True Faith Series

Title: True Faith

Theme: To strengthen and understanding of faith.

Text: Hebrews 11:1-6

Introduction

This is one of the great chapters in the Bible. It is known as God’s Great Hall of Fame. Men and women who have believed God down through the centuries are listed as being great men and women of God. The key to greatness with God is faith; the person who truly believes God is great in the eyes of God. The key to us being great in the eyes of God is faith-faith in God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me take it a step further and say, “The key to finding and having favor with God is to have faith.” True faith.

That leads me to the first point of my message. Today as we take another look at faith I want to show you in this passage five things. 1) The promise of faith 2) The proof of faith 3) The people of faith 4) The power of faith and finally 5) The practice of faith.

Look with me again at verse one.

The Promise of Faith

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

Faith is substance. This word substance has been translated also as “assurance, title deed, absolute certainty, real fact, foundation”. Notice the pattern here. It is as if it actually happens. What happens? The things that God says in his word are true and will come true.

As one author put it:

Faith is trusting and possessing all that God is and says.

Faith is believing and possessing all that God is and says.

Faith is having confidence in and possessing all that God is and says.

Faith is hoping for something and possessing it because God is (He exists) and has promised it.

I want you to get this as we set the tone for this message. Faith is not . . .

“I think so, I hope so”

“It may be so; it may not be so”

“It might be true; it might not be true”

Faith is knowing and trusting God and His promises.

What are his promises?

Everlasting life- John 3:16 “Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” Faith says this is truth.

Peace

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Absence of fear-2Ti 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Power-Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Love, A sound mind

I could go on and on and talk about the promises of heaven, the promises of joy, the promises of etc.

Faith says this is true. Faith has assurances.

Notice secondly The Proof of Faith

Hebrews 11:1b the evidence of things not seen.

What is the proof of God? What is the evidence that God exists? Now I could present to you the many philosophical evidences that seem to point to God. I could argue with you from the evidence of creation and the grass, trees and flowers that we see. I could argue with you about the world. I could take you to the evidence of the morality of man. The laws and the belief in right and wrong.

These are all evidences of God but the greatest evidence you have is your faith. When you have faith then you have all the evidence that you need. There is nothing wrong with adding to and strengthening your faith through understanding yet your faith is the greatest evidence.

And as I have told you before your faith is your greatest witness.

Notice it is one thing to talk about the promises of God in his word but with the proof of our faith we “possess” the promises of God. You have got to get this. As we talked about last week, we take ownership of God.

The People of Faith

2 For by it (faith) the elders obtained a testimony.

In this chapter the author lists by name over 19 people then we see groups of people who stood for what they believed because they had faith. It was more than something they read in a book it was something they believed in their heart and stood up for in their life

In Abel we see-the testimony of faith who “offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice”- faith without works is dead-action

In Enoch we see-the translation of faith “was translated that