Untitled Sermon (28)

"Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.” ()

Here is a description of the nature of faith and shows how faith does this great work of preserving believers.

To sum up, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

“faith” is our subject, by which we are to live by.

This is the supernatural, justifying, and saving faith.

This faith isn’t of ourselves it is the gift of God.

Faith sees the heavenly realities that the author has been speaking about

and makes believers live in a way that testifies to their reality.

“reality”. This word is used elsewhere in Hebrews for “confidence” (3:14).

Confident trust in the Word of God grants the believer the essence of what God promises.

“things hoped for”. Heavenly realities in Christ.

"proof”. Demonstration, a legal term.

Demonstration, a legal term. Faith in God’s Word provides evidence and assurance in the heart of those things that are not seen.

Faith in God’s Word provides proof and assurance in the heart of those things that are not seen.

Here’s the MAIN POINT. That a living faith does give such a reality, certainty, and present being to things hoped for and yet to come, as if they were already actually enjoyed.

In Jesus’ Claims About Himself.

No mere human can honestly claim what Jesus does about himself.

The conflict is escalating as Jesus debates Jewish leaders. Jesus says,

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”” ()

Abraham believed in the promise that Christ would come to save the world by His death (,; cf. ,).

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad.”” ()

Even though there were centuries between Christ and Abraham, yet faith made it present.

It’s represented as if it were before Abraham’s eyes: “he saw it’, as it was wrought upon his heart and he was glad.

This is the sense of having possession of eternal life. "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” ()

We’re not just sure of it when we die, but even as we sit there’s a sense of is now.

"These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance...” ()

So how does faith do this?

ONE. by hope. A living hope does, as it were, sip the cup of blessing, and fortastes those eternal and excellent delights which God has prepared for us.

Look up ,.

Look at the effect of this hope. It leads to rejoicing with inexpressible and glorious joy.

Think of the certainty of our hope and how unerring its ground is.

This is what causes the effect of v8.

see also . “Rejoice in hope”. Hope fills the souls with living comfort.

Hope is the effect

TWO. in the promises.

Strong hope gives us a sweet contentment and joy from the evidence of a future blessed estate:

"But Christ was faithful as a Son over his household. And we are that household if we hold on to our confidence and the hope in which we boast.” ()

"We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” ()

Hope, by mystery, fetches heaven from heaven, and makes it exist in the heart of a believer.

Hop makes heaven stoop down and the earth to ascend and brings the believer into the company of the blessed and brings down the joy of the Spirit into the heart of a believer.

Faith, not only unites you to Christ, but puts Christ and the glory of heaven into the soul by hope!

There is the Lamb, the white throne, the glorified spirits, the upper paradise, the tree of life in the soul, actually made present to us by faith through a living and watchful hope!

TWO. in the promises.

Faith takes possession, and gives a being to the things hoped for—promises, in the promises.

There is not only the union of hope, but a clear right and title; God has passed over all those things to us in the covenant of grace.

When we take hold of the promises, we take hold of the blessing promised by the root of it,

until it flows up to full satisfaction.

Hence those expressions, believers are said ‘to lay hold of eternal life,’ , by which their right is secured to them;

‘And he that heareth my words, and believeth in me, hath eternal life,’ .

Christ does not only say, He shall have eternal life, but, he has a clear right and title to it, which is as sure as sense, though not as sweet.

Faith gives us heaven, because in the promise it gives us a title to heaven;

we are sure to have that to which we have a title; a right is enough, though there be

not always an actual feeling; he has a grant, God’s word to assure him of it.

He is said to have an estate that hath the conveyance of it, but it is not necessary he should carry his land upon his back.

The fee of heaven is made over to us in law though not in deed;

it is ours before we possess it,

because God has passed His word that we shall have it.

And we hold it by covenant right, though we have it not by actual possession.

It is not only prepared for us in the design of God, but given in respect of the security of our right and property:

, ‘I bestow on you a kingdom’

Now faith receives the kingdom.

We take hold of the thing promised by the root of it,

and then we are sure of it; the promise is not a dry root, and the hand of faith is not a barren soil;

but when the hand of faith takes hold of the promise,

your interest will grow up into stalk and bud, and flower, and bring forth the fruit of full contentment.

Now this contents a believer for the present,

because faith considers what the promises are, and whose they are.

[1.] What are the promises?

(1.) Partially this: They are the eruptions and overflows of God’s grace and love.

God’s heart is so big with love to the saints that he cannot wait till the accomplishment of things,

but he must acquaint us beforehand what he means to do for us:"The past events have indeed happened. Now I declare new events; I announce them to you before they occur.”” ()

God’s purposes of grace are like a sealed fountain, but his promises is like a fountain broken open;

before His purposes be brought to pass, He will tell us of them.

Now faith, seeing the testimony of God’s love, counts itself bound to rest on the promise,

but love concealed would not have been so much for our comfort. Now faith, seeing the testimony of God’s love, counts itself bound to rest on the promise, and doth in effect say to the soul, as Naomi to Ruth, ‘Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall; for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing,’ . So faith saith to the soul, Sit still, until thou know how the matter will be; for God will not be at rest till he hath accomplished all that he hath spoken to thee. God accounts our purposes to be obedience, because they are the first issues of our love: , ‘I said I will confess my sin unto the Lord, and thou forgavest mine iniquity;’ and , ‘By faith Abraham offered Isaac,’ because he did it in vow and purpose; much more should we accept promises which are the declarations of God’s purposes as performances: it will in time come to pass.

and does in effect say to the soul, as Naomi to Ruth, “My daughter, wait until you find out how things go, for he won’t rest unless he resolves this today.”” ()

So faith says to the soul, Sit still, until you know how the matter will be; for God will not be at rest till He has accomplished all that He has spoken to you.

God accounts our purposes to be obedience, because they are the first things that flow from our love:

"I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. ” () and , ‘By faith Abraham offered Isaac,’

because he did it in vow and purpose; much more should we accept promises which are the declarations of God’s purposes as performances: it will in time come to pass.

[1.] What are the promises?

(1.) Partially this: They are the eruptions and overflows of God’s grace and love.

(2.) Faith looks upon them as the rule and warrant of our certainty.

They show how far God is to be trusted, even so far as He is engaged;

God has entered into and obligation, and made Himself a debtor to His creatures by His promises.

THREE. in our head.

The purposes of God are unchangeable;

but now when His purposes are declared in His promises, you have a further attachment upon him.

God will try our faith, and see what credit He has with men, whether they will depend upon Him when there is a shield put into our hands.

Well then, faith takes hold of the blessing, the promise; why?

God has passed His word, the word is gone out of His lips, and He cannot, in honor, recall it,’ ;

"I will not violate my covenant or change what my lips have said.” ()

we may challenge Him by His promise.

Saith Austin of his mother, ‘Lord, she was wont to throw thee in thy hand-writing;’ ‘she was wont to plead promises.

God hath entered into an obligation, and you may come and plead, and put those obligations in your petitions:"Remember your word to your servant; you have given me hope through it.” ()

An banker thinks that he’s rich, though he has only a little money in the house, because he has bonds and good security.

He that has a thousand’s of dollars in good stocks is in a better case than he that had only hundred’s of dollars in real money.

A christian accounts God’s promises to be his property and holdings, to be his substance and inheritance.

(3.) The promise is a pawn of the thing promised, and must be kept till performance comes.

God’s truth and holiness are left at pledge with the creature, and He will set them free;

His honor lies at stake, and you may tell Him of it: "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory because of your faithful love, because of your truth. (:1)

God is interested to vindicate His name from slander and reproach.

Well then, faith, looking upon the promises as the eruptions of God’s love,

flowing from God’s eternal love,

as so many obligations and attachments upon God,

and looking upon them as a pawn left us till the blessing come,

upon all these advantages it entertains things to come with the same certainty as if they were accomplished.

[2.] Faith considers whose the promises are; they are God’s, who is faithful and able.

The faithful and almighty God, he cannot say and unsay.

We have it under assurance enough if we have it under his word.

There is both Sarah’s and Abraham’s faith commended to us in scripture; Sarah’s, ‘because she judged him faithful who had promised,’ .

That God who cannot lie, that God who hath been ever tender of his word, that God who will destroy heaven and earth rather than one iota of his word shall pass away, he hath left us promises, and is not this as good as payment?

Then faith looks upon God’s almightiness.

This was Abraham’s faith: , ‘Being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform.’

It is a difficult thing to see how we shall be secured from so many temporal dangers, and brought safe to eternal happiness.

Aye, but God is able, and we have his word; his saying is doing; ‘God spake the word, and it was done,’ .

What can let the all-sufficient God? His promises are performances.

THREE. in our head.

FOUR. in the firstfruits.