The Miraculous Word

Fundamentalism itself was a response to the skepticism engendered by the rise of historical-critical scholarship coming out of Europe. Many leading Christian scholars were doubting not merely six-day creationism but also classic Christian doctrines like Jesus’ bodily resurrection and his virgin birth, that is, the miraculous in general.

The core fundamentals of the faith as outlined by other writers and organizations of that era were numbered in various configurations, but all seemed to include these beliefs:

The divine inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture,

The deity of Jesus Christ,

The miraculous stories in the Bible, including six-day creation,

The virgin birth of Christ,

Christ’s substitutionary atonement on the cross,

Christ’s literal, bodily resurrection

Christ’s bodily return

All Fundamental Articles of Faith Must Be Drawn from the Scriptures

First, if a doctrine is truly fundamental, it must have its origin in Scripture, not tradition, papal decrees, or some other source of authority. Paul reminded Timothy that the Scriptures are "able to make one wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15, KJV). In other words, if a doctrine is essential for salvation, we can learn it from the Bible. The written Word of God therefore must contain all doctrine that is truly fundamental. It is able to make us "perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:17). If there were necessary doctrines not revealed in Scripture, those promises would ring empty.

The psalmist wrote, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul" (Psalm 19:7). That means Scripture is sufficient. Apart from the truths revealed to us in Scripture, there is no essential spiritual truth, no fundamental doctrine, nothing essential to soul-restoration. We do not need to look beyond the written Word of God for any essential doctrines. There is nothing necessary beyond what is recorded in God's Word.

Pre statement: The declaration of Chapter 11 is a statement that began in chapter 10. That is this statement in particular.

“Now the just shall live by faith”

This morning we will look at the entry way to the authors argument on Faith. He will give faith the same treatment that he has for Christ. In that he will elevate the role and act of faith above that of any other response of the believer. Faith will be given the premier place the life of a Christian.

Text: Hebrews 11:1-6

Many of us have heard messages from the great Faith chapter of the Bible. The danger is that we may think of this text divorced from its context.

Remember this dissertation of faith takes place in a book that has as its central message the supremacy of Christ. Christ is Superior to all other religious elements.

The angels The Law The Tabernacle The Priest The Sacrifice

Jesus is superior to all of it. In the same way Faith will be given a place of superiority. To elevate it to a place of requirement. Jesus is superior to all other elements of religion, Faith is the superior response to all other responses of a believer.

Illustrate its value…

In 1799, Conrad Reed discovered a seventeen-pound rock while fishing in Little Meadow Creek. Not knowing what it was made of, his family used it as a doorstop for three years. In 1802, his father, John Reed, took it to a jeweler who identified it as a lump of gold worth about $3,600. That lump of gold, which was used as a doorstop for three years in North Carolina, is one of the biggest gold nuggets ever found east of the Rockies.

Until its composition was determined, its value was unknown. Even so, until the composition of our faith is determined, its strength is unknown. God allows trials in our lives, not to hurt us, but too encourage us to lean on faith.

We concluded last week with the indestructible nature of our faith. It is strong, so we must trust it.

The question the author is dealing with is why is faith superior to any other part of the worship system.

What do we mean when we say faith?

Well verse 1 opens with a treatment of this…

substance

evidence

I love that this is the description. Because the world likes to think that we place our faith on nothing or that we have make believe ideas that are based on nothing. Nothing could be further from the truth. Faith is not a bare belief or intellectual understanding. It is a willingness to trust in, to rely on, and to cling to.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon Says this on the subject

Though the “things” are only “hoped for” and “not seen” at present, the eye of faith can see them, and the hand of faith can grasp them. Faith is more mighty than any of our senses, or than all our senses combined. the evidence of things not seen We do see by faith. We see by faith what cannot be seen by our eyes; we grasp by faith what cannot be grasped with our hands. A strange mystery is the simple act of faith.

Spurgeon, C. (2014). Spurgeon Commentary: Hebrews. (E. Ritzema & J. Strong, Eds.) (pp. 316–317). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Verse 6 then brings an element of faith to the fore…

…For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. vs 6

It is good that a believer remember that the issue is not merely to have a belief, but that belief has an end goal. Faith is aimed at God. Faith drives us to the savior so that we might have a right relationship with the Father.

Context:

Let me remind you that this is written to the Hebrew that has lost everything because he dares place his faith in Christ instead of the continued sacrifices and observances of the OT Hebrews. They were trying to approach God through their offerings and sacrifices, but then deny the great Sacrifice of the Messiah God’s own son Jesus.

So the author is explaining you can’t just exercise your practices and go through the motions and claim that you are coming to God.

Faith is Illustrated in the Chapter:

The Sacrifices that Able brought were not done by ritual. They were by Faith.

The author is reminding the Hebrews that there is such a thing as an unpleasing sacrifice. In other words God is not bound to like every sacrifice you choose to give.

By the way how did Cain and Enoch know what to bring? Or that they should even bring a Sacrifice? Moses wasn’t going to be around for several hundred years.

The only way I can see from Scripture is that there must have been some form of sacrifice coming out of the garden of Eden. The birth of sin brought the necessary death of lambs to cover Adam and Eve. So Adam has at least seen the covering of sin. The Bible never says this was required or instructed. So we speculate that this was coming from a genuine heart to please the Lord. From this the Bible says, “by which he obtained witness that he was righteous,”

The Pleasure Enoch brought God was not his preaching but his Faith.

Very little is known about Enoch in Scripture except that he walked with God and was not. (Gen 5:25) And that he prophecied faithfully in his time. (Jude 9) Other than that we have this testimony He pleased God. Nothing else in Enoch’s life points to what pleases God except Faith.

Faith is Described:

Look at Chapter 10:34-39

34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Faith then is described as:

Knowing Within Your Confidence That which requires Patience That which will pay of in a “little while” That which can be lived by. That which saves the soul

The object of that faith is…

Heaven enduring substance reward received Promise He will come Pleasing God The saving of the Soul

Now understand this is the all placed in front of the Hebrew as a reason for Faith over anything else.

Chapter 11 tells us that faith is

I. Faith doesn’t trade impacting tomorrow’s Christians for impressing people today.

How the elders (OT Saints) have a good testimony

This is true there are plenty of Christians that try to have a good name in the church.

The Money Guy

The Bible Answer Man

The Artistic Genius

These gifts can be very helpful to the Church. But they are gaudy and unimpressive when it comes without sincere faith.

But if a Christian is going to be any value to the coming up generation it will be faith. When we live a life of real faith our Children have a model to follow. They see a sincere example. They won’t get stuck watching a fake shell of what faith would act like as long as others are watching.

A good report with God takes faith.

Our faith pleases Him. Trusting him and his word instead of your instincts pleases God. Having faith in his principles over what your peers think is pleasing to God. Acting on his direction over the thoughts of the “Experts” pleases God.

A good report with the Saints takes faith.

This good report is not talking about fame, or popularity. It is talking about example. Example is overused. but simply it means being able to see the end of my action in you. When I live by faith my family gets to see what it looks like so that the end result becomes desirable and then live that way.

II. Faith doesn’t trade watching God do His part, for controlling the situation.

This point sounds very pragmatic I am simply saying the peace it brings to know that my life is not in the hands of the “expert scientist”

that tell us that boys and girls are the same, the world exploded into existence, that abortion is not the ending of a life. and that with no new data masks aren’t required anymore

The attack of the skeptiscm of the early 19th century was that the miracles of the bible could not be duplicated therefore there is no way they are possible.

Instead, I have God’s word and I know how the world got here and it is Him. Since this is true then how I live my life matters. How I walk by faith matters. You see if God didn’t create it than don’t live by faith that is called risk and you can get hurt. But God did and therefore you and I can live a life of faith and know that God is pleased in it.

You mean that God will make it all work out for good in the end right? Not the way you’re thinking this isn’t the end of a Disney movie. These were people who lost their homes, families, and livelihoods. He wasn’t softening the blow by telling them he wasn’t gonna take care of them he was comforting them by reminding them God sees and he is pleased with their faith.

III. Faith doesn’t trade knowing God for today’s Pleasure.

Believe that he is…

I’m so thankful for Jesus. It is the grace of Christ that makes it possible to come to God. Can I tell you because of Calvary Hebrews 11:6 is lived out by every one who has ever been born again.

It is so easy for us to think that this verse is about us and our actions. 11:6 is pointing to Jesus Christ. Faith in the Gospel is that which saves the soul, Jesus says, I am the way to the one you diligently seek. We go that way because we know the reward is eternal life with him.

How sad it is to see a lost and dying world going about trying to get a little more happiness out of the world they blindly walk through… As the author is speaking to suffering saints his reminder is the same as before their salvation. Happiness is not found in pursuit of the things you can see with your eyes. It is found in pursuing the one you cannot see but is and is a rewarder to those that seek Him.