explains that God set Israel apart in the Old Testament, but the Gospel has gone primarily to the Gentiles with no difference between Jew and Gentile.
Martin Luther's Realization
Martin Luther came to the realization that 'the just shall live by faith'—not through rituals or religious do's and don'ts.
Faith Is Taking God at His Word
Living and being saved by faith means believing what God's Word says even when you don't feel a difference.
Faith Defined as Taking God at His Word
Faith means taking God at His word—Joseph could believe Israel would leave Egypt because God had said so.
Righteousness by Faith, Not Faith Plus
The righteousness of God is by faith upon all who believe—not upon those who repent and are baptized, keep commandments, or join a church.
Abraham's Faith as the Pattern
Abraham was justified by faith, not works; he believed God, and it was counted as righteousness.
Hebrews 11 Definition of Faith
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen—it operates in the invisible realm, not a laboratory.
Faith in Every Age
From Adam to David, Moses, and the patriarchs, every person who has received eternal life did so by faith; without faith it is impossible to please God.
Romans 1:17: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
This is the key verse for the entire question—it introduces the phrase Paul uses to explain the gospel.
Habakkuk 2:4: Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
This is the Old Testament verse Paul quotes as the foundation of the principle.
Galatians 3:11: But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Paul repeats the same statement in Galatians to show that the law cannot justify anyone.
Hebrews 10:38: Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
The phrase is applied again in Hebrews to encourage perseverance in faith.
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
This verse provides the Bible's own definition of faith, which Les uses in his teaching.
Hebrews 11:6: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Les references this verse to show that pleasing God has always been by faith.
Romans 4:3: For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Paul uses Abraham's example to show that righteousness was credited through faith, not works.
Faith means taking God at His word. As Les explains, it is believing that God has said what He did, and then relying on that promise rather than on your own works or religious practices.
Because Martin Luther came to the realization that the just shall live by faith—not through rituals or the do's and don'ts of religion. That became his eye-opening statement that sparked the Reformation.
For Les, it is both. God saves people by faith, and the believer continues to live and walk by faith—taking God at His word in every area of life.
Watch the Teaching: What Does "Salvation" Really Mean? Romans 1:16 Explained