What Is Faith

Q: What does the Bible say about faith?

The Bible describes faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). In Hebrews 11:1, faith is defined as the substance of things hoped for, indicating that it is the foundation upon which our hopes are built. It is also described as the evidence of things not seen, meaning that faith serves as proof of the unseen realities of God's promises. This kind of faith is not mere belief; it is a deep-rooted assurance that what God has promised will indeed come to pass. Furthermore, in the context of the Reformed tradition, faith is understood as a gift from God, essential for pleasing Him and for salvation.

Q: How do we know that saving faith is true?

Saving faith is true because it is a gift from God that produces evidence in our lives through good works (Ephesians 2:8-10). Saving faith, as articulated in Ephesians 2:8-9, is a gift from God and not something we can produce on our own. This faith results in a transformed life marked by good works, as Paul explains in the following verse (Ephesians 2:10), where we are created in Christ for good works. The legitimacy of saving faith is evidenced by a person's response to God's grace in their actions and desires. Ultimately, this faith is validated through its focus on Christ, who is both the object and source of our faith, as seen in Hebrews 12:2.

Q: Why is faith important for Christians?

Faith is essential for Christians because it is the means by which we please God and obtain salvation (Hebrews 11:6). Faith serves as the cornerstone of the Christian life, as it is through faith that believers are justified and reconciled to God. Hebrews 11:6 states, 'Without faith, it is impossible to please Him,' emphasizing that faith is the requisite approach to God. Through faith, we affirm our trust in God's character and His promises, which anchors our hope in eternal life. It is vital because it drives our relationship with God, guiding us in understanding His will, receiving guidance in our daily lives, and cultivating a deeper relationship with Christ. Faith also provides comfort and assurance during trials and tribulations, affirming that God is sovereign and faithful.

Q: What is the relationship between faith and works?

Faith and works are interconnected; genuine faith produces good works as a response to God's grace (James 2:17). The relationship between faith and works is often misunderstood, but Scripture clarifies that while we are not saved by works, true faith will naturally result in good works. James 2:17 states, 'Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.' This highlights the importance of evidence in the life of a believer. Genuine faith, which is a gift from God, bears fruit in the form of good works, demonstrating the transformative power of salvation. Ephesians 2:10 further reinforces this by declaring that we are created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in. Thus, while works do not save us, they are a necessary expression of our faith.

Q: How does faith help us in difficult times?

Faith helps us in difficult times by providing assurance of God's presence and purposes, allowing us to rest in His promises (Psalm 42:5). In times of difficulty, faith becomes our anchor, reminding us of God's faithfulness and sovereignty. As stated in Psalm 42:5, despite the challenges we face, our hope is to be placed in God, whom we can trust to provide the strength and resources we need. Faith enables us to see beyond our immediate struggles, focusing on the eternal truths of God's Word and His promises. It reassures us that God is actively working for our good, even when circumstances seem dire. This perspective fosters peace and contentment, encouraging us to rely on God rather than our own understanding or strength.

Hebrews chapter 11. And let's read the first six
verses. It says now faith is the substance
of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. For by it by faith. The elders
obtained a good report Through faith, we understand that the
worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which
are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith, Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which
he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of
his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch
was translated that he should not see death and was not found
because God had translated him. For before his translation he
had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is
impossible to please him. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is And that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. Our subject today is faith. And we have all heard about this
subject a lot in our lives. Faith is a very important thing. It's a very vital thing. Look
at chapter 10, verse 38. Just before Chapter 11, it says,
Now the just shall live by faith. It's how the just are going to
live. By way of faith, if any man draw
back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them
who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the
saving of the soul. So it's obviously a vital thing.
And when we read passages like this that say the just shall
live by faith. And if any man draw back. I'll
have no pleasure in it can be a very mysterious thing. Very
hard to understand and very hard to explain. If we had to explain
faith to somebody, it's hard to explain. The book of James
says. That faith without works is dead. But we don't believe in salvation
by works, but it says the just shall live. By faith. So the question is, and the subject
is really honestly, what is faith? What is it? What is saving faith
and how does it apply to us? How does it apply to us and how
do we approach it? Meaning, how do we approach it
in our hearts and in our minds? How do we think about it and
how do we understand? Really and truly, what is faith? Faith means to believe. Chapter
10, verse 39 says, we are not of them who draw back unto perdition,
but of them that believe. Chapter 11, verse six says, but
without faith, it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh
to God must believe. So the question really is, what
do we believe? What do we believe? Because every
human being on planet Earth says they have faith. Every church
meeting this morning is talking about faith. and encouraging
people to have faith. Everybody has faith in something
or someone. But the Lord said in 2 Thessalonians
3, 2, all men have not faith. All men have not faith. Saving
faith. So again, let's take a minute
to look at what is faith? What do we believe? Verse 1 says
that faith is the substance of things hoped for. The reference
to the word substance there, it says the ground or the confidence. Faith is where our confidence
comes from. Our confidence. Sadly, we have
all, I definitely have and expect that we have all had doubts. Doubts. Honestly, it's a horrible thought, but
at some point, I'm sure we have all said. Is this real? Wait a minute. Is there really
life after death? And then we snap out of it. Absolutely,
it's real. Absolutely, it's real. How can we be so sure? How can
we be so confident? Faith. Confidence. It's our substance. Faith is
our substance. Alright, what is faith? Verse
1 goes on to say, Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
It's the evidence of things not seen. Turn over to 2 Corinthians. Chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. Verse 18 says, While we look
not at the things which are seen. But the things which are not
seen. For the things which are sane
are temporal, but the things which are not sane are eternal. We look at things which are sane
all the time. We want things which are sane
all the time. We hope for things which are
sane all the time. It's flesh. But the reason that
we are all here this morning is to look at things which we
cannot see. Real things. If we can see it. It's temporary. It's not real. It won't last. It's not real. If we can see it, it's not real.
So faith is the evidence of things that we cannot see. In a courtroom,
when they bring in evidence, what they're bringing in is proof. It's proof. Facts. They say, we found this gun at
that crime scene. Here's the proof. Faith is our
evidence. It's our evidence. It's our substance
that we have evidence of things we cannot say. Verse 2 says,
For by it, by faith, the elders obtained a good report. If we are going to receive what
we hope for, and what we hope for is eternal life. That's what
we hope for. Eternal life. There's only one
way to have eternal life. But that's what we hope for is
eternal life. If we are going to receive what we hope for,
We're going to need a good report. We really are. We're going to
have the books are going to be open. And when my name is found,
I'm going to have to have a good report. If we have any hope of entering
into his holy kingdom. Where sin cannot enter in. Then we're going to have to have
a good report. Our elders who have gone before
us. Brother Scott. Is in glory right
now. How did he get there? He had
a good report. How can we obtain a good report? Verse two says by faith. By way of. Faith, if we're going
to have a good report, here's how we're going to get it. It's
going to come to us by faith. It says by it, that's what the
word, that's what God wrote, by faith, by it. The elders obtained
a good report. How did they get it? They got
it by faith. Verse 3 says, Through faith we
understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so
that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Through faith we understand. We understand. A person that does not have saving
faith just does not understand. They just don't understand. Through faith we understand. Faith is how we understand. Verse
four. Says, by faith, Abel offered
unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts,
but he being dead yet speaketh. Two brothers made a sacrifice
to God. They both made a sacrifice to
God. They both gave up something and made a sacrifice to God.
Both of them did. Both of them did something. Both
of them were active. One was accepted and one was
not. And what was the difference? Faith. Faith. Now, I'm saying all this and
I'm getting to what is faith. To me, this is still not clear
yet. One one was made in faith and
one was not. God testified, that's what it
says, God testified, said, I accept this one and I do not accept
this other one. Verse five says. By faith, Enoch was translated
that he should not see death and was not found because God
had translated him for before his translation, he had this
testimony that he pleased God. There was a man named Enoch.
He was our brother. He believed God. He was our brother. Just like
any brother. He was a regular man. He was
not a holy man. Moses was not a holy man. Noah
was not a holy man. The Lord used these men, these
regular men, And Enoch had regular problems and regular responsibilities. He lived 365 years. He had a lot of kids and a lot
of grandkids and tons of teenagers all the time. He had problems. I'm sure he was vexed daily with
things. He lived 365 years, Genesis says,
waiting on the Lord. That's what we're doing. We're
waiting on the Lord. What do we do all day, every
day? We're just waiting on the Lord. We're waiting on Him to
come back. And we're waiting on Him to tell
us our next move. We're just waiting on the Lord. It says,
He walked with God, walking down a dirt road, a gravel road. His
shoes weren't very good. He felt rocks under His feet.
Just walking with God. Everybody had grass and mud huts. And one day, all of a sudden,
one leg stepped into glory before the rest of his body did. And
he's looking at Jesus Christ. Face to face with the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now, wait a minute. Did that
really happen? Honestly, come on. Did that really happen? How is that possible? Verse five says it happened. Here's how it happened. This
is the way that this man was translated. He was translated.
How was he translated? By faith. That's how it happened. It happened by faith. So faith is vital. Because, verse
six says, Without faith, it is impossible to please God. It's
impossible. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him. We can clearly see faith's importance. Now, let's see if Lord will open
up to us truly, what is faith? What is it? I'd like to look
at three examples that the Lord gave of faith, three times where
the Lord said that is faith. And I'd like to look at three
facts that the Lord wrote about faith and see if this will clarify
Hebrews 11 for us a little bit. We're going to turn quite a bit
here, so bear with me. The first example is in Matthew
chapter nine. First example is in Matthew 9. Verse 20 says, And behold, a woman which was
diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him
and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself,
If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned
him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good
comfort. Thy faith hath made thee whole. If we take the word for the written
word, the Lord just said, your faith has made you whole. You know what made you whole?
Your faith. That's interesting to me. That's
really interesting. It's like he gave her something
to glory in, didn't he? Not exactly. Let's look at our second example.
It's in Matthew 8. It's back one page. Matthew 8. Verse five says, And when Jesus
was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion beseeching
him and saying, Lord, my servant life at home, sick of the palsy,
grievously tormented. And Jesus said unto him, I will
come and heal him, the Lord said. I'll come to your house in healing."
This centurion said, Lord, I have a servant who I love. I love
him. And he is tormented with the
palsy. And the Lord said, I'm glad to
come to your house in healing. Let's go. We'll go right now. And this is what the man said.
Verse 8. The centurion answered and said,
Lord, I'm not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof.
But if you just speak the Word, I know my servant will be whole. Verse 9 says, For I am a man
under authority, having soldiers under me. I say to this man,
Go, and he goeth. And unto another come, and he
cometh. And to my servant, Do this, do this, and he doeth it.
Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled. The Lord God marveled,
why would he write that? Why would he write that? He didn't
have to write that. When Jesus heard it, he marveled
and he said unto everybody else, he said to them that followed.
Do you all see this man over here?
Can everybody see him, them that followed? You see this centurion? I say unto you, verily, I say
unto you, I have not found so great faith in all of Israel. Can everybody see this man right
here? Now, he had something to glory
in, didn't he? Not exactly. Third example is in Matthew nine
again, verse one says, and he entered into a ship and passed
over and came into his own city and behold, they brought unto
him a man sick of the palsy lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their
faith. Said unto the sick of the palsy.
Son, be of good cheer. Thy sins are forgiven. It says the Lord saw their faith. He wasn't even looking at the
sick man's faith. It says he saw the faith of somebody
else. And because of their faith, when
the Lord saw their faith, that amount of faith that those men
Had. He said to this other man, your
sins are forgiven because of their faith. Now, surely these men had something
to glory in. They didn't. They had nothing
to glory in. Here's why. Three facts. I'll
try to make this a little faster. Hold your place in Matthew, because
we're going to turn back and look at these one more time.
And turn to Ephesians chapter 2. We just read in Hebrews 11 that
we must have faith to please God. Any religious person can
see that. Every religious organization
in the world is talking about faith. Everybody's talking about
faith. But where religion gets it wrong
is they take the credit for it. They take the credit for it. It's as though it's something
they did. Ephesians 2 verse 8 says, For by grace, by gift, are you
saved through faith. You're saved through faith. The way that we're saved is through
faith. That's how we're saved. That's
the vehicle in which we're saved. Faith. For by grace are you saved
through faith and that faith is not of yourself. It didn't
start with you. It's a present. It's the gift of God. It's a
present. Faith is something that we can
possess. But it is not something that
we can produce. It's not of ourselves, it's a
gift, the gift of God. John 3.16 says, For God so loved
the world that he gave a gift, a present. And what was that
gift? His only begotten son. So to clarify our first example,
flip back over to Matthew 9, verse 20 says. And behold, a
woman which was diseased with an issue of blood 12 years came
behind him and touched the hem of his garment, for she said
within herself, if I may, but touch his garment, I shall behold.
But Jesus turned him about and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, Daughter. That's his child. He already knew what she needed.
Daughter. You be of good comfort. The gift
of God has made you whole. That's what that means. And it says the woman was made
whole from that hour. All right, turn to Philippians,
Chapter two, our second fact is Philippians, Chapter two. We already quoted James 2, 20,
that says faith without works is dead. And that's the truth. That's inspired by God who cannot
love faith without works is dead dead faith. But where the world gets it wrong
is they say now it's your job to get it done. It's up to you. It's your responsibility
now what are you going to do. Because they sing songs like
I'm working on a building. I'm working on a building for
my Lord. I'm going to build my mansion
next to Jesus. There's a guy in Rocky Mount,
and he's such a nice guy. He builds houses. And he went
down somewhere, I don't know, New Orleans or somewhere, and
he did some humanitarian work through his church. They call
it mission work, but it's just humanitarian work. And he loves
to wear his T-shirt, Carpenters for Christ. You ever seen that? When the Lord did the work, he
said, it is finished. There is no more work. The Lord
did the work. It's finished. The Lord went on to say in Ephesians
2, it's not of your works, lest any man should boast. And he
says here in Philippians 2 verse 13. It is God which worketh in
you. Both to will to want to. And to do. Of his good pleasure. Believers
actually had to. They actually want to and they
actually do it. They want to and they do it and
it is God that work is in you. Both to will and to do of his
good pleasure, so to clarify our second example, go back to
Matthew 8. Verse. 10 says it's the centurion
who came in verse 10 says. When Jesus heard it, he marveled. And I believe he did. I don't believe that the Lord
God of heaven would have written the word marveled if he didn't
marvel. When Jesus heard it, he marveled
and he said to everybody else, can everybody see this man? I
have not seen so great a work of the Holy Spirit in a person
as I see right here in this man. He's a centurion. He's mighty
and noble. And not many mighty and noble
are called. Now, if he was a beggar, I wouldn't marvel so much. But
this man's high and mighty. Did you hear what he just said?
The Holy Spirit has done a mighty work right here. That man had nothing to glory
in. The first fact that we believe is It's not something we produce.
It's not of ourselves. It's completely a gift from him.
Of him. The second fact we believe is
it's not something we perform. It's something we experience. We are doing it. We are doing it. We're all here,
aren't we? Shouldn't we be proud of ourselves
for being here? It's not something we perform,
it's something we experience. All right, the last fact is in
Hebrews 12. Hebrews chapter 12. A very well-known celebrity singer
from a long career got caught up in drugs And she basically
ruined her career. And then she straightened up
and flew right. She turned over a new leaf and
she was interviewed on Good Morning America. And they asked her, what pulled
you out of those dark days and got you to where you are today?
And her answer was, my faith. My faith. And as she talked a little bit
more, it became very clear that what she meant was my faith in
me. My faith in me. The world says
you have to believe in yourself. You've got to look down deep
and you've got to find something in there. Find this faith. You've got to conjure it up.
And you've got to believe in yourself that you're able. You
can do anything you put your mind to. That is not where believers are
looking. It's not. That is not where recipients
of the work of the Holy Spirit are looking. Hebrews 12, verse
2 says, they are looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God. So to clarify our last example,
turn back to Matthew 9. Verse 2 says, And behold, they
brought to him a man sick of the palsy, Lying on a bed and
Jesus seeing. Looking at these men. And Jesus seeing the gift of
God unto them. He saw what God gave them. And Jesus Christ seeing the work
of the Holy Spirit in them at that moment in time. Watching
the Holy Spirit work. Causing those men to 100% look
to and hope in and believe on and trust in Christ. Not themselves. Because of Christ, by Christ,
and unto Christ. For Christ's sake. For Christ's
sake, he said to this other man. Your sins are forgiven for Christ's
sake. Be of good cheer. And he said
this too. Behold, they brought to him a
man sick of the palsy, lying on the bed. And Jesus, seeing
their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, son, daughter. It's always a son or a daughter.
Always, son or daughter. Son, I tell you what, you be
a good cheer. The Lord did actually heal him.
Took away his palsy. But first, he said, let me tell
you why you need to be happy. It's not because I'm going to
take away your palsy. Things come and things go. What
you hope for is eternal life. You're going to be here a few
years, and palsy might be taken away, but something else is going
to come. So let me tell you why you need to be a good cheater.
Your sins are forgiven. For Christ's sake, your sins
are forgiven. Faith is the gift of Christ, the work of Christ,
and the object of Christ. If a believer has faith, they
have the gift of God unto them, And they have the work of God,
the work of Christ in them. And they have the object of Christ
in front of them. That is what faith is. So let's
sum all of that up by just saying Christ, one word, Christ, that's
it. And go back to Hebrews 11 one
more time. Now, to better understand Hebrews
11, every time we see the word faith, we're going to say Christ. Verse 1 says, Now Christ is the
substance of everything that I hope for. Christ is the evidence of everything
that I cannot see. How do we know heaven exists?
Jesus Christ came. He physically came from there.
That's how I know heaven exists. And people saw him die and people
saw him get up and people saw him fly away. I know heaven exists. Jesus Christ came. Verse 2 says,
For by Christ the elders attained a good report. Brother Scott's
good report, what was it? When they said, How do you plead?
What did he say? Christ. That's a good report. Verse 3 says, Through Christ
we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God
so that things which are seen were not made of things which
do appear. Why don't we believe in evolution?
Jesus Christ wrote Genesis 1. And I believe it. That's the
only reason I don't believe in evolution. Well, there's probably
a ton of reasons why I don't believe in evolution. By Christ, Abel offered unto
God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous. God testifying of his gifts,
and by it he being dead yet speaketh. They told Abel, this is exactly
how you offer your sacrifice because it's going to represent
Jesus Christ. A lamb that was slain. Blood
that was spilled. Because of Christ, that's why
your sacrifice is accepted. Verse 5 says, By Christ Enoch
was translated. How are we going to get from
this world to the next? I'm still going to be me and
you're still going to be you in the glorified body somehow.
But Job said, I know that with these eyes, I'm going to see
God. We're really going to be there.
How are we going to get there? Jesus Christ said, I will carry
you over. I'm going to pick you. I'm going
to take you there. I'm the vehicle that gets you there by Christ. Verse six says, but without Christ. It is impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must
believe Jesus Christ is God. And that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him. I'll close with this. Although
we take no part in the gift, the work, or the object of faith,
it is our faith. It really is a gift. It really
is a present to have and to hold. When bad news comes and hard
times come, the only reason that we haven't committed suicide
is because of the faith given to us by Jesus Christ. And it is an experience. It is
really an experience. And we go through the motions
of performing faith and it is so enjoyable. And all the while
we say, it's not of me, it's the gift of God. Yeah, that was
a good thing, but it wasn't to me, it's the work of God. And the whole reason we do anything
is because we're looking unto him. It is an experience. It's a gift and it's enjoyable.
If we are one of his, he's going to provide for us either way.
Young and old, never seen the righteous forsaken. If we are
one of his, he is going to have mercy on us. If we're one of
his, he's going to have mercy on us either way. So when these problems come and
they will come. They do all the time. We can
either stay worried and flustered and hopeless, or we can relax. We can have peaceful rest in
faith, in Christ. The Lord will provide. The Lord
will see to it. The Lord is my foundation. There is truly no more enjoyable
experience to have than the experience of contentment and faith. And
I say that as a weak person who needs more of it, not an expert
on the subject. Psalm 42, verse five says, Why
art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in
me? Hope thou in God. For I shall yet praise him for
the help of his countenance. We all do say, I don't see this
in myself. I don't. I don't feel this in
myself. And I'm reminded of the fact
that the Lord said you have not because you have not. That is
exactly why the disciples, his disciples asked, and I want to
ask, Lord, increase our faith. I'm always worried about money,
always. I'm always worried about money. That's not a good example of
faith. And I was complaining about it the other day to Hannah,
and it's like it dawned on me. I don't need any more money.
I don't need one more dime. What I need is more faith. I
actually have all the money I need. I don't have one bill collector
after me. I could lose a few pounds. I don't need another diner. What
I need is more faith. Lord, increase our faith. Increase
your gift to us. Increase your work in us. And
increase the amount of time we spend looking unto you. For Christ's
sake. May the Lord bless His Word.

What Is Faith

What does the Bible say about faith?

How do we know that saving faith is true?

Why is faith important for Christians?

What is the relationship between faith and works?

How does faith help us in difficult times?

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What Is Faith

What does the Bible say about faith?

How do we know that saving faith is true?

Why is faith important for Christians?

What is the relationship between faith and works?

How does faith help us in difficult times?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

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