Podcast Summary: Renewing Your Mind – “Habakkuk”

Host: Nathan W. Bingham (Ligonier Ministries)
Speaker: Dr. R.C. Sproul
Date: September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the Old Testament book of Habakkuk, examining the prophet's struggle with God's seeming silence during times of rampant injustice and his journey to faith in God's promises. Dr. R.C. Sproul unpacks Habakkuk’s relevance for Christians, focusing on the enduring phrase, "the just shall live by faith," and exploring what it means to trust God amid uncertainty and suffering. The episode also touches on findings from the 2025 State of Theology survey, highlighting contemporary misunderstandings among evangelicals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Main Theme: Faith Amid Despair (00:00 – 24:13)

• Habakkuk’s Struggle & Complaint

  • Habakkuk, witnessing injustice in Judah, cries out to God about unpunished wickedness and God’s seeming inactivity.
  • “How long, O Lord, will I call for help, and thou wilt not hear?... Destruction and violence are in front of me… the law is ignored and justice is never upheld.” (Dr. Sproul, quoting Habakkuk, 01:26 – 02:19)
  • Dr. Sproul draws parallels to the “dark night of the soul,” noting all believers at times feel God is absent.

• The Problem of Evil

  • Dr. Sproul addresses the classic question: how can a righteous God allow evil to flourish?
  • He affirms that even God’s prophets, not just doubters, ask these deep questions.

• God’s Startling Answer

  • God tells Habakkuk that He will judge Judah by sending the brutal Chaldeans. This response shakes Habakkuk even further.
  • “You think you’re seeing wickedness now? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait till you see the hordes of Chaldeans…” (Dr. Sproul, 07:36)

• Habakkuk’s Persistence and God’s Greater Answer

  • Habakkuk retreats to a “watchtower” awaiting God’s explanation, vowing not to move until he hears (09:11).

  • God replies—His purposes are certain, though delayed.

  • “But the just shall live by faith.” (Dr. Sproul, referencing Habakkuk 2:4, 11:31)

  • Dr. Sproul emphasizes that faith isn’t blind:

    “To live by faith means to live by trusting God. And that means, dear friends, by trusting what God says. That is not intellectual suicide. It’s the most intelligent thing you can ever do.” (12:55)

• Faith in Troubled Times

  • Christians, like Habakkuk, are called to trust God’s promises even when immediate circumstances look hopeless.

• Final Hope and Worship

  • Despite the devastation, Habakkuk confesses:

    “Though the fig tree should not blossom, there be no fruit on the vine… yet I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.” (20:49)

  • Dr. Sproul applies this perseverance to modern life, translating Habakkuk’s words to current economic and societal calamities.
  • He concludes: “Let the world fall off the cliff, let the mountain crumble. I will walk with my God and rejoice that He is God. That’s the kind of people God wants…” (22:47)

2. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I’m sure that every Christian at one time or another in their Christian pilgrimage has had to face what some of the saints of old called the dark night of the soul…” (03:05)
• “It is arrogant to embrace man and deny God. And when you do that, your soul is not right.” (13:55)
• “Sometimes Christians, if they’re going to be people of integrity, have to hang on by their fingers saying, you want me to trust you? And I see the ravenous wolves of the Chaldeans coming forth here to destroy my people.” (15:22)
• “The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him... Literally, he’s saying, shut up, because God is here and God has spoken. And let all men be liars. I’m going to trust what God says.” (18:34)

3. Application to Christian Life

• Trusting God’s Word over human wisdom or cultural opinions
• Understanding that faith involves clinging to God even when answers are incomplete or circumstances dire
• The necessity of anchoring faith in Scripture:

  “The Bible says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I don’t know any other way to get it, but to fill yourself with the word of God. Read it, read it, read it, read it.” (14:40)

Supplemental Segment: 2025 State of Theology Survey (26:31 – 31:24)

Guest: Dr. Stephen Nichols (President, Reformation Bible College)

• Survey Findings

  • 64% of evangelicals believe all are born innocent; 54% say most people are good by nature. Nichols calls this a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel.

• Root Cause

  • “The American church has always shown a sort of allergy to confessions... And culture is going to fill that vacuum.” (28:00)
  • Without creeds and catechisms, doctrinal confusion rises, shaping beliefs more by culture than Scripture.

• Misunderstanding God’s Love

  • 94% of evangelicals say "God loves all people in the same way," which is biblically inaccurate. Notably, the general population is less likely to affirm this than evangelicals.

• Implications

  • Misunderstanding God's holiness and human nature undermines grasp of the gospel.
  • Nichols explains distinctions between God’s general benevolence and salvific love.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — “To live by faith means to live by trusting God...”
• 01:08 — Introduction to Habakkuk’s message and context
• 03:05 — Discussion on the dark night of the soul
• 07:36 — God’s response: judgment through the Chaldeans
• 11:31 — The just shall live by faith
• 13:55 — Warning against arrogance and trusting man over God
• 15:22 — Clinging to faith in dire circumstances
• 18:34 — “The Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him.”
• 20:49 — “Though the fig tree should not blossom…yet I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.”
• 22:47 — Application: faith in various calamities
• 26:31-31:24 — Discussion on the State of Theology survey (Dr. Nichols)
• 31:24 — Preview of upcoming episode on Jonah

Conclusion

This episode powerfully explores the enduring truth that "the just shall live by faith," using Habakkuk's honest struggles to instruct believers in trusting God above all. Dr. Sproul contends that real faith is trusting what God says—not abandoning intellect, but anchoring in divine reliability amid life’s darkest hours. The later segment warns of the dangers when the church loses doctrinal clarity, urging a return to biblical confession and understanding.

For further study, listeners are encouraged to dwell in Habakkuk, consider the full sweep of biblical revelation, and “read, read, read” God’s Word—as Dr. Sproul urges—so faith may grow strong for every season.