Endure by Faith: X-Ray Vision

1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 1:1–7 ESV

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? 6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

With a sermon title that includes the words X-Ray Vision, using a superhero as a part of my introduction is a no-brainer. Of course, who’s the superhero with X-Ray Vision?…Now listen, there’s a lot of interesting information on the internet about Superman’s X-Ray vision actually works. If you are so inclined, Google it sometime and see for yourself.

One site raised this question. “If Superman has X-ray vision, can he give you cancer?” Have x-ray images of your teeth done at the dentist’s office before. You’re laying in the chair, the dental assistant puts that lead apron over your chest. They put that uncomfortable device in your mouth and tell you to bite down. Then the line up the machine right at the spot they want to image. Then what do they do? They leave the room before they turn it on!

With a sermon title that includes the words X-Ray Vision, using a superhero as a part of my introduction is fitting. Of course, who’s the superhero with X-Ray Vision

So, it’s a legit question whether Superman’s X-ray vision can cause cancer when he looks through people! Now, if Stephen Schilling, a self-described comic aficionado and illustrator, is correct, you and I need not worry about if Superman shows up and peers into our insides.

He believes that Superman’s retina are sensitive to the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Therefore, you wouldn’t get cancer from Superman’s eyes because he is perceiving the X-rays which are always present and passing through your body. He’s not projecting X-rays at you, bounce them off something behind you, back through your body, so he could see them.

I have absolutely no clue whether Mr. Schilling is correct, or whether this is useful at all. However, the idea of Superman perceiving what is already there because his eyes are sensitive to its presence is exactly on point with what the Pastor is emphasizing for us in our text this morning.

The question is, what is faith, and what does it mean to live by faith? The Pastor is about to answer that for us. The first three words of v. 1 in ch. 11 are, “Now faith is.”

Faith is just wishful thinking. It’s just hoping that things are going to work out even though you’re not really sure. When the Bible talks about faith what’s clear is that it never presents faith as wishful thinking, or a wish for something better. Even if we say that, “No, no, no. When the Bible talks about faith, it’s not talking about a wish or a fantasy.” Even if we say that, our lives often say that’s exactly what we believe. We struggle to believe that what the Bible says is true because every one of us would rather live by sight than live by faith. We can put the spiritual realities in the fantasy compartment of our brains because it’s hard to be confident in the fact that the heavenly realities the Bible gives us are more real than what we experience with our five senses.

You see, a lot of folks define faith as just wishful thinking. It’s just hoping that things are going to work out well even though you’re not really sure. When the Bible talks about faith what’s clear is that it never presents faith as wishful thinking, or a wish for something better. Even if we say that, “No, no, no. When the Bible talks about faith, I know it’s not talking about a wish or a fantasy.” Even if we that’s what we say, our lives will often declare the opposite. We struggle to believe that what the Bible says is true because every one of us would rather live by sight than live by faith. We can put the spiritual realities in the fantasy compartment of our brains because it’s hard to be confident in the fact that the heavenly realities the Bible gives us are more real than what we experience with our five senses. This passage, if you will, is about having eyes that are sensitive enough to perceive the truth in spite of what things appear to be.

The Pastor helps us take faith in God and his promises out of the fantasy department and into the firm position of the realist reality. He wants his congregation to know the blessing of enduring through life by faith. And these first seven verses of ch. 11 point us in that direction. Here’s how we’re going to work through these verses. The headings are: What Faith Sees, What Faith Receives, and What Faith Seeks.

What Faith Sees

I didn’t subtitle this message “X-Ray Vision” because I wanted to talk about Superman. It’s because of the connection between sight and faith that brackets this first section. Faith in the unseen undergirds the message of the whole chapter, but it’s of specific note in vv. 1-3 and v. 7

Hebrews 11:1–3 ESV

I subtitled this message “X-Ray Vision” because the connection sight and faith brackets this first section. Faith in the unseen undergirds the message of the whole chapter, but it’s of specific note in vv. 1-3 and v. 7…

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for. It is the conviction about the things we don’t see. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s utterance, such that what is seen did not come to be from the things that are visible. (, Ince translation)

Hebrews 11:7 ESV

7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

By faith Noah, after he was warned about the things that were not yet seen, because he was devout he built an ark in order to save his household. Through this salvation he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that corresponds to faith. (, Ince translation)

Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for. It is the conviction about the things we don’t see.

Back in 2010 a new version of the movie The Karate Kid hit the screens. 12 year-old, Dre, moves with his mom from Detroit to China, and things do not go well for Dre. There was one line in the movie that brought out our need to see what’s really real. Dre had just gotten beat up by the bad kids, and Mr. Han jumps in and saves him. After he chases the kids off he’s taking care of Dre’s injuries. Dre looks at him and says, “I thought you were just a maintenance man.” Mr. Han says, “You think only with your eyes. So you are easy to fool.”

There was one line that brought out our need to see what’s really real. Dre had just gotten beat up by the bad kids, and Mr. Han jumps in and saves him. After he chases the kids off he’s taking care of Dre’s injuries. Dre looks at him and says, “I thought you were just a maintenance man.” Mr. Han says, “You think only with your eyes. So you are easy to fool.”

That’s the problem the Pastor’s shaking the Hebrews out of. They’re thinking with their eyes. In the context of this book, what seems real to them is the old order of worship, the tabernacle, the priests, the sacrifices. Had we been working through this book we would’ve seen how the Pastor repeatedly tells them that those things they see are are hoping in are obsolete and ready to vanish away.

Hebrews 10:1 ESV

1 For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near.

Those things were just a shadow of the good things to come (10:1), and not the true form of the realities. Setting your mind on that is why you’re easily fooled. Same with us. We think with our eyes. So, if everything around me is all good, then I’m good. If everything I see around me is jacked up, then I’m jacked up.

Don’t you know that it is possible for everything in our life to be going well and for us to still be a mess? And it’s possible for all hell to break loose around us and for us to be OK? What determines our ability to endure is the object of our faith. What determines our ability not to become full of pride and arrogance when things are going great, or not to become completely crushed when life is hard, is the object of our faith. What, or who are we hoping in? How solid is it?

What faith sees, or what faith perceives is the God who is the object of our faith. What faith is able to perceive is Jesus!

Hebrews 3:1 ESV

1 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,

HEB12.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Pastor doesn’t describe biblical faith as a wish or a fantasy. He describes it with rock solid terms. It’s the assurance of things hoped for. It is the conviction about the things we don’t see. Let me just throw this in there for free. You can’t pluck this passage out of its context and think that the “things hoped for,” the “things we don’t see,” have anything to do with the American dream. The Pastor isn’t saying, “Just believe hard enough and you’ll get everything you ever wanted.” This ain’t Oz and God is not the Wizard.

The Pastor doesn’t describe biblical faith as a wish or a fantasy. He describes it with rock solid terms. It’s the assurance of things hoped for. It is the conviction about the things we don’t see. Let me just throw this in there for free. The “things hoped for,” the “things we don’t see,” have nothing to do with the American dream. The Pastor isn’t saying, “Just believe hard enough and you’ll get everything you ever wanted.” This ain’t Oz and God is not the Wizard.

He talks about faith as conviction and assurance because he’s gone to great lengths to show them the heavenly realities. They needed the ability to see the heavenly reality that was the source of the earthly shadow. He defines this type of eyesight as faith. From the beginning of the letter he’s been talking about the reality that Jesus sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. He’s there right now before the face of God the Father interceding/advocating for his people. He makes perfect everyone who draws near to God through him. He’s been telling them, “this is reality.” And by faith we know it’s certain.

He doesn’t say, “by faith we think the universe was created by the word of God.” No, by faith we understand that God spoke and the universe was formed and framed at his command. By faith we understand that God said, “let there be…and there was.” He says, you remember Noah? If he thought only with his eyes he never would’ve built the ark. There’d never been flood. But he was warned by God about things that were not yet seen. And he responded to the unseen reality with reverent fear, that is, with a godly devotion. Noah didn’t care that he looked like a fool building an ark. The Pastor says that he saved his household, and by his faith he condemned the world, who didn’t respond in faith to God’s word. And at the same time he became one in a long line of those who receive righteousness from God by faith.

Then the LORD said to Noah, “Go into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that you are righteous before me in this generation.( ESV)

A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews Note on the Meaning of ἐπισυναγωγή (10:25)

“Faith is a guarantee of the heavenly realities for which we hope; not only does it render them certain for us, but it envisages them as rightfully belonging to us; it is, in itself, an objective assurance of our definite enjoyment of them.

What Faith Receives

What faith sees is Jesus. What faith receives is God’s commendation. The deal is that this faith is sanctioned by God. In other words, God himself puts his stamp of approval on people who have this faith. The Pastor says in v. 2, “the people of old, those who came before you Hebrews, by faith they received commendation.” Received commendation from who? The Pastor is talking about divine approval. The people of old received divine approval from God himself. What faith receives is divine approval from God.

The deal is that this faith is sanctioned by God. In other words, God himself puts his stamp of approval on people who have this faith. The Pastor says in v. 2, “the people of old, those who came before you Hebrews, by faith they received commendation.” Received commendation from who? The Pastor is talking about divine approval. The people of old received divine approval from God himself. What faith receives is divine approval from God.

We live in a city filled with professionals. And in our various professions, we get all kinds of certifications, stamps of approval that are necessary for us to get ahead in our careers (PE, CPA, NFL Draft)… Whether you’re a “professional” or not, nobody goes through life without wanting approval from somebody for something. Even if you’re a rebel, you want other people to recognize the fact that you’re rebellious. Everybody wants approval. And God, the creator of the universe, the only one who is eternal, unchanging, infinite, and all powerful says that there is only one way for people to receive my stamp of approval. It’s by faith. God commands us to believe then he commends us for believing.

The Pastor starts his history lesson on faith by giving us two people of old who were commended by God. We’ll see in the next couple of weeks that he’s going to go all in on the “people of old”...

The word that’s translated in our text over and over again as “commended” is the same verb that’s normally translated as “testify” or “bear witness”. The reason it’s translated as “commend” in our text is because it’s in the passive voice. So it’s the sense of someone being testified about, someone being spoken well of or approved. God is saying, these are the people I speak well of. These are folks I testify about. That’s crazy if you think about it. How could it be that a holy and righteous God could have anything good to say about busted up, sinful people? Well, God puts his stamp of approval on them, he sanctions them, not for their perfection, but for their faith.

The Pastor says in v. 4…

Hebrews 11:4 ESV

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

He takes them back to and the first case of murder in in the Bible. Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and rage. Because of sin, sacrifice was now a necessity. Both brothers knew it, and both of them brought God an offering. But the Bible says that the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he had no regard for Cain and his offering (). When Cain got angry the Lord said, “Why are you angry? If you do well will you not be accepted?” What was the Lord talking about? Doing well is living by faith. At the end of ch. 10 the Pastor quoted from , where God says, “my righteous one shall live by faith.” In his first example he says that Abel was commended as righteous by faith. God testified that Abel was righteous by accepting his gifts. God says, “Abel’s my man because he didn’t try to roll up here with an offering that was external only.” The difference was that Abel’s heart was in the right place. What mattered was the integrity of his heart. His heart was directed towards God’s word and his promise. In the chapter before the incident with Cain and Abel, God promises to send a Savior when he says to the serpent that he will put enmity between the serpent’s offspring and Eve’s offspring. God would raise up an offspring to bruise the serpent’s head. Abel responded in faith to God’s word and promise.

He takes them back to and the first case of murder in history. Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and rage. Because of sin, sacrifice was now a necessity. Both brothers knew it, and both of them brought God an offering. But the Bible says that the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but he had no regard for Cain and his offering (). When Cain got angry the Lord said, “Why are you angry? If you do well will you not be accepted?” What was the Lord talking about? Doing well is living by faith. At the end of ch. 10 the Pastor quoted from , where God says, “my righteous one shall live by faith.” In his first example he says that Abel was commended as righteous by faith. God testified that Abel was righteous by accepting his gifts. God says, “Abel’s my man because he didn’t try to roll up here with an offering that was external only.” The difference was that Abel’s heart was in the right place. What mattered was the integrity of his heart. His heart was directed towards God’s word and his promise. In the chapter before the incident with Cain and Abel, God promises to send a Savior when he says to the serpent that he will put enmity between the serpent’s offspring and Eve’s offspring. God would raise up an offspring to bruise the serpent’s head. Abel responded in faith to God’s word and promise.

Even though he died, v. 4 says, he still speaks. How does he still speak? His faith still speaks to us. How does it speak to us? In the last words of ch. 10 the Pastor encourages them by saying, we are of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Abel’s faith speaks to the need for x-ray vision because even though he was murdered, he still lives! His testimony is that even though he paid the ultimate price for his faith, he still lives through God. “He belongs to the number of those who have faith and keep their life, despite what it looks like.” You endure by faith just like Abel endured by faith.

His second example comes from . He says of Enoch…

Hebrews 11:5 ESV

5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

Cain and Abel are the first incident of murder. It can be argued that what we find in Enoch is the first miracle in Scripture. Enoch didn’t see death. That is, he didn’t experience death. God took him directly from life on earth to life in God’s presence. The Pastor says Enoch wasn’t found because God took him. But he doesn’t focus as much on the miracle as he does on what? Enoch’s faith. By faith he was taken up. Before he was taken he was commended, God testified about Enoch that he pleased God. There was a point in Enoch’s life when he began to trust God. says that when Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Then v. 22 says that Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah. God testifies again in that Enoch walked with God.

What does it mean that he walked with God? To walk with God Richard Phillips puts it,

“implies personal knowledge, an ever-increasing understanding of the one with whom we walk. It implies agreement of mind and heart. When it is God with whom we walk there is a hierarchy, just as when the disciples walked with our Lord Jesus Christ. One is Lord; the other disciple. One is teacher; the other is student. One is Father; the other is child.”

That’s a fitting description of the Christian life; walking with God; abiding with God. Jesus says to us in

John 15:4–5 ESV

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

To say that Enoch pleased God is simply to say that he had faith. He walked with God. He abided in God. He understood where the source of his life was. He saw behind the seen. He understood what the Pastor says in v. 6…

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

What Faith Seeks

Over and over again the Pastor talks about drawing near to God.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 7:19 ESV

19 (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 7:25 ESV

25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

You cannot live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ without sometimes, often, more regularly than you’re comfortable with, looking and sounding foolish in the eyes of people who don’t. We’re about to share the Lord’s Supper together. This is a meal that we eat together by faith. We come to it by faith with the assurance that the one who gave us this meal and promised to strengthen us is faithful.

Hebrews 10:22 ESV

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. ( ESV)

a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God. ( ESV)

Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. ( ESV)

let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water ( ESV)

Here he is again. These folk I’m talking about drew near to God. What faith sees is Jesus. What faith receives is divine approval from God. What faith seeks is to draw near to God. Here he is again for the sixth time in the letter telling them to draw near to God.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

You want to draw near to God? You’ve got to believe. You’ve got to believe what? You’ve got to believe that he exists. Literally, he says that you’ve got to believe that God is. The Hebrews would have been clear that he was pointing them back to the basic confessional statement of Israel from , ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” In other words, “anyone who comes to God needs to be straight on who God is.” The one who would draw near to God by faith must do so seeking to know him as he is.

We use the term “seeker” pretty loosely. Folks say, I’m seeking to know God. The fact of the matter is that apart from the faith that the Pastor is talking about here we only seek to know God on our own terms. When the Pastor says that those who would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him, he’s talking about seeking grace. He’s talking about seeking God’s grace through faith by repenting of our sins and turning to him. He’s not talking about something new here. Let’s draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace… is the same thing as seeking God for his reward. The reward is not stuff. The reward is God himself whose mercies are new every morning. The reward is God himself who is gracious and merciful, full of steadfast love and faithfulness. The reward we seek is God himself who will never leave or forsake his people, who gives life to the dead, who renews the strength of his people so that they can endure.

Faith seeks to draw near to God for grace because you cannot live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ without sometimes, often, more regularly than you’re comfortable with, looking and sounding foolish in the eyes of people who don’t.

The the Winter 2017 edition of Comment magazine, physician Raymond Barfield wrote an article titled “Seeing the Beauty of Dappled Things.” The article is subtitled, “A poet taught a physician how to see again.” The poet Dr. Barfield is talking about is 19th Century Jesuit Priest, Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Dr. Barfield was experiencing burnout from his work. He said,

I had lost my ability to see in the middle of institutional dysfunction and the never ending stream of urgent tasks demanding my attention.

He continued,

So much of what we toil after, and trade our time for, is bound to our attempts to stabilize a world that is teetering on change and dissolution.

our attempts to stabilize a world that is teetering on change and dissolution.

He describes the way out of this burnout for him as a different kind of seeing,

Over time, I discovered that one way past this crisis was to recover a kind of mindful wonder at the beauty that shows up in my work and life, even when the stories are hard or tragic.

The opening line in one of Hopkins’ poems simply says,

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

Are you and I able to see the grandeur of God in the mundane experiences of life in this world? To do so, Dr. Barfield rightly says that, “the one seeing must be emptied of buzzing distraction and surrender to the seeing as a mode of love, love as agape and love as the fire of eros, a desire that consumes without destroying.”

This is the drive in drawing near to God by faith. The grace for eyes that see with lenses of love. It’s true that communities are broken. It’s true that people are broken. It’s true that institutions are broken. It’s true that we are broken. But it’s more true that God is a Redeemer and a healer. It’s more true that he specializes in repairing what is broken. It’s more true that God’s promise cannot fail!

Can we see it? Can we see it? What’s your eyesight like this morning?

We’re about to share the Lord’s Supper together. This is a meal that we eat together by faith. We come to it by faith with the assurance that the one who gave us this meal and promised to strengthen us is faithful.

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