Title: Why Faith?
Scripture: Romans 4:1-8
4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Introduction:
What then shall we, after some 2,000 years later, say? The Apostle Paul tells us, in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 13,
(1 Corinthians 13:13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
What then shall we say? If the greatest of these is love, why does Paul tell us in Ephesians 2:8-9,
(Ephesians 2:8-9) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
and then in 2 Corinthians
(2 Corinthians 1:24)
Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.
Instead of saying through faith why doesn’t Paul say through love? And, you know, there are other instances in the Bible where we see that God’s initial action was love. And, there are other instances in the Bible where we see men responding to God in love. So why not say that it is love of and for God that we are saved? And, since we’re on the subject of comparisons, then why not a multitude of other things as well? There’s of course, love, the Law, hope, works, tradition, longevity (working longer than others), seniority, and, yes, even being a team player. Oh, and don’t forget the big supporters, those that spend a lot of time or a lot of money.
Yes, there are a lot of things that we think should come first. I mean why not? Why can’t it be that way?
You know what? If I was running this world, there’d be a lot less of this and more of that. If I was in charge, there’d be more of those and a lot less of these. If I was the number one man here, there would more of this kind and less of that kind. Blah, blah, blah, blah…Most of the time people don’t even know what the word means, or entails. They don’t even know the definition of Faith.
What is faith? What does it mean to put your faith in someone? First of all, faith is having a confident belief in the truth, value or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or a thing. And, that belief does not even need to rest upon logical proof or material evidence.
The Christian’s faith in God is a confident and secure believe in Jehovah God, and a trusting acceptance of His will for our lives.
What is faith?
Confidence
Trust
Reliance
Assurance
Conviction
Belief
Devotion
Loyalty
Commitment
Dedication
......................The sum of these equals faith!
But, how is it that faith stands alone? How is it that faith can even stand against other so-called ‘pillars’ of those ivory towers named morals and ethics?
Our points today are in response to this and are a little simple, but nonetheless make us think, “Why Faith?”
I. Faith vs. the Law
II. Faith vs. hope
III. Faith vs. works
IV. Faith vs. tradition
V. Faith vs. love
I. Faith vs. the Law
The law was first, wasn’t it? Why doesn’t following the law win out over faith? Why doesn’t following God’s commands and instructions for my life come first?
Many nations have people that elect presidents and representatives to govern their country. They vote, but their candidate doesn’t get elected. So, for the next few years, there are rules and laws that may be made by those certain people in the government. They were not elected by all of the people, but ALL of those people will still have to follow those rules or be judged guilty for breaking those rules or laws.
I can follow the rules and I can follow all of the laws, but I may have no faith in that rule or law. Not only may I not have faith in the people that were elected, but I may not have faith in the very law itself that was written to protect me.
In the U.S. there is a constant battle over what exactly the second amendment to the Constitution means. The Second Amendment says:
“A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
So many people interpret this to mean they can carry an M-16 or an AK-47 assault rifle, that’s their interpretation. You see, one person believes one thing, while I may believe it to mean something else entirely. Yet, then again, what it means or how it is interpreted today or tomorrow may be different.
Or, what about if I am totally be against it? And, because I’m totally against it, I may have no faith in that law whatsoever. Even though a law is put into place, I may not have any respect for it, or any faith in it. However, that does not entitle me to break that law.
God knows man’s wicked heart and the Law was put into effect to make man aware of just how wicked that heart is.
The Law will not save you, it will only tell you that you are a sinner.
II. Faith vs. hope
What about hope? Can hope save me? What does the Bible say about hope?
When Paul was on trial before Felix at Caesarea, he said:
(Acts 24:15) ...I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
Here is Paul saying that they hoped in the same thing. However, it was said of these same men, about these Pharisees, by John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, John, and others, that they stood condemned! They had hope in God. They had hope in the Law. They had HOPE! But, that hope was not going to save them.
Think of it this way. A man is hanging over a cliff by a rope. The rope is called hope. He can hold on to hope all day long, but if hope is not tied to the rock of faith in Jesus Christ, he will fall to his eternal death.
In the contest faith vs. hope, hope will always come up a loser.
III. Faith vs. works
This one has been around for many years. Actually since before Abraham! As such, I would prefer to answer this contest between faith vs. works all with scripture:
In James it tells us
(James 2:14) What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?
Hmmm?
(Matthew 7:21-23) Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
(Romans 9:30-32) What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the "stumbling stone."
You can’t work your way into heaven, because it will be as a filthy rag before the Lord.
IV. Faith vs. tradition
Tradition has its place in church. It’s good to know that we observe the Lord’s supper every so often. It’s good that we hold to the tradition of sharing an agape feast after services. Tradition does have a place in the church. Yet, it has no place in salvation!
I go to church every Sunday. To those neighbors that see me leave every Sunday morning to go to church, it is seemingly ‘my tradition of going to church.’ Yet that action is not going to save me!
There may be the traditions of wearing certain clothes, or studying a certain Bible, or being baptized a certain way. Yet, while all of these rituals may be good or even ordained, they will not save you!
Let’s look to the Bible:
(Matthew 15:3) Jesus replied [to the Pharisees], "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
(Matthew 15:8-11) "’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’" 10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ’unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ’unclean.’"
(Colossians 2:8) See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
V. Faith vs. love
Just what is love, anyway? Is it just an emotional response? Is it only a physical obsession or fascination? And is it so difficult to understand that we have to describe it in a song?
(Love is a many splendored thing)
I walked along the streets of
Hong Kong town,
up and down, up and down.
I met a little girl in Hong Kong town
And I said can you tell me please,
Where’s that love I’ve never found.
Unravel me this riddle.
What is love, what can it be.
And in her eyes were butterflies
As she replied to me,
Love is a many-splendored thing.
It’s the April rose that only grows
In the early spring.
Love is nature’s way of giving
A reason to be living--
The golden crown
that makes a man a king.
Once on a high and windy hill
In the morning mist two lovers kissed
And the world stood still.
Then your fingers touched my silent heart
And taught it how to sing!
Yes, true love’s, a many-spendored thing.
Music-Sammy Fain
Lyrics-Paul F. Webster, 1955
(Theme for the movie.)
Well my goodness! It seems they think they know what they are talking about, doesn’t it?
Do you want to know love? Apparently this person did:
I gotta take a little time
A little time to think things over
I better read between the lines
In case I need it when I’m older
Now this mountain I must climb
Feels like a world upon my shoulders
Through the clouds I see love shine
It keeps me warm as life grows colder
In my life there’s been heartache and pain
I don’t know if I can face it again
Can’t stop now, I’ve traveled so far
To change this lonely life
(chorus)
I wanna know what love is
I want you to show me
I wanna feel what love is
I know you can show me
I’m gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I’ve got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me
(not the entire song)
Music and lyrics by Foreigner
Well, that group of singers seems to want to know love, but they never really tell me what love is, though they seem to relate it to a physical thing. Is that love? No, it’s not. To really know what love is, we must turn to the Bible:
1 John 1:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
(1 John 4:16) And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
There we have it! God is love! The Bible says that God has poured out His love into our hearts by His spirit (Romans 5:5). And then, in 1 Corinthians 13:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
There we have it. The Apostle Paul did not hesitate to tell us. We didn’t have to look very far. We didn’t have to search high and low or rely upon some songwriter or would-be philosopher. No, we simply turned to the Bible and there it was.
Now we know what love is…but what about Faith vs. Love? Remember earlier we said, faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love. Notice that Paul did not say you have to have love to have faith, or you have to have love to have hope, or you have to have love first to believe in God. Why not? Because of what it says in the Scriptures. Love, though the greatest of these three, comes after faith. Faith is first. Putting your faith in Jesus will bring the Spirit of God into your hearts. When the Spirit of God is given, then God fills us with His love.
(Romans 5:5) “…God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
There is an order. There is organization in Worship. We put our faith in the Son of God, which brings God’s wonderful Spirit, which brings His love.
You really want to know love? Then know God!
Conclusion:
The law tells me I need to be saved…by faith
I hope in the one that has saved me through faih...
I work for the ONE that has saved me through faith...
I follow church traditions and ordinances put forth by the one that I follow...in faith...
I love not only others, but the ONE that gave me the faith in the first place to give back to HIM.
Faith in God and the finished work of Jesus on the cross brings the Spirit of God, Who brings the Love of God, which brings the Hope of God and enables me to work for God and follow the laws of God and observe the traditions Spoken of by God, through the Word of God, Jesus Christ...
(Romans 4:1-8) What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Amen?
Edward Mote, 1832, has captured the essence and importance of faith in the Christian life, in his hymn, My hope is built on nothing less. let’s sing that together...
My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.
Refrain
On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.
Refrain
His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
Refrain
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Refrain
(Edward Mote, 1832)
