Faith’s Confidence Heb. 11:11, 12
Introduction: Nine weeks ago we began this journey of our study of Faith.
Purpose for the writing of the Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle was written primarily for the benefit of certain Jews who had become followers of Christ, and who were then in danger of apostatizing, through the manifold trials and temptations which they were at that time enduring. It was written to persuade the Hebrew brethren in Christ to persevere to the end in their Christian walk; and not to fall back again to Judaism.
Lesson #1 – A Sermon by Scarboro A. Doctrinal Introduction – Hebrews 1:1,2 a. The Mission of Christ – Hebrews 1:3 – 4:13 i. General Application – Hebrews 4:14 – 16 ii. (Having Therefore…) Boldness of access to God in heaven. b. The Priesthood of Christ – Hebrews 5:1 – 10:18 i. Particular Application – Hebrews 10:19 – 12:29 ii. (Having Therefore…) Boldness of access to God in heaven. B. Practical Conclusion – Hebrews 13 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works. Cast not away therefore your confidence. Quotes from Habakkuk 2:3,4 – “The just shall live by faith.” Heb 10:39 – “But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” 1
The Nature of Faith Heb. 11:1 – “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith is the essence, the foundation, the support, the ground, the confidence of our hope. The object of the author is not to define faith, not to tell what it is in and of itself, but simply to describe it in its relations to the human soul.
The nature of faith is seen in the mindset and actions of the great cloud of witnesses. Yet the nature of faith always corresponds or adheres to the components of faith. The statement in Heb. 11:1 regarding faith is not a hard fast formula, not something you can quantitatively define, But Is Always Seen! It includes belief but is more than belief alone. That is why it is written that “the devils believe but tremble.” It is more than “believing in God,” but it is all about “BELIEVING GOD”. Heb 1:1-2 – “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.” Romans 10:17 – “So then Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” If we have not heard nothing, there can be nothing to believe. There is neither room nor place for faith. We may think it, imagine it, or hope for it; but we cannot possibly believe it, because we have not heard anything about it. Our hopes and thoughts and imaginations are all vain, being without any “foundation.” 2
There is the misconception held that a Good God will not condemn good people; that our goodness will save us. Rom 3:10-12 – “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
All of our goodness will not erase one (1) sin. It will not erase: The lie you told Curse word that you uttered Pencil you stole Premarital sex you engaged in Drinking or drugs Cheating on an exam 2Cor 5:10 – “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
What is the importance of God’s Word? It is that which will judge us! John 12:48 – “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”
All of mankind, from Adam to the Judgment Day, will be judged by the Word of God. 3
There are those intangible areas of faith, without which there would be no faith. The Word of God The hearing of the Word. The believing – acceptance – receiving of that Word. The action taken based upon that Word.
But within each there is: Things hoped for Evidence of things not seen This directs us to the one intangible truth – Faith, to us, is not of sight. There was an element of faith coupled with sight. Thomas – “unless I see…” John 20:29 “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.” THAT’S YOU AND I!
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