Confidence In What We Hope For!

Confidence in What we Hope For

Hebrews 11:1-3

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

“Faith” is one of those words that is often misunderstood, amongst God’s own people and even worse amongst unbelievers! For example, some Christians believe faith is a blind leap into the unknown, groping in what one cannot see in hope that the free falling of one’s decisions might result in being caught up into great heights of blessings in the arms of our Creator. For others faith is confidence and assurance that filling in the “blank cheque” of God’s mercy and grace is all that is necessary to “claim” the desires of one’s heart! How utterly disappointed these believers become when they find out faith is not “a lasso we throw around God’s neck to make Him do our will!” Then there is the perspective of the unbelievers of this world. Do they not see putting one’s “utter dependence upon an unseen God as being irrational? In their minds what evidence is there that Christ exists, much less controls all things seen and unseen (Colossians 1:16)? Is not faith for them in the “god of self” who is their main source of obtaining great wealth, power, and fame? While we as Christians quickly reject this kind of worldly theology concerning faith if we are truthful with ourselves the lost souls of this world have placed so many “worldly planks of untruth” in our eyes that in our blurry vision God’s definition of faith has been lost in a sea of obscurity! Since it is by faith that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8-9) and without faith we cannot please God (11:6) it is critical for our spiritual health that we define faith rightly. The following sermon is going to review Hebrews 11 to help us define faith and through the testimonies of the ancients learn how to live in a manner that pleases our Lord!

What Faith Is

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (11:1). The word “hypostasis” or “being sure” means “substance, firmness, confidence, a collection of documents establishing ownership, a guarantee, or a proof.” Faith is not a feeling or hope based on what is seen but what is unseen (Romans 8:24). For example, by faith we believe the universe is the footprints of God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature (Romans 1:20) that were made from nothing at His command (Genesis 1)! Charles Spurgeon rightly states that true faith contains three levels: knowledge of God and His holy word (Romans 10:14-15), understanding and accepting Scriptures as being the “very truth of the living God,” and belief in Christ as our atoning sacrifice to pay for the penalty of our sins. Faith is not about its size, for even the faith as tiny as a mustard seed can move mighty mountains (Matthew 17:20), but about the integrity of the person you are placing your faith! Jesus who is our once and for all sacrifice for our sins (9:14, 10:14), intercedes and is our sympathetic high priest before God (4:14-16), removes our sins upon confession (1 John 1:9, Hebrews 8:12), and promises to always do good to those who love Him alone is worthy to be praised as our Lord, Saviour, and King! Faith in Jesus calms our fears (1 Corinthians 15:27), cushions our falls (John 10:28) and by it we are adopted into God’s family and our home in heaven eternally secured (John 14:1-3)! Faith is living as if God’s promise is already in hand, especially when the blessing is impossible by human effort alone! Without faith it is impossible to please God for only those works done in His name and will are acceptable sacrifices unto Him!

Lessons from the Faithful

The story is told of a policeman who was doing his rounds, and this policeman had to cross a bridge. As this policeman crossed the bridge, his eyes riveted on a young man who was about to jump. This young man was about to jump to his death on one of these one hundred-foot bridges that would surely mean, he would die. The policeman softly pulled the car over, and said to the young man, “What are you doing?” The young man says, “I am going to die, I am going to kill myself.” He says, “Well, why do you want to do that?” He said, “Because life is not worth living. Life is meaningless, empty. There’s no reason for living. I just exist.” The policeman said, “Well, I’ll tell you what to do. Before you jump, I want you to give me five minutes of your time to explain to me why life is so meaningless. Then after I listen to you, I want you to give me five minutes of your time, for me to tell you why life has meaning. So I’ll give you five minutes to tell me why life is meaningless. You give me five minutes to tell you why life is meaningful. And after our ten-minute time together, if you still want to jump, I won’t stop you.”