Take your Bibles and turn with
me to Hebrews chapter 11 Hebrews chapter 11 We're looking
at verses 1 and 2 this morning The Apostle says now faith 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
faith faith the title the message is faith the evidence of things
unseen faith What is this? What is the hope
then of faith? Faith is a substance of things
hoped for, so what then is the hope of faith? Well, our hope, the believer's
hope, is in God. The believer's hope is in God.
It is in the covenant promises of God. That God by grace chose
us. in Christ before the world began. Our hope is in that Christ died
to redeem us from our sins. Our hope is in the Holy Spirit
who has quickened us to life and keeps us in this grace of
faith firm unto the end. Our hope, our expectation is
a future glory. Our hope, So then faith is the foundation
upon which hope is built. Now remember, hope is no vain
wish. It's not, gee, I hope so. But
hope is a solid confidence of things that God has promised. We are confident of our election. We are confident of God's Covenant
mercies we are confident that Christ's blood is sufficient
to atone for our sins we are confident that the Spirit of
God has taken residence in our mortal body and we hope we Anticipate
that when we die, we shall be ushered in to the glorious presence
of Christ now then that is our Confidence, but what is the foundation
of such confidence? It is not that we're arrogant
This is not presumptuous, but the foundation of our hope is
what? Faith. Faith is the foundation
of our hope. The Holy Spirit, in the previous
chapter, gives us a clear understanding and instruction in the grace
of faith. He says, now that Christ has
died, now that the covenant promises have been given, now that you
have access to God, He says this, exercise it. He says, draw near
to God. How? By faith. Stand on that
hope, that confidence that God who promised cannot lie. Consider
one another, not forsaking the assembly so that you might receive
boldness and confidence. This is what the assembly does,
is that by the preaching of the gospel, we are comforted, we
are exhorted to continue in faith, hope, and love. We are exhorted. That's what the Spirit of God
has done previously in this previous chapter. That true faith in Christ,
that everyone who has true faith in Christ, which is bestowed
upon the elect and the redeemed, is an experimentally unites us
to Christ. That's what unites us to Christ.
In our experience. Is this matter of faith? Faith. True faith. True faith unites
us to Christ experimentally. Now, we know this as believers
in Christ. We know we were united with Christ
in eternity. Scripture says that God, blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed
us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places, and listen,
in Christ. according as he had chosen us
in Christ before the foundation of the world. So you, believer,
were united with Christ from eternity. You were in union with
your substitute. And I tell you, you were in union
with Christ, your substitute, as he died for your sins. As
he lived according to the obedience of the law and obtained our righteousness,
you were in union with him. You were. Yet, by nature, when we were
born into this world, we were not in union with Christ. Not by nature. By nature, we
were in union with Adam. That's where we were union. We
were union with his race. We're the sons of a fallen race. But the appointed time, when
God quickened us by the Holy Spirit, what happened? We were
given a new nature. New nature Paul in Ephesians
chapter 4 says that we should put on the new man that new nature
when you're born again, you're given a new nature and Paul exhorts
us as believers to put on that new nature put off the old and
put on the new and Then he describes it this
new nature he says which is created You get that? You were not in
union when you were born, experimentally in union with Christ. Though
you were spiritually in union, you had no idea of it. You knew
nothing of the election of God. You knew nothing of the redemption
of Christ until when? Until God created a new nature
in us. and this nature is created paul
says in righteousness and true holiness which is after god see
then we who were people of one nature are now people of two
natures you have the old nature and you
have the new yet you're one person Nobody's
saying you're two different people. You're one person, but you have
two natures residing in you the old nature Which is born of flesh. Remember that's what Jesus said
about this new birth He said that which is born of flesh is
what flesh that old nature is just as old and just as vile
as he was The day he was born He's corrupt, he's vile, he doesn't
enjoy the things of God, doesn't want the things of God. He is
an old man. But God creates in us a new nature
that is holy, which is the nature after the image of Jesus Christ. We have this nature created in
us, imparted to us. And this nature was made by Christ. made by his righteousness scripture
says even the righteousness of God which is by the faith of
Jesus Christ unto and upon all them that what believe you see
now then where faith comes in faith by faith we see that we
have been given a new nature the proof of this genuine union
with Christ that is given to us by God is faith and Paul says if you have true
faith if you are in true union with Christ he said in the previous
chapter we are not of them that draw back into perdition we are
not of them that draw back in fact all the troubles of life
and the trials of our faith All only produces, all of the
providence of time and eternity will never remove us from the
love of God, but rather draw us to God. The trials of our
faith, the afflictions of our bodies and minds and souls only
do one thing, they draw us closer to God. Therefore, as Paul says,
as you have received Christ, So walk in Him. How did you receive
Christ? You who do believe, how did you
receive Christ? Was it not by faith? It was by faith. You received
Him by faith. Even so, how are you to walk?
By faith. Christ and see that's the part
of the whole point of Paul's encouragement here to true believers
that as you are made in Union with Christ, which is evidenced
by your faith in Christ Even so we are to walk by this same
faith in Christ Paul says rooted and Built up In Him, as you have been taught,
abounding therein with thanksgiving. You have been taught by the Holy
Spirit to do what? Believe on Christ. You have been
taught, even because you have been given faith to believe.
And if this is genuine faith, it will always continue to believe. And only the trials of this life
cause us to root deeper into Christ by faith. Root down. You know, when the sun is out,
what keeps the plants alive is the roots. If the roots run deep,
that's where they receive their nourishment and moisture. And
though the outside seems to be dried up, they are still living. And so it is with us, the outside,
we get dry, we get cold, we get indifferent. But God says the
faith of the elect roots down deeper into Christ. And it also
builds upon Christ. And so Paul says, beware lest
any man spoil you through vain philosophy and vain deceit after
the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and
not after Christ. This not only includes the heathen
religion and worldly wisdom, but the law of Moses. Paul warns
us. He says, as you receive Christ,
how did you receive Christ? By faith. How are you to walk? By faith. And don't be deceived
by anybody else trying to impute law unto you. Beware of them that try to move
you from this one thing. Faith in Christ. Don't fall for it. Don't fall
for it. Thus we are called, as Paul says
in the previous chapter before our text, in verse 38, how then
shall these who believe in Christ, who have experimentally been
made in union with Christ, how then are they to live in this
world? Look at that, verse 38, now the
just shall live by Don't complicate it. How are you to live today? By
faith. By faith. We are called to live by faith
in Christ continually and never revert back to law or trust in
the vanity of religious exercises. our text now we see the very
nature of faith in our in our text and how it is linked to
the covenant of grace he says now faith this faith that vitally
unites us to Christ this faith by which we endure and live by
he says now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence
of things not seen Now remember, believers, we are made partakers
of the covenant of God's grace. You are made partakers of the
covenant of God's grace. Through the election of the Father,
the redemption of Christ, and the calling of the Holy Spirit,
but now, through faith in Christ, we hope, we anticipate, to receive
all that God has promised. Paul says in Romans 5, he says,
we have access to God by faith into this grace wherein we stand
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. So Paul in our text gives
us not only the definition of faith, but he also links this
faith with things that are not tangible. Do you get that? Paul says faith is the substance
of things hoped for, things anticipated. And we're
supposed to be going on a trip. Go back to Texas and visit our
family. And so what are we doing now?
We are anticipating it, right? We're waiting for it. Do I have
it? Is it a reality yet? Have I experienced? No, otherwise I would not wait
for it. I would not have to hope for
it because I would have it. So this hope is something that
is not tangible. It is not something you can see
or touch, but it is something invisible. It is a substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things what? Not seen. So the definition of faith is
this. Faith has to do with invisible
things. Invisible things. Hope is a rock-solid
confidence of an invisible thing. It's a thing not yet realized
or experienced as it is promised. Back in Romans 8, Paul says,
we are saved by hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For
what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope
for that which we see not, then do we with patience, with faith,
wait for it. Remember the old covenant, the
old covenant, the Old Testament. It was very visible, wasn't it?
It was something tangible. It was something you could see,
you could touch, you could smell. It was very visible, the Old
Covenant. The ceremonies, the rites, the
rituals were very public displays. They were glorious and surely
the sights and smells and sounds were vivid to the senses of men. Which things were only vivid,
these vivid types were only meant to be a picture of something
that they could not see. Something they could not touch. Christ. That's what all of these
things, these sights and sounds and smells and tastes, they all
were to picture Christ, who they have not seen. But having fulfilled these things,
Jesus having fulfilled and obtained the righteousness and redemption, Being all our wisdom and sanctification,
he is the end of these things, these outward ceremonies, visible
pictures of the law. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4,
he says, we will look not at the things which are seen, but
the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen
are temporal and the things which are not seen are eternal. The
law in all its visible tabernacle are forever removed. seeing Jesus by his one offering
has fulfilled them has become the end of them. Thus the high
priest of our new covenant is not seen. Faith has to do with invisible
things. Did you see Christ? Were you there when he died? Did you see him raised from the
dead? No. So faith has to do with invisible
things, such as Christ. We have not seen Him. We have
not touched Him. Our high priest has entered into
the heavens. He is not seen because he is passed into the presence
of God to intercede for us. Yet, this lost religious world
still seeks to be saved and find assurance by tangible and visible
rituals and ceremonies and traditions. Isn't that natural? That men
want to feel and see and touch something. But you listen, that has nothing
to do with faith. Faith has everything to do with
things that are not seen. In our text, the very nature
of faith and how it is linked to the New Covenant is in things
not seen. True faith looks then to invisible
and unseen things, such as the eternal counsel of God. We look at the covenant promises
of God in Christ. Our faith rests in the eternal,
immutable decrees of our sovereign, omnipotent God, which we have
not seen. You see, our faith rests in God
and His promises. He swore by Himself that He would
save His people by Jesus Christ. And so you who believe, you have
fled to Him that you have not seen. You have fled to Christ
for refuge. And so your faith is the substance
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, in that you
laid hold of Christ, invisible to our eyes, intangible to our
flesh, and yet he is more real to us than anything else. Faith
clings to that which is not seen. True faith, that is. Therefore the earthly feel-good
worship the beautiful buildings the eloquent artwork of men may
delight the senses But are completely irrelevant to the worship of
God that is done in spirit and in truth Now we We are prone To try to
create such an atmosphere of worship, aren't we? Men manipulate
things, sights and sounds and smells in order to what? To promote
worship. No. True worship is without those
things. True worship is in spirit and
in truth. God seeketh to those that were
to worship him in spirit and in truth, not in outward ceremony
or ritual. We're prone to this and we've
got to watch out for it. Let our hearts and minds rather
be set on the invisible Christ. Set your affection on what? Things
above and not on things of the earth. That's true faith. That
is what it is to walk by faith. It is to set our eyes on things
that are not seen. Peter said to us who believe,
whom having not seen you love. In whom though now you see him
not, yet believing through faith you rejoice with joy unspeakable
and full of glory. So what then is the joy of the
believer? It is faith in Christ. That's our joy. That's our comfort. That is the substance of our
hope is our faith in this one that we love though we've not
seen him yet though we haven't seen him yet we rejoice through
faith in him with joy unspeakable and full of glory so then without
faith We cannot rejoice in the unseen hope of God's covenant
promises. A man may have hope of heaven,
he may entertain vain dreams of acceptance with God, but without
faith in Christ, his hope is empty. 100 out of 100 surveyed all think
they're going to heaven. Now what are they basing that
on? Something seen most of them are
basing it on something. They've done something They see
something they felt something they did. Well, I had this experience
I mean this thing happened to me and it was oh I saw a bright
light from heaven. What are they experiencing? They
are trusting something that is seen that is not faith and therefore
they have no hope and But we trust not in the experience of
things, the circumstance of things. We trust in Christ, whom we have
not yet seen. Our faith is not in tangible
things, but invisible things. Invisible things. So then, how then do we know
we are saved? How do we know that we are the
elect of God and the redeemed of Christ? How do we know our
hope is not vain? I tell you, you should examine
yourself concerning this. You should not be deceived. What is your confidence of going
to heaven? What is your hope? How do you know that you can
have these things? You listen to the words of this. Faith is
the substance of things hoped for. Listen, you listen. Evidence. Evidence of things not seen. So what is the evidence that
my hope is genuine, that my hope is founded, that I'm going to
glory? What is this? Faith in Christ. There's my evidence. Faith. It is by faith we may
understand the unseen realities of God. Faith is the spiritual
insight and discernment. By nature, man is blind and cannot
know or see the things of God. But once we are quickened by
the Spirit of God, we see what? That we are bankrupt, that we
are utterly ruined, totally corrupt and depraved. We are without
hope, without merit to save ourselves. And you listen, such discernment
is not natural. You see, God must show us these
things. See, a man cannot see these things. They're invisible,
so he doesn't have any trust in it. He doesn't see himself
depraved. He doesn't see himself without
hope. He sees that he has some hope in himself, some goodness
in himself. But when God quickens a man,
he is open to see that he has no hope in himself. But see,
such discernment alone is not enough. The devils understand
that, don't they? They understand that they're
damned. They understand that they're
wicked. But the element of trust is vital. The element of trust is vital. Trusting in Christ, saving faith,
beholds that in Christ alone all the hope of salvation in Christ his blood and righteousness
is alone is the full assurance of hope the abundance of grace and eternal
life and peace with God thus trust true faith trust in the
Savior Jesus Christ alone We will not and cannot go to any
other person or place. We cannot and will not ever trust
in any merits of the flesh or men. This is true faith. And
true faith is the evidence of our salvation. True faith is
the evidence of our salvation. So then faith is a substance,
the evidence of things hoped for and those things not seen.
And all our faith then rests upon Jesus Christ. And this is
the only evidence I have of my saving interest of my hope and
saving interest of Christ. It is faith in Him alone. Now, do you want assurance? Faith in Christ alone is the
only evidence of salvation. Now, I know this. A true believer
will love the brethren. They will love Christ. They will. No doubt about it. John said,
if a man doesn't love his brethren, he doesn't love Christ. So that's
true. We know that. We know this also
that no matter how much I love it's never enough Is it? So that can't lean on my love.
I can't lean on my love We know this that are we would
hope and as I've told you Hope and faith go together. You can't
separate them So what then is left for the evidence is faith.
Do you believe on the Son of God? This is the evidence that
is enough go to John chapter 3 Go to John chapter 3 We'll
flip to a couple of places and see that faith alone in faith
in Christ alone is enough as all our evidence John chapter 3 verse 16 For God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son whosoever
believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life for
God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but
that the world through him might be saved listen he that believeth
on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned
already because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten
son of God you see then faith alone is enough he that believe
he that believe on him is not look at uh... mark chapter sixteen
and verse sixteen this in it says he He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. So what then is the evidence
of salvation? He that believeth, believeth. Faith in Christ is the evidence
of true conversion. And listen, if you are a sinner
without Christ, I beseech you that you should believe on Christ. For God testified of His Son
and His Son has fulfilled all that the law and the prophets,
all that the law and prophets have spoken. He alone has pleased
God. He has satisfied the justice
of God for sin. He alone has risen from the dead
and sits at the right hand of God. You should believe on Him. but i tell you this unless god
opens your eyes and gives you faith you will still refuse him
so then we must understand this that faith is not natural faith
in christ is supernatural it is something that god himself
must give you and when god himself gives you faith know this it
is enough it is enough he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved
faith in him alone is enough is the evidence jesus said this he said this
is the work of god that you believe on him whom he has sent. Paul in Ephesians says this,
For by grace you are saved, how, through faith, and that not of
yourselves. It, faith, is a gift of God,
not of works, lest any man should boast. How then did you receive this
faith, believer? It was a gift of God. was a gift
of God. And this faith is the testimony
of God's Word, as well as the experience of the believer from
first to last, that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God. How did you have this faith?
How did you receive this faith? Was it not by the hearing of
the Word of God? God's Word was preached. God
the Spirit quickened, and you heard the Word, and then you
believed. on christ you believe true saving
faith the end is the only evidence of salvation and only comes to
the heart of the center by preaching through the preaching of the
gospel but the preaching of the gospel
it is the chosen me and i want you understand this this faith
doesn't come by just any old preaching of any method But only
the gospel message only the gospel message in Jeremiah chapter 23
Our Lord berates those false prophets and he said that if
they've got a dream let them tell their dream if they've got
a vision Let them speak their vision. What is the chaff to
the wind? What is the chaff to the fire?
My word is a flame and will burn up their false words. I And he
says this about false preachers. He said, they shall not profit
this people at all. I want you to pay attention because
true faith never comes under the sound of false religion. Never comes under the sound of
false religion. It only comes through the preaching
of the gospel. for without knowledge faith is
impossible but faith based on knowledge is false faith there's
a lot of people heard and believe this gospel academically that's
not faith that's not faith true faith has to do with the heart
the heart for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness
and with mouth the mouth confession is made under salvation true
faith in is based on the knowledge of christ according to the gospel
as it is worked in the heart of man so then we preach this gospel
and god by grace gives faith and the moment the spirit of
god speaks life into the heart Listen, a man can do nothing
else but believe. Faith is not a decision. Faith
is a result of God's work in you. You see, you only believe because
the work has already been done. Religion has it backwards. Religion
says well you believe and then God does the work because of
your faith No faith is a result of what God has already done
in you. This should be a comfort to you that believe You believe
because God has already done the work in you This is the evidence
that the work is done is that you believe on Christ And so, believer, look now, search
your own heart. Do you believe on the Son of
God? Do you trust your soul to Him
that you have not seen? Do you believe the Word of God? which goes against every ounce
of your natural senses. If you have come to Christ, if
you know and follow Him, then you have this assurance.
Your faith is the substance of things, What's hoped for? What do you hope for? What do
you hope for? What do you anticipate? I anticipate heaven. I anticipate
the glory of Christ, everlasting life, forgiveness of sins, mercy,
pardon, justification, redemption. I anticipate all the heavenly
blessings that God has in Christ. That's what I anticipate. Now,
how do I know I'm going to receive it? I believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ. I believe. We believe because
we understand and trust the revelation of God in scripture. Now, I like
this illustration. It was a British officer that
was retired. And according to the British government, there
was a book that they had of the names of all of the people that
served in the military Retired and his friend came to him and
he said, you know, have you ever seen that book? The old soldier
said no never seen it Well, how do you know your name
is there And he said well every month
I receive a check Every month I receive a check from the British
government That's how I know my name is there. Believer, your
name was written down in heaven before the foundation of the
world. Your name was written by God. The Lord Jesus Christ,
before you were born, came into this world and died for your
sins, suffered for you, justified you before God, rose from the
dead, and now sits in heaven unseen by you and intercedes
for you. Now, how do you know it was for
you? Every day I receive a check.
It's called faith. And if my name is written down
there, I'm going to receive this faith every day until I die. That's how I know that I know
that I know my name is written down. I believe on the son of
God. We know our names are written
because God has given us This faith we know because he is given
the Holy Spirit, which is the down payment He is given the
Spirit of God who keeps us in the faith I like this, you know
faith in Scripture is always present tense It's it's a reason for that because
faith ten minutes ago Or faith ten minutes from now will not
help me I believe on Christ now. And now. And now. And now. And now. And every time I can
say that, I have evidence. So then how are you to live? faith always believing in Christ
alone that is our evidence and you know what we're not alone
look at this next verse he said for by faith the elders obtained
a good report you know all those Old Testament Saints They didn't have as much as you
have. You have, look at this, see this book? You have the full
revelation of God. You take half of this book and
you say, okay, this is all they had and very little of this. But I'm gonna tell you something,
they weren't saved in any different manner than you are. They had
all the sights and sounds of the Old Covenant, but I tell
you, they didn't trust in those sights and sounds. They trusted
in Christ that that stuff pictured. They're saved the same way you
are. And you know what they received?
When they ended their life, when their life was over, and He's
going to go through these ones in this Old Covenant, and He's
going to show us their faith. They lived it. Even so do we live it. We live
by faith. We obey the will of God because
we believe the word of God. And they obtained a good report,
didn't they? When you think of Abraham, can
you not help but smile? Abraham. Friend of God. Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. Enoch walked with God and was
translated that he should not see death. These men walked by
faith, and you know what they retained? A good report. And
you know what happens to us when we walk by faith and we end by
faith? We, too, obtain a good report. We are a testimony to others,
aren't we? Does this not then encourage
you to believe? It does. If you have true faith,
it only moves you to more faith. More faith. May God even so cause
us to trust in Christ more completely. To live by faith. so as to obtain
a good report. May God even bless this to our
hearts. Let's stand and be dismissed in prayer.