Title:
“Faith to the Third Degree”
Faith is defined as:
(Heb 11:1 KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is required upon salvation…
(Eph 2:8 KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(Eph 2:9 KJV) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
The just are to live by faith…
(Rom 1:17 KJV) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Without faith you cannot please God…
(Heb 11:6 KJV) 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.
Key Verse for today’s message:
(Heb 11:13 KJV) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
Introduction:
When studying Hebrew 11, It seems that there are three degrees of faith.
Faith:
That sees it from afar.
Abraham saw the promised land afar off. Noah saw the rain coming from afar off. (One hundred years away!) The prophets saw the coming of the Messiah from afar off. Etc.
2. Greater Faith: Embraces it. (Verse 33)
The purpose of the Book of Hebrews was to encourage that present generation to embrace the truth of the New Testament Christ.
3. The Greatest Faith of all:
Won’t let go of it!
Reread (Heb 11:35 KJV) Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
This is one of the greatest verses that I know of when it comes to explaining the topic of “divine healing.”
It is true that it takes faith to see God from afar off. It is true that we need to embrace the promises of God. But the greatest faith of all is a faith that says, “I have faith in God no matter what the consequences, even if it means that I will die for what I believe in!”
Daniel was spared from being eaten in the Lion’s den, but others were not. Those who died for their faith, had the greatest faith of all.
Think with me in terms of World War 2:
It took faith to join up to fight with the military men for our country. (Seeing it from afar off.) It took greater faith to receive the training and go across the ocean to fight the enemy. (Embracing it.) But those who paid the highest sacrifice never came back home. These were the men who died on the battle field. They had the greatest faith of all. They were willing to die for the faith that they believed in!
It takes faith to believe that God is the Great Physician. It takes greater faith to believe that God can heal you. The greatest faith of all, says, “I will believe God, no matter what. Even if God calls me home!”
