In the book of Hebrews chapter
11, there are many examples given of those who lived by faith. In Hebrews chapter 10 verse 38,
it says, "...the just shall live by faith." Now that is quoted
four times in God's Word. In Habakkuk, Galatians, Romans,
and here in Hebrew, "...the just shall live by faith." God divides
human beings up into two categories, the just and the unjust. That is, those who are justified. by God, declared to be holy,
unblameable, unreprovable in God's sight, justified. How are people justified? Well, in Romans chapter 8, it
says, ìWho shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justify." That's
Romans 8, 33. It is God that justifies. God declares one just or unjust. And Scripture also says we are
justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is, the
blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, puts away the sin of His
people and therefore makes them just before God, unblameable,
unreprovable, justified, cleared, guiltless. Scripture also says
we are justified by faith. That is proof that we are God's
people. Proof that Christ did indeed
die for us is faith. Faith is not the cause. But faith
is the proof. And this faith, Ephesians said,
is according, verse 19, chapter 1, is according to the working
of His mighty power. In verse 8 of chapter 2, he says,
faith is not of yourselves, it's the gift of God. Now, one would
believe, or as Christ said, no man can come unto Me except the
Father which hath sent Me draw them. And faith is a gift. We're commanded to believe. We're
commanded. That makes us accountable if
we do not believe. But if we do, if anyone does
believe, they do not believe by their own free will, but they've
been given this precious gift of faith by God Almighty. That way, He gets all the glory. Men get the blame if they don't
believe. God gets the glory if they do. It's as simple as that. You say,
I don't understand. We're not called to understand.
We're just called to believe. And that's what the Scripture
said. Well, here in Hebrews chapter 11, there are examples given
of those who really believed God, those who lived by faith,
just, just ones. Hebrews chapter 11, it gives
several examples. I just want to look at three
or four according to the time. In verse 3 of chapter 11, it
says, By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice
than Cain. by which, that is, by his sacrifice,
he obtained witness that he was righteous or just, as we say,
God testifying of his gifts. And by this, he being dead, yet
speaking. Cain and Abel are two brothers
spoken of in scriptures with the same parents, raised the
same way in the fear of God, the worship of God, And Adam
and Eve taught both of these sons that without the shedding
of blood there is no remission of sins, that we must come to
God by the blood of a lamb. That's what God showed Adam and
Eve in the garden when He slew that animal to cover them with
its skin and that blood was shed, the death of that animal, the
innocent one, that they didn't have to die. Both of these brothers were taught
by their parents that it's the blood which makes atonement for
the soul. They both heard, they both watched
their parents worship the Lord with the blood of a lamb. But
one of them, Abel, brought blood, brought the blood of a lamb.
Cain did not. Cain brought the fruit of his
works, the fruit of the ground. Cain was a gardener, a farmer. Abel was a shepherd, watched
over a flock. Abel brought what God had already
provided, that is, a lamb. Abel had nothing to do with that
lamb. It was what God provided. Cain brought what he grew, what
he produced, his works, the works of his hands. People in these
two young men are found all religions today. All religions are under
one of these two groups, salvation by grace through the blood of
a lamb or salvation by works, man's works, man's will, man's
decision, man's good works, man's morality. What does Scripture
say? It says, by grace are you saved.
by grace, the grace of God, a 100% free gift, what God provides,
and Jesus Christ is the grace of God in salvation. He is the
blood, He is the Lamb of God. His blood, His righteousness,
it's all Him, the gift of God. Whoever comes to God by Him is
saved by this gracious One, Jesus Christ. Whoever comes another
way comes by His own works. That's the way of Cain. God only
accepted Abel because of his sacrifice. And God only accepts
us through Jesus Christ. God rejected Cain because he
brought what he did himself. He thought God would be pleased
with him. But God was not pleased and rejected Cain. And the first
murder, the first human bloodshed was over religion. Abel surely
told his brother, Cain, you heard what Dad and Mom told us about
the blood, that it represents Christ who is to come, and it's
the only way to approach a holy God. You know God won't accept
our works, the works of our hands. Even the best we can do is not
good enough. And Cain got mad at his brother, and he killed
him. One believed God, the other didn't.
How do you know which did? One worshiped through the blood,
the other didn't. So here's the first and primary
evidence of true saving faith, blood. That's the starting point
of every believer's worship, the blood of the crucified one.
That's how we worship. That's how we come to God. There
is no other way. The next example, verse 5, by
faith Enoch was translated. That is, he went right into heaven
without dying. that he should not see death.
And it was not found. That is, one day he was out walking
and he just disappeared, walked on into glory. Because God had
translated him. Before his translation, he had
this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith, it is
impossible to please God. He that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
him. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Faith in who?
Well, Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. Abel
came to God through the blood of a lamb which represented Christ.
Enoch believed Christ. Yes, he did. He had to. Christ
said, I am the way. No man comes unto the Father
but by me. Enoch heard the same thing that Abel did down through
the years of God's lamb, the woman's seed who is to come,
the Messiah, the Christ, God's righteous one who is to come,
be the only mediator and intercessor and only substitute for human
beings. Enoch believed God. Enoch walked
with God. Now, Amos said, the prophet Amos
chapter 3 verse 3, he said, ìCan two walk together except they
be agreed?î Enoch walked with God. That means he agreed with
God. He didn't argue with God. He
didn't back talk God. He didn't say, but, but, but,
but, but whatever God said, Enoch agreed with it. Enoch agreed
with God on everything. Maybe his family didn't, his
neighbors didn't, his co-workers didn't. Today the world is enmity. Scripture says a natural mind,
carnal mind, average man is enmity against God. Romans 8, 7. Enmity
against God. Opposite of God. Hates God. Romans
1 says they did not like to retain God in their knowledge. Not thankful. Don't believe God is God. Enoch
did. Enoch walked with God. Enoch
knew who God was and he walked with Him. He agreed with Him.
Not the world. He didn't agree with the world.
He rejected the world. His companions were not God-haters
and God-despisers. Those who didn't believe God,
His companions were those who believed His God. David said
that, a man after God's own heart. David said in Psalm 119, I'm
a companion of them that fear Thee. Enoch walked with God. Though
no one else believed God, God's Word, Enoch did. By the grace of God, by the power
of God, Enoch believed God. And he walked with Him. And to
walk with God, you can't walk with the world. To walk with
God, you can't Be a friend with the world, that's what Scripture
said, God said. He's a friend of the world. To be a friend of the world is
the enmity with God. Verse 7, by faith, Noah, Noah
being warned of God of things not seen as yet, that is, rain,
judgment, wrath, moved with fear. He moved with fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house by which he condemned the world.
Noah heard the Word of God. What did he hear? Well, God sure
didn't tell him that he loved everybody. God didn't say, No,
I love everybody. I have a wonderful plan for everyone's
life. If you just go tell everybody
how much I love them. No, He heard of the anger and
wrath of God against sin. God said He repented that He
had made man. He said, I will destroy man whom
I have made from the face of the earth. Does that sound like
love to you folks? Same God today as God in Noah's
day. Same God. He hasn't changed.
He is going to destroy the same world. He is going to destroy
this world by fire. Nobody believes that though.
I do. Noah did. God told Noah of his
anger, his wrath against sin, against the world, and his purpose
to destroy man. Not his love for man, his purpose
to destroy man. Same message today. All prophets
of the Old Testament said that. Fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. And Noah believed God. And he moved with fear. He feared God and he moved. He
acted. He got up off his haunches and began to prepare an ark.
That is, he was working out his salvation with fear and trembling.
He began to prepare an ark. That is, his whole life was centered
around that ark, the way, God's salvation, which represented
the Lord Jesus Christ. That ark of Noah represents Jesus
Christ, only those in Christ. will be spared from the overflowing
scourge of God's wrath when He destroys this world. Only those
in Christ. How do you know Noah believed God? Because he prepared
an ark for the saving of his house. He told his sons, Get
up, boys, we're going to work on that ark. Oh, Dad, I don't
want to. Well, you're going to because
this is God's salvation. In verse 7 it says, He condemned
the world. The whole world said to Noah,
Noah, God loves everybody. We don't believe He's going to
destroy this world. Nobody believes like you do,
Noah. Noah said, No, that's not right. God doesn't love the whole
world. This world is going to perish,
neighbor. The ark is the only hope. You'd better get in the
ark before it's everlastingly too late. The wrath of God abides
on the ungodly, not the love of God. That's John 3.36. And he condemned the world, condemned
the world. And Abraham, it says, when he
was called to go out into a place he should have to receive for
an inheritance he obeyed, he went out. Seventy-five year old
idolaters, whatever Abraham was, but he renounced all his former
idolatry and began to serve and walk with and follow the living
and true God. The same will happen to you if
you ever meet the true God. You will renounce all that former
religion you did have, no matter how old you are, if God, by His
grace, gives you this saving faith. And you will begin to
follow the true God and His true Christ. May God give you saving
faith. Amen.