Living by Faith – Part 2
Scripture text: Hebrews 10:36-11:2.
Intro: We live to some degree by faith everyday. Food safe to eat ? Water safe to drink? Prescription safe to take? We exercise in the “natural” daily. The bible instructs us to exercise a faith in “supernatural” ie, a faith in God!
What does it look like? The bible passages paints a picture for us. It starts with:
I. The Expectation to Live by Faith.
Q: Who expects us to live by faith?
A: God!
1. No matter what the problem, age, God has always expected it.
a) Habakkuk 2:4 is quoted in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11 & Hebrews 10: 38 – it is meant to be a life principle!
II. The Expression of Living by Faith.
Q: What does it “look” like in daily life?
Hebrews 10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.-NIV
Hebrews 10:36a For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, -NASB
A) Endurance and perseverance!
1. Endurance literally means abiding under.
a) The idea is that you remain under some difficulty, some discipline perhaps something that you would naturally rebel against, run from, and not stay under!
III. The Edict to Live by Faith!
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
A) Commanded!
1. Christ Himself said:
Revelation 3:10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. – ( Great Tribulation!)
Matthew 24:13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.-NKJV
Andrew Murray - "This is one of the great practical lessons of the Epistle of Hebrews. Without perseverance, endurance, steadfastness, faith is vain; the only proof that it is a living, saving faith, is that it holds fast its boldness firm unto the end."
B) Consistency
Hebrews 10:38a But the just shall live by faith- The constant exercise of faith!
1. Living by faith is not a single and transient act, but something habitual and permanent"
IV. The Expense (Cost) of NOT Living by faith?
Hebrews 10: 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”39a But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, -NKJV
A) Perdition!
1. Describes the eternal state of death, destruction, annihilation, or ruin.
2. Eternal separation from God!
Hebrews 10:38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!
V. The Exhortation/Encouragement to Live by Faith.
Exhort- "to call to a person" to entreat;" "to admonish, to urge.
Encourage -"to urge forward, persuade,"
Hebrews 10:39a But (WE - With this pronoun the writer identifies himself with the reader) do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed,
Hebrews 10:39b but of those who believe to the saving of the soul! - NKJV.
V. The Explanation of Faith.
Q: If I’m to live by faith – What is it?
A) The definition of faith:
Hebrews 11:1a Now faith is…Faith -belief, trust, confidence, the conviction of the truth about anything.
Puritan theology explains it had 3 aspects to it I find helpful in understanding faith:
1. Knowing, knowledge aspect to it!
a) You are mentally convinced or the truth about something.
b). The bible informs our faith.
John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Acts 24:14b I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,
2. Assent
a) Knowledge – the mind/my head recognizes and understands that truth about something
b) The Heart - gives assent to it.
Hebrews 11:1b Now faith is….the substance… [IT HAS SUBSTANCE]
i. Substance - (hypo-stasis) derived from 2 words:
a. Hypo = under (Illustration- Hypodermic needle! Something you use to inject something under your skin!)
b.to stand
i. It literally means a standing, or a setting under, a support, a foundation.
Q: Point?
A: Saving faith gets “under one’s skin” it moves from the head to the heart, to the innermost part of you!
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved
Act 8:36b What hinders me from being baptized?” 37a Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
3. Trust
a) Trust is the voluntary aspect of saving faith, the volitional element. It has to do with the will.
b) It’s when you make the commitment to what your head knows, and what warms your heart!
c) IN OTHER WORDS - Saving faith encapsulates my whole being!
d) My mind, emotion, and will!
Q: WHY WOULD I COMMIT MYSELF TO SUCH A RADICAL DEGREE? BECAUSE…
VI. The Expectation of those who Live by Faith.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for
A) Hope
1. To look forward with confidence EXPECTATION to that which is good and beneficial.
2. It means to expect, with implication of some great benefit.
Q: WHAT ?
B) Heaven!
1Co 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable
Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
Philippians 3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself !
1..Heaven, going home, with a glorified body! -PTL!
Hebrews 11:1d the evidence of things not seen.
a) Evidence - ??e????- elegchos -e'-len-khos -The proof, the thing by which something is proven, proved to be certain!
This is where the Amplified is most helpful
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. -AMPC
1 Peter 1: 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you!... 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.-NIV
Our hope is a “living hope” that is sure, certain, and real, as opposed to the deceptive, empty, false hope the world offers.
Our hope is something that is more solid that the ground under our feet, because it is settled by the inerrant, infallible, Word of God! (Our title deed!)
F. B. Meyer – “This is our living hope we have is a link between our present and future."
Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
ELDERS - THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS!
A) Point?
1. Faith AND LIVING BY FAITH has ALWAYS BEEN – THE ONLY WAY A MAN COULD PLEASE GOD!
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
B) Proof?
1. THAT IS THE TESTIMONY/THE POINT OF THE ENTIRE 11th chapter of Hebrews!!
Closing:
a) Do you have a “living” faith?
b) If not turn to Jesus! Who is…
Hebrews 12: 2a looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
Be blessed!!
