Sermon
#521 Hebrews
Notes
Title: Faith
Text: Hebrews 11:6
Subject: Questions about Faith
Date: Tuesday Evening –
Tape # W-38a
Introduction:
I
have a very, very important message for you tonight. My subject this evening is
Faith.
There is no subject in all the world more important, and no subject about which
there is more confusion. I daresay, men and women in our society are more
ignorant and confused about faith than about any other subject they presume to
understand.
Paul has told us that “the just shall live by faith” (
The substance, the ground,
the foundation of our confident hope of eternal salvation is our faith in
Christ. And that faith is the proof and evidence of our eternal justification
and everlasting salvation.
Faith understands what the
most learned scientists cannot fathom. Faith understands that “the worlds were framed by the Word of God,”
for faith simply believes God.
Abel understood that the
only way a guilty man could approach God is by blood atonement. His brother,
Cain, did not. Cain thought that a man could please God and win his favor by
works. Abel believed God. Cain did not.
Enoch understood that the
only way a man could please God and be accepted of him is by faith. So Enoch
walked with God by faith. And when he left this world, he had this testimony,
that he pleased God.
Proposition: Paul
is telling us that the only way to be saved, the only way to be accepted of
God, the only way to walk with God, the only way to please God is by faith,
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Read
verse 6 – “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.”
Divisions:
1. What is faith?
2. Why is faith necessary?
3. How can I obtain this faith?
4. Do I have faith?
I.
What
is faith?
There are many forms of false faith by
which the souls of men are deluded. Judas, Demas, and Diotrephes all had faith.
But theirs was a false faith. Many people have a denominational faith. I do not
say that their faith is without sincerity, devotion, and zeal. But unless they
have that faith which is described in the Word of God, their faith is damning
to their souls. James tells us that even the devils have faith. But what is
that true, saving faith, that faith by which a man pleases God? That is the
question I want to answer in this message.
There
is but one true faith. And you and I must examine ourselves and prove ourselves
on this point, whether we be in “the
faith (2 Cor. 13:5).
Faith,
true, saving faith, consists of three things: Knowledge, assent, and trust. If
we would be pleasing to God, if we would come to him and be saved by him, we
must know the revelation of God in the gospel, we must give assent that God’s
revelation is truth, and we must trust him whom God reveals.
A.
The first aspect of faith is
knowledge.
Knowledge
is not faith. Yet, there is no faith without knowledge. Paul says, “He that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Our
text clearly shows the necessity of knowledge. Faith in Christ is a
heart work. But it is not a leap in the dark. It is based upon knowledge. In
order for us to trust, there must be someone, or something known for us to
trust (Isa. 53:11; John 17:3). Two things, according to our text, must be
known:
[John
17:3] "And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent."
·
In order for anyone to have faith, he must know the Lord God, as he is
revealed in the Person and work of Christ (John
[John 1:18] "No man hath
seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the
Father, he hath declared him."
[John 14:6-9] "Jesus saith
unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me. [7] If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. [8] Philip saith
unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. [9] Jesus saith
unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me,
Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then,
Show us the Father?"
[Hebrews
1:1-3] "God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
[2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath
appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; [3] Who
being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."
·
You must know that God is.
·
You must know that God is who He says He is.
·
You must know that God is what He says He is.
(1). Sovereign and good (Ex.
33:18-19).
(2). Just and gracious (Isa.
45:20-22).
(3). Holy and merciful (Isa.
6:3, 7).
·
The only way man can know God is by the revelation of God in Jesus
Christ, the God-man (2 Cor. 4:5-6).
[2 Corinthians 4:5-6] "For
we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants
for Jesus' sake. [6] For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
·
And you must know that God is the rewarder of them that diligently seek
him (Isa. 55:3, 6, 7; Jer. 29:13-14).
[Isaiah 55:3] "Incline your
ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an
everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."
[Isaiah 55:6-7] "Seek ye
the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: [7] Let
the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him
return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he
will abundantly pardon."
[Jeremiah 29:13-14] "And ye
shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your
heart. [14] And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn
away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all
the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you
again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."
All who seek the Lord, all who come to God by faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, shall be rewarded with eternal life and everlasting
salvation. This too
must be known. But how can we know that God will reward every believer with
eternal salvation? By the Gospel! (1 Cor. 15:3;
·
The
Lord Jesus earned righteousness for His people (Rom.
·
The Son of God purchased salvation for His elect (Gal.
·
God has promised that salvation to all who trust His Son (John
This is the point I am making – Gospel
knowledge is essential to saving faith. And the matter of paramount
importance in the knowledge of the gospel is the redemptive work of Christ.
·
He is an able Redeemer – The God-man!
·
He is a willing Redeemer – (Isa. 50:5-7).
·
He is an effectual Redeemer – (Isa. 53:10).
Unless a
person knows these things, he cannot have faith, he cannot please God, he
cannot be saved; but, merely knowing these things is not faith. Knowledge is
necessary. But knowledge alone is not faith[1].
B.
Along with that knowledge,
our hearts must give assent that these things are true.
Many people know the truth. They have heard
it for years. They have been catechized and trained in gospel truth from their
infancy. But saving faith involves a willing, voluntary, deliberate, considered
assent to the truth of God. Faith simply embraces the Revelation of God as the
Revelation of God.
Today,
you are being confronted with the truth of God. Your Bible is open on your lap.
The truth is staring you in the face. God is speaking directly to your heart.
Now you will make a decision. You will either embrace the testimony of God as
the Truth, or you will reject it and declare that God is a liar! (1 John 5:10).
[1
John 5:10] "He that believeth on
the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made
him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."
Have
you now embraced this gospel of God’s free grace as the truth? If you have, you
are not far from the kingdom of God. But still, there is something else
necessary.
C.
Faith knows the gospel and gives assent to the gospel of the truth. But
there is more – Saving faith trusts
the Lord Jesus Christ.
A man acts upon what he believes. And the act
of faith is trusting Christ.
Illustration: The Woman With An Issue Of Blood.
The Publican
The Leper
“He that believeth on the Lord Jesus
Christ shall be saved, be his sins never so many; but he that believeth not in
the Lord Jesus must be damned, be his sins never so few” – (Brooks).
II.
Why
is faith in Christ necessary?
Why is it necessary for sinners to
trust the Lord Jesus Christ alone in order to be saved?
A. No one has ever pleased God and been accepted of Him
except those who have simply believed.
Hebrews 11 records the names
of 17 men and women, whose histories are well known, who pleased God. How did
they do it? By faith alone!
Many others, mentioned in the Bible have perished under the
wrath and curse of God, though they did some good, commendable things.
·
Repentance will not save you! (Esau – Judas).
·
Confession of sin will not save you! (Ahab – Saul)).
·
Self-denial and sacrifice will not save you! (Ananias).
·
Only faith pleases God, because only faith gives all praise, honor, and
glory to the Son of God.
B. Faith is necessary, because without faith there is
no vital union with Christ.
Illustration: The Grafted Branch.
The Member And The Head.
C. Faith is necessary, because God plainly declares
that works have nothing to do with salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).
[Ephesians 2:8-9] "For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Illustration: Cain
and Abel.
D. Faith is necessary, because salvation is by grace
alone (Rom. 4:16; Gal. 5:2-4; 2
Tim. 1:9).
[Romans 4:16] "Therefore it
is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might
be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also
which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all."
[Galatians 5:2-4] "Behold,
I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you
nothing. [3] For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that
he is a debtor to do the whole law. [4] Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from
grace."
[2 Timothy 1:9] "Who hath
saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ
Jesus before the world began."
·
Faith promises nothing!
·
Faith does nothing!
III. How can I obtain this
faith?
·
Not by heredity (John 1:11-13).
[John 1:11-13] "He came
unto his own, and his own received him not. [12] But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
·
Not by education.
·
Not by reason.
·
Not by ceremony!
·
Faith in Christ is the free gift of God’s sovereign grace.
A. If you obtain faith, you will get it by God’s
appointed means – Preaching (Rom. 10:13-17).
[Romans 10:13-17] "For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. [14] How
then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a
preacher? [15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is
written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings of good things! [16] But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? [17] So
then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
B. If you obtain faith, you will get it by Divine
Revelation (Matt. 16:16; Gal. 1:15).
C. If you obtain faith, you will get it by regenerating
grace and the irresistible call of God the Holy Spirit (John
6:63; Eph. 1:18-20).
[Ephesians 1:18-20]
"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know
what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his
inheritance in the saints, [19] And what is the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his
mighty power, [20] Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.”
It is possible for men and women to know
whether or not they have faith in Christ (1 John 5:13).
[1
John 5:13] "These things have I
written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know
that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of
God."
If I have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ…
·
I renounce all personal righteousness!
·
I trust Christ alone!
·
I willingly surrender to the rule of Christ as my Lord.
[Luke 14:25-33] "And there
went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, [26] If
any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be
my disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after
me, cannot be my disciple. [28] For which of you, intending to build a
tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient
to finish it? [29] Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation,
and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock
him, [30] Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
[31] Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down
first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that
cometh against him with twenty thousand? [32] Or else, while the other
is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of
peace. [33] So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."
·
I love the Lord Jesus Christ and love my brethren.
Application: Mark 16:16; 1 John 5:10-13.
[Mark
16:16] "He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned."
[1 John 5:10-13] "He that
believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not
God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of
his Son. [11] And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son. [12] He that hath the Son hath life; and
he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. [13] These things
have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may
know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son
of God."
1.
Trust
Christ, and He will save you. – Indeed, if you trust him, he has saved you.
2. Confess Christ in baptism –
Follow the Lamb!
3. Children of God, honor
Christ – How? By faith.
·
Faith in Christ pleases God.
·
Faith in Christ honors God.
·
Faith in Christ is honored by God.
[1] “Of all the poison which at this day is diffused in the minds of men, corrupting them from the mystery of the gospel, there is no part that is more pernicious than this one perverse imagination, that to ‘believe in Christ’ is nothing at all but to ‘believe the doctrine of the gospel!’ which yet we grant is included therein.” – John Owen