Foundational Faith-2

FOUNDATIONAL FAITH-II—Hebrews 10:39-11:3

Attention:

A husband & wife were at a party chatting with some friends when the subject of marriage counseling came up.

"Oh, we’ll never need that. My husband & I have a great relationship," the wife explained.

"He was a communications major in college & I majored in theater arts."

"He communicates real well & I just act like I’m listening."

Such a foundation is probably not the best way to maintain a marriage!

Conversely, the foundation of your faith enables foundational spiritual realities to occur in your life in Christ.

Need:

The writer’s audience was told of the substance/nature of biblical saving faith.

Christians must be reminded of the foundational nature of biblical saving faith.

Why is such faith foundational/essential?

4 abilities/acquisitions making faith foundational.

Last time in Hebrews we found that Foundational Faith enables a Foundational...

1. DISTINCTION(:39)

Today we will delve into the fact that....

2—Foundational Faith enables...

A Foundational FUTURE(11:1)

Explanation: (11:1)

11:1—“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

“Faith” that saves biblically, is faith that “assures” one of what he/she “hopes for.” It is the very “substance” of what is hoped in.

Rom. 8:20-25—“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans & labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

What we “hope for” must be attainable in reality & not merely attainable in our minds only. And for the Christian, it must be attainable in Christ! This is the difference between the faith of Christians versus the faith of non-christians.

Saving “faith” is one’s personal conviction of that which is/are largely invisible. Such “things” are undetectable to the physical eye alone.

God has made us in His image to utilize the physical eye to drink in knowledge—not for knowledge’s sake—but to recognize the God whose physical works testify of Himself & thereby driving us to faith in Him.

“Faith” places these things which are unseen into our hands/lives!

Such faith is NOT sincere faith based on whimsy...

...But rather a sincere faith based on fact, which has been revealed to man from the very beginning & thruout his short history on this earth.

“Faith”—pistiv—1) Conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT Of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God & divine things, generally with the included idea of trust & holy fervor born of faith & joined with it; 2) Fidelity, faithfulness. Strong—Persuasion, i.e. Credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially--Reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly--Constancy in such profession; by extension--The system of religious (Gospel) truth itself.

“Substance/Assurance/Being sure”—upostasiv—N. f.—1) A setting or placing under—1a) Thing put under, substructure, foundation; 2) That which has foundation, is firm—2a) That which has actual existence—2a1) A substance, real being, 2b) The substantial quality, nature, of a person or thing, 2c) The steadfastness of mind, firmness, courage, resolution—2c1) Confidence, firm trust, assurance. Strong—A setting under (support), i.e. figuratively--Concretely, essence, or abstractly--Assurance (objectively or subjectively). Used 5X.

From—upo—1)By, under. &—isthmi—1) To cause or make to stand, to place, put, set.

Used in 1:3 to describe Jesus’ being the express image of God’s very “person”(upostasiv).

“Hoped for”—elpizw—1) To hope—1a) In a religious sense—To wait for salvation with joy & full confidence; 2) Hopefully to trust in. Strong—To expect or confide.

“Evidence/Conviction/Being...Certain”—elegcov—N. m.—1) A proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested; 2) Conviction. Elegcov is a charge which is shown to be true, & often is so confessed by the accused. It has both a judicial & a moral meaning. Elegcw(V.)means to rebuke with sufficient cause, & also effectually, so as to bring the one rebuked to a confession or at least a conviction of sin. In other words, it means to convince. Strong—Proof, conviction. Used 2X.

“Things”—pragma—1) That which has been done, a deed, an accomplished fact; 2) What is done or being accomplished—2a) spec. business, A commercial transaction; 3) A matter, question, affair—3a) spec. in a forensic sense, A matter at law, case, suit; 4) That which is or exists, a thing. Strong—A deed; by implication--An affair; by extension--An object (material). Used 11X. (CONT...)2—Foundational Faith enables...