THE DOCTRINE OF FAITH

HEBREWS 11:6....AXIOM:  This is a matter of fact, never changing....”without faith, it is impossible to please Him.”

a. there is no pleasing of God apart from the concept of faith.

WHAT IS FAITH?

A. Definition of faith through the words used in scripture:

1. AMANEN:   Gen 15:6....”and he believed in the Lord and it was counted.”

a. the word for believe is AMANEN

b. MEANS:  TO PROP OR SUPPORT YOURSELF ON SOMETHING.  it is very simple word.  YOU HAVE TO HAVE S0METHING TO PROP ON.....it is the activity of proping on something.  IT ENTAILS AN OBJECT.  You cannot prop without an OBJECT.  You cannot support without an OBJECT.

a. there must be an OBJECT.....without propping on Him, you cannot please Him.  

b. the object was twofold:  v. 5 the WORD, then in v. 6, THE LORD.

c.  Isaiah 25:1....   AMANEN.....same word....”your counsels are something to prop on....we can support ourselves with your counsel.

d. Isa 65:16 again, the same word....we rest on the God of truth....

2. YAHAL....meaning:  TO BE WEAK.  to be weak in such a sense as to waiting and being patient.  

a. Job 13:15  “though he slay me yet will I trust Him.”   [even though God goes to the point of slaying him, he will trust Him]. Even though I am weak, I will trust.... THE WORD  MEANS THAT WHILE UNDER GRIND AND PRESSURE, WE STILL WAIT.  

b. THIS ADDS A DIMENSION:  here you trust when there is no evidence that God is doing anything....but still you trust....

c. Psa 119:49....      “caused me to hope or to trust.”  DAVID IS HERE STILL WAITING ON GOD.  [THIS IS THE WORD FOR FAITH WHEN THINGS DO NOT HAPPEN QUICKLY]

3. BATACH....THIS TERM WAS USED FOR WRESTLING....WHEN ONE WOULD THROW ANOTHER DOWN ON HIS FACE .

a. used for anyone who would lie extended on something.....

b. Psa 31:10-14....note David in this passage....He was DOWN.... I lay extended down....I lay down....I trusted in the Lord....

c. Psa 37:5....same word...."commit thy way unto the Lord"....[again the word means to lie down like you would in a wrestling match.....LIE EXTENDED AND HE WILL BRING IT TO PAST.  NONE OF THESE WORDS ARE ABSTRACT......

4. HASAH..... means to seek a refuge or shelter....but to do it rapidly.....

a. Psa 36:7.....the metaphor here is that of a hen  “the picture here is of an animal and the little chicks....the chicks go under her wing".....

b. Psa 57:1....”trusteth in thee.”  FLEEING TO REFUGE....implies there is a place....HIS WINGS IS THE OBJECT.....FAITH ALWAYS HAS TO HAVE AN OBJECT.  

5. KAWAH: origin of word.....was strands of rope twisted together....took time to make....Isa 40:31...gives the idea of small strands twisted together like this word KAWAH...’they that wait.’

they that wait patiently like making a rope strand by strand....

6. To please God, you need three things.

a. OBJECT.....of your faith...

     1. CAN BE THE WORD.....THE OBJECT OF YOUR FAITH HAS TO BE THE WORD PLACED INTO                                  THE WILL.

     2. CAN BE GOD HIMSELF....THE CHARACTER OF GOD.

     3. THE EXERCISE OF VOLITION TOWARD EACH OBJECT.

Why study Faith?  Heb 11:6....says “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

HEBREWS  CHAPTER 11 ON FAITH:

1. Abel:  had faith.  

a. it states clearly that he exercised faith.

b. go back to Gen 4 and find that faith....where is it?

1. the place is not there. How could the author of Hebrews conclude that Abel had faith.  4:4...”and the Lord had respect.”  [too look with favor or pleasure on].  This is how Hebrews concludes that ABEL HAD FAITH......  If God was pleased with Abel, then Abel had faith, for without faith it is impossible to please God.  

2. Isaiah 40:

Hebrews 11:

1. Description of FAITH:   11:1...most people use this verse as a definition of faith...it is not a definition of faith, but a description of faith.  What is the difference?  Definition would tell us everything about what faith is.  

2. Heb 11:4....begins with some examples of Faith...such as Abel.   None of the people of faith had anything OTHER THAN THE WORD OF GOD.  They had no precedent for their faith.  They had the bear Word of God, nothing else.  

a. there was also no visible evidence that the promise would be fulfilled.  Abraham never had any evidence that the promise would be fulfilled.  He lived in tents....without ever having a spot of ground for his permanent residence.  These men in Heb. 11 believed God without any VISIBLE EVIDENCE of the promise being fulfilled.  

b. in the light of having no precedence or nothing other than the Word of God and no visible evidence of the promise being fulfilled, THEN WHO TODAY LIVES BY FAITH.

c. they lived their entire lives as THOUGH THESE PROMISES WOULD BE TRUE.  they lived their entire lives around UNFULLFILLED PROMISES.  [did not bother them one bit...they went on....they felt that if the promise was not fulfilled in this life, then it would be fulfilled in the next life.]

3. Description of a LIFE OF FAITH:

a. certain characteristics that occur in genuine faith:

    1. he takes two statements that say the same thing in different ways...

“faith is the substance of things hoped for...”   “the evidence of things not seen.”  [two statements that say the same thing]

2. the writer says the same thing twice:  “substance of things hoped for.”

a. substance:  it can't be anything other than substance....it is the greek word for CONFIDENCE.  note the same word in Heb 3:14  [same word}  “faith is the confidence about things hoped for.”  or it is CONFIDENCE ABOUT FUTURE THINGS.

3. “it is the evidence of things not seen.”

a. evidence:  used for CONVICTION about something....faith is inner confidence and conviction about invisible things....including future things.”

b. faith is OPPOSED TO SENSES.....II Cor 5:7...”we walk by faith, not by sight.” or what appears to be true to the eyes...”  [God said He would give them the land, but you look at the promise,  it made no senses to the SENSES.  WHAT APPEARED TO THE EYE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE TRUE.

4. 11:2...summary statement:  “by it the elders obtained a good report.”

a. “by it” [which means by the evidence or confidence of faith, the elders received a good report.] 

Abel; the first example of Faith  v. 4

a. there is one verse dedicated to the faith of Abel. The first eight of these examples come out of the book of Genesis.

b. WHY WAS ABEL THE FIRST EXAMPLE?

1. the reason is because of all of the cases given....Abel is the only one whose faith entailed his salvation.  notice v. 11....where Sarah's faith does not involve her salvation, only the promise of a child.  Abel is first because the FIRST LOGICAL STEP IS THE FAITH OF SALVATION.

c. Two passages:

a. one gives his HISTORY.

1. Genesis 4....it is from Gen. 4 that the writer of Hebrews derives the doctrine on Abel...or the teaching....

2. notice the CONTRASTS between the brothers.

a. contrasts of OCCUPATION.....keeper of sheep verses tiller of the ground  

b. contrasts of OFFERINGS.  [there was something significant made out of this by God. notice the contrast in the type of offering or selection of offering.]

c. complete contrast of DIVINE RESPONSE.  [the Lord had respect which means, God “gazed on the offering of Abel.”] God thus gazed with approval on his offering.

b. the other is Heb. 11 the DOCTRINE  OF ABEL.

1. the writer saw one essential difference which was a matter of ATTITUDE.  Only one was faith.  How could you conclude this? Nothing in Gen. about Abel and his attitude.  WHERE DOES THE AUTHOR GET THE ATTITUDE?  “The Lord had respect.”  v. 6....here the attitude is revealed.  WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD...thus, if God was pleased with the sacrirfice, IT HAD TO BE ONE OF FAITH.  IF GOD APPROVED THE OFFERING OF ABEL, THERE HAD TO BE AN ATTITUDE OF FAITH.....GOD NEVER LOOKS AT AN ACTION UNLESS IT IS BACKED BY FAITH....Performance makes no difference unless it is by FAITH.  HE ALWAYS LOOKS AT THE  ATTITUDE, NEVER AT THE ACTION.

2. God approved OF THE ATTITUDE.  He cares nothing about what you do IF YOUR ATTITUDE IS WRONG.  You could give your whole bank account but if the ATTITUDE is wrong God has no respect for it...HE IS ALWAYS AFTER THE ATTITUDE OF FAITH.  

3. the act is approved only when there is MENTAL ATTITUDE OF FAITH..

4. ATTITUDE ALWAYS COMES FIRST, NOT ACTIONS....with the average church, it is ACTION....then who cares about attitude.  

5. Isa 1....where the actions were Biblical but God hated them bercause of the ATTITUDE PROBLEM...THEY WENT THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE WITHOUT THE RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE.....they mistook perforamnce for faith.

c. notice the faith of Abel:

1. His faith brought DIVINE APPROVAL....He could not have pleased God had He not have had faith.

2. His sacrifice:  THIS WAS HIS ACTIVITY....

a. remember: the SACRIFICE WAS THE EVIDENCE OF An ALREADY EXISTING SALVATION.....He was trusting before he sacrificed.....”obtained testimony”

1. works are nothing more than a testimony of a LIFE OF FAITH OF THE INDIVIDUAL.....

3. He being dead, yet speaketh:   PERMANENCY OF THE PRINCIPLE....It is an eternal principle....Abel is still talking today.....”any act approved by God has to be preceded by an act or life of faith.”

Remember, what the writer of Hebrews does is to go back and see if these people pleased God and if they did, then they LIVED BY FAITH, for you cannot please God WITHOUT FAITH.

NOAH:   v.7

1. now, the word FAITH is completely absence in the account of Genesis,  but God was pleased with Noah, thus he had to have lived by faith, for WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD.

2. in this illustration, FAITH IS LINKED WITH WORKS.....[he had faith plus he did something which expressed his faith....his faith was expressed in doing something...”prepared an ark.”  [works]

a. faith and works are not opposites, but COMPATIBLE.

b. works has a place, but it is always the RESULT OF FAITH.  works as a means of blessing and you will perish;  works as a result of blessing, and you have it in the right or Biblical perspective. 

c. Noah started by faith in the Word of God and resulted in a pattern called works.

3. four factors about Noah:

a. ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH FAITH OPERATED.

1. he lived in an environment which practiced two kinds of sinning....one was ACTIVE SINNING....then he lived in environment of PASSIVE SINNING.

a. the active sinning was such that GOD HAD TO DESTROY THE WHOLE WORLD....Gen 6:5....

b. wickedness of man:  God takes the TOTAL OF SOCIETY....and it was great with wickedness.....”every imagination.”  [imagination:  translates a word which means to form or frame something....note Gen 2:8  “formed” is the same word as imagination....”every form or frame of his thoughts was only evil continually.”  “The total framework of his thoughts was only evil continually.”  note the PENETRATION OF SIN....[words used]  “in the earth.”  note the penetration.  v. 17....”on the earth.”  penetration of sin. “destroy all flesh.”  penetration of sin again....

c. INTENSITY OF SIN:  v.5...”evil continually.”  [it never stopped]

7:4....Noah LIVED IN AN ACTIVE SINNING GENERATION.

c. note the PASSIVE SINNING.  Matt 24:

a. 37-39....the conditions before  the Lord's return....most preaching FAILS TO REVEAL THE PASSIVE SINNING....

b. APATHY TOWARD THE WORD OF GOD....Noah lived in a generation which was totally apathic to the Word of God....

c. life as usual....IS OUR REAL PROBLEM AS BELIEVERS....MY GREATEST PROBLEM AS A BELIEVER IS APATHY TOWARD THE WORD OF GOD.  

b. THE EXPERIENCE THAT NOAH HAD.

1. Gen 6....  Noah became a single EXCEPTION TO HIS GENERATION.

a. Before Noah became positive to the Word of God, there was a step before that step.  STEP #1 is in v. 8...”found grace.”  [this is the first step....GRACE] He needed grace because he had the same nature as every other person on the earth....REMEMEBER, BEFORE NOAH DID ANYTHING, THERE WAS GRACE.  

b. EVERYTHING STARTS WITH GRACE.   If you cannot buy the grace concept, you can not begin with God.  

c. NOAH WAS A JUST MAN.  v. 9

1...you have GRACE in v. 8 and then RIGHTEOUSNESS in v. 9...[THIS IS A BIBLICAL PATTERN FOR ALL BELIEVERS....RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL FOLLOW GRACE.

2. had Noah not had faith, then v. 9 could NOT BE TRUE...this is why Heb. 11:6 it says, “by faith Noah.”

d. Gen 6:22...WORKS is the final chain.

a. the doing preceded grace and righteousnes and then the last part of the chain was WORKS.....WORKS ARE THE RESULT OF WORD OF GOD, GRACE, RIGHTEOUSNESS...it is the RESULT of something....

e. note that Gen 13-22...is wrapped up in one word....or expression in Heb 11:6....”things not seen as yet.”  

1. NOAH WAS ASKED TO BELIEVE UNPRECEDENTED PREDICTIONS. [I CAN THINK of nothing in the church age that has no precedent for it]

a. Noah had not one shred of evidence to prove that water would cover the earth...NO PRECEDENT.  Noah had no where to look to see if the promise would come true....HE HAD THE WORD OF GOD ALONE FOR SUPPORT.  IT WAS FAITH ALONE IN THE WORD...NOT EXTERNAL EVIDENCE.

2. THE ATTITUDE OF NOAH.

a.  two factors:

1. first, attitude of FAITH   “being warned of God of things not seen.”

2. second, attitude of REVERENCE.  “moved with fear.”  [fear either means fright or it can mean RESPECT....Noah moved with RESPECT]

3. HIS POSITION

` a. Heb 11:7....tied this to II Peter 2:5 here Noah is given a title which is PREACHER OF RIGHTEOUSNESS....How did he preach?  IT IS SPEECHLESS PREACHING...for Noah did not go around preaching and saying anything....HE PREACHED BY FAITH.....NOTHING PREACHES LOUDER THAN FAITH....

b. here was a man who PREACHED as he built that boat....and what a sermon..talk about a long sermon...it lasted 120 years

ABRAHAM: v 17

1.his faith manifested itself in OBEDIENCE.

a. v. 8...”when he was called.”  [this word CALLED is in present tense, which means that the action was still going on....”while he was being called.”]  

1. his obedience was IMMEDIATE.  [Abraham did not sit around and discuss the matter with God....there are some things that unless you do them NOW, YOU WILL NOT MOVE]

2. his obedience did not even take time to consider the MERITS OF GODS WILL.......he felt so strongly in the will of God and had such confidence....HE ASK NO QUESTIONS.

2. his obedience was “not knowing where he went.”  WITHOUT OBSTACLES.

3. Gen. 12:7....was the particular promise....

2. his faith was manifested in PATIENCE   “by faith he sojourned.”  [sojourned:  means to live as a visitor.....used of someone who lived in country with no citizenship rights]  he lived without property, no permanent home...lived in tents....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE 

FAITH

OF MOSES

*

Heb. 11:24-28

 

Introduction:

1. It is good to remember that the faith of Moses is rooted in the faith of Jochebed and Amram......two unknown people of the slave crowd.  They exercised faith when they committed the baby to the river.  

2. He lived for 120 years.  breaking those years down as follows.

a. 40 years in the court as a prince.

b. 40 years in the wilderness as a shepherd

c. 40 years in the wilderness the leader of a nation.  

 

THE GREAT RENUNCIATION BY FAITH:

A. Three words Describe the MENTAL PROCESS.

1. “refusing”

2. “choosing”

3. “Accounting”

4. “forsook”

B. Let’s develop the MENTAL PROCESS.

1. The final fact is that he REFUSED.  The question is “on what BASIS did he refuse.”  The basis is found in the word CHOOSING.  Question: How did he come to choose? He did this through ACCOUNTING##

2. conclusion:  The final, the ultimate thing is that he REFUSED.  That which preceeded the refusing was the choice or “CHOOSING.” The choosing would take longer, but there was another ingredient which was ACCOUNTING.    [THIS IS THE MIND PROCESS]

C. The Three Words   [refusing, choosing, accounting]

1. ACCOUNTING:  word merely means “balancing things.”  It means to balance thing inorder to come to a decision of some sort, putting this by the side of that, weighing the evidence on both sides.  For 40 years he watched, observed, looked at things, seeing his parents in slavery....he had been accounting.  

a. What did he see as he was accounting?  

1. “treasures of Egypt.” [now, this had to be something else...he could see them in all its glory...for he was a part of Egypt...nothing like the wealth, spendour of Egypt, the power.  

2. “the reproach of the Messiah”  [Moses found that these enslaved people had a hope of a Messiah, Deliverer...He like his parents had the ability to see this hope.  It is easy to see Hope when you have nothing but here is Moses with everything and still able to see the “reproach of the Messiah”

b. what was his conclusion:  that the reproach of the Messiah among the oppressed people was greater than all the riches and power of Egypt.....and on this basis he refused. There he is accounting, accounting, weighing, pondering, thinking....and then he came to a decision which was:

2. CHOOSING:  He took forhimself a definite decision and position....nothing vague and general like today...Moses choose to suffer affliction resulting from this Hope that He had within himself...than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. 

a. “pleasures of sin”  [Dr. Gordon of Boston wrote a hymn “My Jesus I love thee.”  In many books one of the verses reads “For thee all the follies of sin I resign.”  Dr. Gordon did not write the word ‘FOLLIES but his word was PLEASURES of sin.  What a stupid thing that some people say that there is no pleasure in sin.  OFCOURSE THERE ARE PLEASURE IN SIN.  The Bible adds “for a season.”    

3. REFUSING:  this really was the easy part....the hard part was accounting and then choosing. “He refused to be called the son of Pharoah’s daughter.”  He refused all the possibilities created for him on the level of the world....and the power which was his.  

a. HOW DID HE DO THIS?  He had the ability to see THROUGH IT..he saw that it was fading, that it was for a season...He saw that was doomed .  He had Biblical faith which is the CONFIDENCE IN THINGS HOPED FOR AND HE CONVICTION OF THINGS UNSEEN....thus by  faith he refused. 

4. FORSOOK:  Now, this is the actual carrying out of faith...tangibly.  “by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.” 

a. When did this occur?  Some say that it was the hour after he had killed the Egyptian....and tried to deliver his compatriots who would not be delivered.....and then he went into the desert.  Others say that it refers to the actual exodus when he and he people forsook Egypt.  [I AM INCLINED TO THINK IT INCLUDES BOTH EVENTS]

1. He left first....when he went out and saw an Egyptian brutally treating a Hebrew.  He took the side of the Hebrew...even though he belonged to the Egyptian court....He fled to the desert for 40 years....as nomad...taking care of sheep...life of discipline and mediatation...life of training...all unknown to Moses.  This was also the time when he saw the bush burning...and the call from God came to him.  When God called him he said, “who am I.”

2.  He left a second time with the people following the burning bush incident and the 40 years in the wilderness.  How?  “He endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

Only when you are really tuned in can you SEE THE INVISIBLE.