The Way of Faith
Heb. 11:1-3, 6
Introduction
I can’t see Jesus and I can’t comprehend how His one great sacrifice can cleansed me from all my sins and unrighteousness. But God sees it that way and I believe, and accept it as a blessed truth. Because of what Christ has done for me, I know I’m going to heaven someday. With that in mind, I live by faith. Chapter 11 is what is the Faith Chapter of the Bible. It contains the faith of the Heroes of the Bible. It is sometimes called the “Faith’s Hall of Fame” or the Word of God’s “Honor Roll” when it comes to Faith
I. Definition of Faith (Heb. 11:1)
A. Faith as defined by different author’s
1. Faith is relying on what God has done rather than on one’s own efforts. In the Old Testament, faith is rarely mentioned. The word trust is used frequently, and verbs like believe and rely are used to express the right attitude to God. (Shaw Pocket Handbook)
2. In theology, the assent of the mind or understanding to the truth of what God has revealed. (Webster)
B. Faith as defined and taught in the Bible
1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for. The word substance in Greek is hupostasis which means, a setting under (support), assurance, confidence. I would say it is the confident assurance or the solid ground for all the things we expect to happen or hoped for. Faith is the foundation when focused on the person of God. It is the confident assurance that when God promises, we can rely or depend that He will absolutely, truly, and surely fulfil it. Faith is believing and trusting His revealed Word, spoken to us by His Son without doubting. Faith is the assurance in God’s future promises, an assurance that enables one to persevere.
2. The evidence of things not seen. The Greek word evidence is elegchos, which means, proof, conviction. Faith is conviction about things we have not seen, such as:
a. The God, which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see. (1 Tim. 6:16),
b. The existence of Heaven and Hell. The existence of angels and other spirit beings. (Jn. 3:13, Mt 25:41-46, 1 Tim. 5:21, Mt. 25:41).
c. The Rapture, and the resurrection of the dead. (1 Thess. 4:13-18)
d. The dead in Christ are with Him in Heaven now. (Lk. 23:43)
e. The Second Coming of Christ (Mt. 24:27-31, Rev. 19:1-20).
3. The N.T. mentions three kinds of faith:
a. Demonic faith (Jas. 2:19),
b. Dead faith (Jas. 2:17-26),
c. Saving faith (Eph. 2:8-9).
4. Saving faith is described in Rom. 4:9-25 and Heb. 11
5. Faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17).
6. Truths such as creation and salvation must be received by faith (Heb. 11:2). Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). (David Cloud).
Illustration/Application: Faith and Reason
An old writer says, “Faith and reason may be compared to two travellers: Faith is like a man in full health who can walk twenty or thirty miles at a time without suffering. Reason is like a child, who can only with difficulty accomplish three or four miles. On a given day Reason says to Faith, ‘O good Faith, let me walk with thee.’ Faith replies, ‘O Reason, thou canst never walk with me!’ However, to try their paces, they set out together, but they soon find it hard to keep company. When they come to a deep river, Reason says, ‘I can never ford this,’ but Faith wades through it singing. When they reach a lofty mountain, there is the same exclamation of despair; and in such cases, Faith, in order not to leave Reason behind, is obliged to carry him on his back; and, oh, how dependent upon Faith is Reason!” Why has God made faith the indispensable ingredient in man’s approach to Him? Is it not precisely because man’s reason can go only so far? Where reason comes up against an insurmountable obstacle, faith soars above it and apprehends God and heavenly mysteries by this divinely given faculty. (Illustrations of Bible Truths).
I. Good Report (Heb. 11:2)
A. For by it, the faith which gives reality to things hoped for, and a certain persuasion to the mind of the existence of those things which are not seen (Barnes)
B. The elders are the men of faith of the Old Testament. Some of them are mentioned in this chapter. Men like Abel (v. 4), Enoch (v. 5), Noah (v. 7), Abraham (v. 8), etc. obtained a good report by faith. The lives of these men show us that faith not only believes even in the absence of solid proof or evidence, it obeys regardless of the consequences, whatever it may be.
II. The Understanding (Hebrews 11:3).
A. “Through faith we understand…” Faith enables us to understand what God does. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). Faith enables us to see what others cannot see (Heb. 11:7, 13. 27). God created everything out of nothing. He simply said the word and it was done. No Big Bang, no evolution.
B. Because of that, faith enables us to do what others cannot do! People of faith were able to accomplish many extraordinary things which nonbelievers can never do. Look at some Bible heroes like Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, etc. Because of their faith, the Lord enabled them to be victorious for His glory. Dr. J. Oswald Sanders put it perfectly: “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.”
Illustrations/Applications: 246. Two Kinds of People
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that famous preacher of London, was a man with many responsibilities. He was going home after a difficult day, and his problems were so many that he was discouraged. While in this state of mind, however, he was reminded of a verse from the Word of God, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” He looked up to God and said, “I believe it is sufficient for today, dear Lord.” And then he burst into laughter. He understood how ridiculous it was to worry.
He began to think: “I’m like a fish that is very thirsty, who’s beginning to worry lest it exhaust the water of the river. The big river answers, ‘Drink, my little fish, all you want, there will be plenty for you.’ ” Again, Spurgeon said, “I thought that I was like a little mouse in the great big grain stores of Egypt after the seven years of abundance of harvest, and I was so fearful lest I would die of starvation. At that time Joseph appeared and said to me, ‘Don’t worry, little mouse, the wheat stores are sufficient for you.’ And again, I thought that I was someone on top of a mountain talking to himself and saying, ‘I’m afraid I’m going to exhaust all the oxygen there is in the atmosphere.’ But I heard the atmosphere saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid, little man, you breathe all you want. Fill your lungs; there is enough oxygen for everybody.’ ” There are two kinds of people who are candidates for heaven. Those who have little faith and those who have much faith. Little faith will take our souls to heaven, but much faith will bring heaven to us. The important thing is for us to begin living in heaven now. In order for us to accomplish this we must stop the sighs produced by the various “ifs” of life and begin to face life as it is. (from Illustrations of Bible Truths)
III. The Diligence of Faith (Heb. 11:6)
A. 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. (Heb. 11:6) Unbelief is an awful insult to God. Faith is belief in what God says. It is taking Him at His word. Without such faith impossible to please him. God is only pleased when we walk by faith in total dependence upon Him. Unbelief keeps us from experiencing God’s best for our lives. Genuine faith is not stagnant and still. Faith diligently seeks God and God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. H. A. Ironside said, “No man in any dispensation honestly sought after God and failed to find Him, for He always revealed Himself to faith.” Faith asks no questions, requires no explanations, and fears no consequences. It simply believes and obeys. (Hebrews: Looking unto Jesus).
Illustration/Application: The Blitz
During the terrible days of the Blitz, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow.
Terrified, yet hearing his father’s voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, “I can’t see you!”
The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son, “But I can see you. Jump!”
The boy jumped, because he trusted his father.
The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known.
Source unknown
IV. Conclusion:
Faith is believing and trusting God’s revealed Word, spoken to us by His Son without doubting. Faith is the assurance in God’s future promises, an assurance that enables one to persevere. By faith we are able to understand what God does and be victorious for His glory. Will you have faith in Christ my friend? You should for its really worth it.
