Confidence

FAITH’S TESTIMONY CONFIDENCE: THE MEANS TO THE END 1 Faith Community Church PO Box 324 Vancouver, WA 98604 www.vanfcc.org 360-952-2593 2 Hebrews 10:35-36 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 3 Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. The KJV says it this way, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”. The Amplified Bible says it this way… 4 Hebrews 10:23 So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word. (Amplified Bible) First, let’s take a look at faith! NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. The Amplified Bible. (1987). (Heb 11:1). La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation. 5 Hebrews 11:1 NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. (Amp) Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I like the way that the Amplified Bible uses the term “title deed”. Consider if you received in the mail a title deed to a piece of property in Hawaii. Perhaps an inheritance; perhaps a gift from a family member or a friend. You’ve never set foot on this piece of ground. In fact, you’ve never even seen the property. Does that make it any less yours? Absolutely not! You have the title deed! There is not a doubt in my mind but that you would be declaring that to anyone and everyone. I know I would be! The Word of God is my title deed! God’s Word is even more sure than any title deed! From cover to cover it is filled with far more treasured gifts than land, diamonds, silver, or gold. 6 James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Ps 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children's children, (NKJV) Isa 49:25 But thus says the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children. (NKJV) Isa 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. (NKJV) Isa 44:3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; (NKJV) Isa 59:21 "As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them: My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore." (NKJV) 7 2Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 8 Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” 9 Richard C. Halverson Faith in anything less than the sure Word of God- the completed work of His Son, Jesus Christ- is not the faith taught in the Bible. Chaplain of the Senate 1981-1994. We can not trust or put our faith in our feelings or our past experiences. We must stand upon God’s Word and know that God is faithful to His Word. When we have that settled in our hearts, we can say what God says. 10 Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. The KJV says it this way, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)”. Now let’s look at “confession”. 11 Homologia Confession, profession, agreement to express openly one’s allegiance to a proposition or person—‘to profess, to confess, confession.’ Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 417). New York: United Bible Societies. 12 Homologia “to say the same thing,” “to agree in statement.” “to agree to the statement of another” What we are talking about here is simply saying what God says about something. When God gives us a promise or a word, we claim it and then we profess it. We begin to declare what God has already declared. 13 1Timothy 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. 14 1Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (Ephesians 6:10-18) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-- (NKJV) 15 2Timothy 1:13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 2Ti 2:2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 16