Faith in God
Notes
Transcript
What is Faith
What is Faith
New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 11
Now faith is the aassurance of things bhoped for, the conviction of things not seen
Faith is Assurance of things hoped for.
Faith is Assurance of things hoped for.
Assurance - (Hypostasis)title (deed) n. — a legal document to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it.
Hoped for - (elpizo) to hope (expectant) v. — to be confidently and reasonably expectant of a future event.
Faith is like having ownership of a future event. The future event that we have faith in is eternal life. Eternal life is in a place called heaven. You could asses faith in this context of taking ownership of heaven when you pass.
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
We can also have faith in the Promises of God. This means that we can take ownership of them.
Hebrews 13
“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’
“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:31-36
‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Is
Faith is the conviction of things not seen
Faith is the conviction of things not seen
Conviction (elenchos) convicting evidence n. — evidence that makes someone fully agree, understand, and realize the truth or validity of something; especially based on argument or discussion.
Seen (Blepo) to see v. — to perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight.
Faith is being sure that something is going to happen, based on the evidence one has, even though it has not yet happened.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
When we are going through a difficult time, we may not see the good in it. Faith tells us that God will bring good out of all the things we face. You may not see it right now but you have confidence it will happen
Evidence of Faith In Our lives
Evidence of Faith In Our lives
We realize God as sovereign in our lives.
We realize God as sovereign in our lives.
By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
Faith in our life recognizes that we were created by God. If God has created us then, He has authority over us. Paul explains this in .
You will say to me then, “Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?”
On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it?
Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
God has the right and authority to use us in whatever purpose he has for us. Following God’s will is evidence of faith in your life.
Giving God Our Best
Giving God Our Best
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
Hebrews
So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the Lord of the fruit of the ground.
Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and for his offering;
but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.
Abel brought the very best he had to the Lord. The Word of God says he brought the “firstlings” to the Lord. This was the very best of his offering. Abel did not keep the best for himself but brought it to the Lord.
Cain brought “an” offering. Cain brought his leftovers to God. He kept the best fruit of the ground for himself and gave God what was left.
The important issue here is not the offering given, but the heart of the person giving. What each of these boys thought of God dictated what they were willing to give him.
What we think about God will dictate what we are willing to give God. When we tithe, we give the first 10% to God. We don’t pay our bills and then give him what is left over. What kind of faith is that. When we give our time to the Lord we don’t do what we want to do first, but instead we start with what God wants us to do. I know sometimes you don’t want to go to church and you would rather be doing something else. When this happens GO TO CHURCH. You will be blessed.
Are you giving God your very best?
Have fellowship with the Lord
Have fellowship with the Lord
By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
Hebrews
Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.
Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.
So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Enoch never died. God spared him death. Only Enoch and Elijah were spared death. Instead God took them. They were so intimate with God that Him taking them on to be with Him was a natural transition. The Bible says Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Spending time with God was a priority to Enoch. He loved his time with the Lord and enjoyed fellowship with Him.
Folks we can be the same way. We can enjoy time with the Lord. But just like Enoch we must make it a priority in our life.
Personally, I find that the more time I spend with the Lord, the more time I want to spend with Him. He reveals Himself to me when I have fellowship with Him. The things that He reveals are overwhelming and I am awestruck by Him. For instance He will reveal things of his creation, like the stars that HE PUT IN PLACE. He reveals His care for me when I see His answer to my prayers. He reveals himself to me when I read His word and a verse brings tears to my heart as the meaning penetrates my soul.
Do what the Lord says
Do what the Lord says
By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Genesis
Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.
Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did.
Genesis
God told Noah to build a boat because he was going to flood the earth. This didn’t make sense because there is evidence that it had never rained.For the Lord God had not caused it to rain, and there was no man to till the ground
Noah was doing what God commanded him to do even though it didn’t make sense to everyone else. I love what Tony Evans says. He says Noah would preach a short sermon every day “IT IS GOING TO RAIN”
Folks, what we do testifies to what we believe about God. Wen we demonstrate obedience to His Word we demonstrate faith. When we are disobedient to the Word we show lack of faith in God and more faith in ourselves.
Faith in God is what pleases Him
Faith in God is what pleases Him
And 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 seek Him.
Without Faith you cannot please God.
Without Faith you cannot please God.
How do you know if you do not have faith. You live in the flesh. You contribute to the things that are pleasing to the flesh with no regards for God.
because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Those that come to God must believe that He Is.
Those that come to God must believe that He Is.
This means you can come to God and not believe He is. People can come to God with a “I will try it and see” attitude. They test God to see if He will deliver what they want. If He doesn’t then they will not believe. This is not faith. This is manipulation.
A person that comes to God and believes He is comes with confidence, knowing that God is real and whatever He determines will only serve to enhance their faith.
God rewards those that seek Him
God rewards those that seek Him
Seek the Lord while He may be found;
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
And let him return to the Lord,
And He will have compassion on him,
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
When one seeks the Lord, He will find a loving, kind, merciful, graceful God that has compassion and forgiveness of sins that He wants to give.