This is the manuscript of the sermon delivered at Christ Church on March 14, 2021. This is the fourth sermon in a series "The Answer To Eternity's Most Important Questions"
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The Greek word translated “substance” had a technical meaning in the business world of the first century; it referred to someone’s property or effects. In other words faith is our title deed to salvation in Christ and the mercy and grace of God.
The thing for which we earnestly hope is the final result of salvation which is the resurrection of our bodies and eternal rest in God. Faith is the title deed to that great hope, that great reality.
For an audio recording of the sermon click the YouTube link at the end of this manuscript.
To see a video of the entire service click this link https://youtu.be/QBhNkAbKK-8
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your site my Lord and my Redeemer .
Text:
Hebrews 10:37-38 NKJV “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
Introduction
The classic biblical definition of faith is found in Hebrews
Hebrews 11:1 NKJV Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The Greek word translated “substance” had a technical meaning in the business world of the first century; it referred to someone’s property or effects. In other words faith is our title deed to salvation in Christ and the mercy and grace of God.
The thing for which we earnestly hope is the final result of salvation which is the resurrection of our bodies and eternal rest in God. Faith is the title deed to that great hope, that great reality.
I. Faith in salvation has a definite object.
When we begin to examine the faith that saves, we notice that this is not just a vague thing that reaches out to nothing. It is faith in a definite object or in our case a definite perso —it is faith in Jesus Christ.
A. Our faith must be in Christ, not the church. Many people have faith that the church will save them. The church has many benefits it is after all the Body of Christ and the assembly of believers, but the church itself cannot save, Jesus Christ saves.
B. Our faith must be in Christ, not the Bible. Yes the Bible is God’s Word.
Psalms 119:105 NIV Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Matthew 4:4 NIV Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
God’s word brings us to Christ, but it cannot save us. It
tells us how God has provided for our salvation.
Romans 10:8-10 NIV But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
Romans 10:13 NIV for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Only faith in Christ brings salvation.
C. Our faith must be in Christ, not our works, our good deeds.
Do you remember the conversation that Jesus had with Nicodemus? Nicodemus was a good man; perhaps there was none better among his contemporary Jews. But Jesus told him he had to be born again in order to see the kingdom of God. The fact that he was a good man, while good couldn't get him into the Kingdom he had to be born again.
John 3:3-8 NIV Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. ” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
What did the Apostle Paul say?
Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Only faith in Christ brings salvation.
II. Faith, in its simplest terms, is complete trust.
When we trust Christ as Savior, when we have faith in him, it means that we completely trust him to cleanse us, forgive our sins, and save us for now and eternity.
Mark 5:25-34 NIV And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ” But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
In this story, there is a woman who is sick. She has been bleeding constantly for 12 years. Many doctors try to help her, but she is only getting worse and she has spent everything she has to pay for her medical treatment.
But she still has hope that things can change for her.
She has heard about Jesus and so when he comes through a crowd where she is, she walks up behind him and thinks, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” So, she touches his robe and boom! She is immediately healed.
Even after so many years of illness, she still believed her life could change. She still believed there was an answer to her problem.
Her faith and her petition for God to heal her, which manifested when she touched His robe, activated God’s loving power—and her life was permanently changed.
This is the kind of faith we must have in Christ as Savior. Faith in salvation is complete trust.
III. Faith in salvation has distinct consequences.
A. One consequence is that God forgives our sin.
At the time we turn to him in faith, confessing our sins to him and trusting in him to forgive us, our sins are forgiven and we are saved.
Let's go back to Romans 10
Romans 10:8-13 NIV But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
We are saved and all our past sin is forgiven but even more than that, if we sin after we are saved;
1 John 1:9 KJV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
B. Another consequence of faith is submitting to Christ as Lord.
Whenever a person becomes a Christian, Christ becomes the Lord of his or her life.
We do not make Jesus Lord. Jesus is Lord. What we are supposed to do is submit to His lordship. Another word for our response to Jesus’ lordship is “submission.” To submit is to yield to the will and control of another, and, with reference to Christians, it is yielding to the will and control of Jesus Christ. This means that when Scripture commands believers to love one another, that is what is to be done. It means that when Scripture says we are not to commit adultery or steal, these things are not to be done. It should be understood that submission, and obedience to the commands of God, is related to Christian growth and maturity.
We need to realize that complete obedience cannot be accomplished simply by willing it to be done in our own strength or simply because we “decide” to do it. We can’t do it on our own because even the most devout believers are prone to sinful conduct and thoughts without the work and power of the Holy Spirit. In order to be obedient, we must rely on the power provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit
John 14:15-17 NIV “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
We are actually commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 5:18-20 NIV Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Obeying that command is an act of obedience.
C. God forgiving our sin and our being committed to Christ are two consequences of faith but the most direct consequence of faith in salvation is that we live a life of faith.
Faith in Christ for salvation is not just the faith for a moment. It is faith for a lifetime.
Here’s an example; a blind man had a seeing-eye dog. He held the dog’s leash, and the dog guided him through crowds of people, directed him through traffic, took him about his business, and returned him to his home. As the man followed the dog, he showed complete faith in the dog.
That is what complete trust looks like.
In complete trust we accept Christ as our Savior, committing our life to him and living the life of faith.
How do you do that?
Be loving & humble
Philippians 2:3-4 NIV Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
This means that a mark of a Christian (someone who lives out their faith) is humility & honor — always lifting others up! Living out your faith means being a friend who strives for humility and love over selfishness.
Use your gifts
1 Peter 4:10-11 NIV Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.
God has gifted each one of us uniquely. We each have abilities and talents that serve and drive the body of Christ. Living out your faith means using what God has given us for His glory and the church’s and world’s benefit. The driving force behind using our gifts is that God’s name is glorified THAT is living out your faith!
Speak life, not death
James 3:9-12 NIV With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
When we decide to love and serve Jesus, we’re committing to carry His Spirit around with us so that it can be seen by others. It’s easy to speak “death” (gossip, hatred, filthy language). But God’s children are called to speak life and that is things that are true and loving! One of the simplest ways to live out our faith is to keep our tongues from any negative speech and replace it with LIFE GIVING WORDS.
Overflow with joy
Proverbs 17:22 NIV A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Joy is happiness that isn’t based on circumstances — rather, it’s set on the confidence that is found in Jesus! The world can be a sad place, with people consumed by their circumstances. But another way to live out our faith and show the world the light of Christ is to simply be joyful. Especially when life gets hard and things don’t go our way. Simply choosing to look beyond the circumstances and serve someone else. That’s living out our life of faith.
And Finally
Represent the kingdom
Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The world is watching. Especially if they know that you’re a Christian. Think about this for a moment: As Christians, we carry around the HOLY SPIRIT. We are walking image-bearers of the Creator of the World. So we have an obligation (more like an honor) to represent Jesus and show up for Him. We can do this by waking up every morning and asking God that we become more like Him throughout our day! It all comes down to renewing our minds and dwelling on something higher — SOMEONE higher.
Conclusion
The faith that saves is this complete committal of our life to Christ. He is the object of our faith.
Sermon Audio
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