The just shall live by faith! The theme is found at the end of Hebrews 10 and is continued through out the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Hebrews 11 defines faith and shows that faith has always please God. The hall of faith is filled with those who heard the word God; their faith in that word moved them into action.
Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
We have this new and living way to approach God; the new and living way is how we live for God! The most precious thing we possess is our confession of faith in Jesus. Hold fast to it; it is the source of our hope and faith. Encourage one another in this new and living way that gives us access, with boldness, even in our greatest hour of need. The day is approaching our fellowship should be Christ centered more than ever!
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
As we will see shortly, sinning willfully is not the sin we do on purpose. Salvation is a surrender of our will, making Jesus our Savior and Lord. Willful sin is taking back that will by denying the covenant which has given the new birth. Lets use the bible itself to define this for us!
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LOR D will judge His people.“ 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
It is trampling the Son of God underfoot. It is the opposite of what brought you into the kingdom. It is a rejection of Jesus Christ. This one will count the blood of Jesus as unholy; no longer seeing the blood as precious but just a common thing! It is a rejection of the covenant of grace! We are not talking about an act of sin or even entrapped by sin! We are talking about the object of your faith no longer being in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God! This is not being weak in the faith; this is an out right rejection of the atoning blood. Salvation is an confession of the mouth along with a belief in your heart that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the opposite; it is a denial of the Messiah with a heart change to unbelief. It is what the Greek language would call the apostate man.
Hebrews 10:32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
As we will see shortly, sinning willfully is not the sin we do on purpose. Salvation is a surrender of our will, making Jesus our Savior and Lord. Willful sin is taking back that will by denying the covenant which has given the new birth. Lets use the bible itself to define this for us!
Hebrews 10:29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. And again, "The LOR D will judge His people.“ 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
It is trampling the Son of God underfoot. It is the opposite of what brought you into the kingdom. It is a rejection of Jesus Christ. This one will count the blood of Jesus as unholy; no longer seeing the blood as precious but just a common thing! It is a rejection of the covenant of grace! We are not talking about an act of sin or even entrapped by sin! We are talking about the object of your faith no longer being in Jesus Christ the Son of the living God! This is not being weak in the faith; this is an out right rejection of the atoning blood. Salvation is an confession of the mouth along with a belief in your heart that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the opposite; it is a denial of the Messiah with a heart change to unbelief. It is what the Greek language would call the apostate man.
Hebrews 10:32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated; 34 for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.
We have not come this far in faith to turn back. All that we faced will be worth it if we will hold on to the confession of our faith.
Hebrews 10:35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.“ 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Do not cast away your confidence in your Messiah, which has great reward! The tarrying is about over, Jesus is coming soon! Walk with endurance that you may receive the promise. We are of those who believe to the saving of the soul! We are the justified ones who are living by faith!!
Hebrews 11 The Faith of The Saints ---
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
When this verse begin with now, it is a conjunction word. Some erroneous teachings have called this now the present tense like right now. It is two different Greek words. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hope is the eyesight of faith! Hope makes you see what has not yet manifested. This is not the world kind of hope like wishful thinking hope. This is a confident expectation in the word of God. It is not blind faith it is sees the word of God fulfilled through the eyes of hope! It is the hope that anchors our soul! Faith is the substance of what we hope for; faith is the evidence of things not seen. Faith transcends covenant; it has always been faith that pleased God. As we shall well see in this chapter.
Hebrews 11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
Faith starts at the beginning! We believe the word of God framed the worlds together!
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
The difference between Abel’s offering and Cain’s offering was Abel offered his by faith! That which is offered by faith will bring a testimony! That which is offered by faith lives beyond the man’s life. Faith makes deposits into the eternal!
Hebrews 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, "and was not found, because God had taken him"; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
By faith Enoch was taken away; it is a veiled reference to our faith will have us ready for the catching away of the saints. Enoch had faith and he pleased God.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
We are privileged to be in the covenant of grace and truth which operates with the just living by faith. There is no pleasing God without faith. You must believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him! God is the great reward and He is the one who rewards! The object of our faith must ever be in God. Have faith in God!
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Noah faith in God’s word brought salvation to his household and he became the heir of righteousness!
Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
God’s word was enough to cause Abraham to step out in faith. He did not have to have all the answers first; He heard God and obeyed. Abraham waited for the city whose builder and maker is God.
Hebrews 11:11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude; innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.
Do you know the story of Sarah? She at first laughed at the promise of God. But God had spoken a word and the word became so powerful she counted her God faithful! Count Him as faithful and it will give you strength to conceive and bring forth the promise! Hear the word and judge your God as faithful to bring it to pass!
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
In this one verse is some of the keys to faiths progression! 1 receive the promise. 2 let your heart be assured of the promise. 3 embrace the promise! 4 confess the promise. Put the promise in your mouth! Leave the complaint and allow faiths progression to live! Receive, assured, embraced, and confessed, it will indeed come to pass!
Hebrews 11:14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Like our forefathers of the faith we are looking for the city whose builder and maker is God. We want to live with the kingdom of God mentality! This world is not our home; home land security is an God idea! As the hall of faith continues I want you to take time to meditate on each set of verses. Oh, how we need to learn to meditate on the word of God! See how faith kept the eyes of men off the circumstances and turned their eyes upon the God of promise!
Hebrews 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18 of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,“ 19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
Hebrews 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel , and gave instructions concerning his bones.
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. 24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt , not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
Hebrews 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
Hebrews 11:32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of D avid and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Hebrews 11:35 Women received their dead raised to life again. And others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
Hebrews 11:39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
The great hall of faith should not be made perfect apart from us! God having provided something better for us! Say it! God has provided something better for us! Jesus is the One that makes the difference!
No comments:
Post a Comment