On a Sunday morning, about 150
or 200 years ago, the morning congregation began
taking their seats, awaiting the worship service. The pastor
was an old one-eyed preacher by the name of Christmas Evans. You're familiar with him. from Wales, and all the people were assembled,
but no preacher. Two of the deacons were standing
back in the back, and one of them said, Where's the preacher?
He said, I don't know. He said, Well, it's time to start
the service. Maybe you'd better go find him.
You go that way, and I'll go this way. So they left. A few minutes they came back,
and the first man said, did you find him? He said, I found him. He said, did you tell him it
was time to preach? No. Where was he? He was in the study. So did you tell him it was the
time to study and it was the time to preach? No. We've got to go get him." No,
he said, besides, you've got to leave him alone. What's he
doing? Praying. But what was he saying? He said, Lord, I've gone into
that pulpit by myself for the last time. If you don't go with
me this morning, I'm just not going. He thought that way a
thousand times. Pulpit is the loneliest place
in the world when God's not there. It's lonely for the people, too.
Oh, how I pray that the Lord will be pleased to bless this
message this morning in a very special way, special way for
all of us. I want you to turn to Hebrews
chapter 11. Hebrews 11. Let me read six verses. I believe Paul's the writer of
the Hebrew letter. He begins in verse one, Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen. For 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,
Enon was translated that he should not see death and was not found
because God had translated him. Or before he had this, his translation,
he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith,
it's impossible to please God. For he that cometh to God must
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him." Now one thing's for sure, faith is the
subject of this eleventh chapter of Hebrews. The word faith appears
in this eleventh chapter. Twenty-four times in the forty
verses. Faith, faith, faith, faith. But my subject this morning is
not just faith, not faith in general. My subject this morning
is saving faith. Saving faith. Look back. You know, I always say to the
folks, when you're reading the Scripture, go back a couple of
verses. Go back to chapter ten. And look
at verse 38 and 39. Hebrews 10, 38. Now, the just
shall live by faith. But 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 we are of them that believe to
what? to the saving of the soul. That's
what I want to talk about today. Saving faith. We believe to the saving of our souls. Now, three things that everybody
in this building knows. This is a fact. Everybody in
here knows these three things. Saving faith is the gift of God. You know that. I know that. Everybody
who attends this congregation knows that saving faith is the
gift of God. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that knowledge says, it is the gift of God. That's what it is. It is the
gift of God. It is the gift of God. Not of
works. That's any man should boast.
And Paul said, I'm confident of this very thing, that he who
has begun a good work in you shall finish it in the day of
Jesus Christ. And then Paul wrote this in chapter
1 of Philippians, verse 29, under you it is given, under you it
is given, the gift of God is given, not only to believe on
him, Faith is the gift of God. It
is given to you not only to believe on Him, but to suffer for His
sake. So you know that, and I know
that. Face the gift of God. Here's the second thing that
everybody in here knows beyond a shadow of a doubt. You've heard
it preached over and over again. Saving faith. There are all kinds
of faith. Keep the faith, brother. Hang
on to the faith, all this. I'm talking about saving faith.
Saving faith abides in, rests in the Lord Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. Saving faith abides in, dwells
in, rests in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now one old-timer
said this, saving faith does not come to Calvary to do anything. Saving faith doesn't come to
the cross of Calvary to do anything. It comes to see, not to do. Saving faith comes to the cross
not to do, but to see the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin
of the world. Saving faith comes to Calvary
not to do, but to hear To hear him say, it's finished. That's what I came to hear. It
is finished. Saving faith comes to Calvary
not to do, but to believe. Like the centurion who said after
our Lord died, surely this man was the Son of God. Saving faith. Where saving faith
begins, work ends. Where saving faith begins, work
ends, and peace and rest follow. We know that, don't we? Everybody
knows that here. Whether we believe it or not,
that's another question, but we know it. Thirdly, saving faith
is an eternal work. The strength of faith, saving
faith, is not in the hand that is held. Saving faith is in—strength
of saving faith is in the hand that holds. I will hold you by
the hand. My Father which gave them me
is greater than all, and no man can take him out of the hand
of my Father which is in heaven. The strength of saving faith
is not in my hand, that is hell. It's in the hand of Him who holds.
And He'll never let me go. I'll never leave you. I'll never
forsake you. Lo, I'm with you always, even
to the end of your days. What is faith? What is safe in
faith? Well, let's look at verse 1 and
2, chapter 11. What is safe in faith? Well,
this is what it says. Now, faith is the substance,
that is, the foundation of things hoped for, the ground of things
hoped for. Safe in faith is the evidence
of things not seen. Faith's not a creed, it's an
experience. Man can have creeds, everybody's
got creeds, but faith is not, saving faith is not a creed,
it's an experience. I know him and he knows me. I
am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. Saving faith is not
a position. Well, I hold this position, he
holds that position. It's a possession. We know God, rather we're known
of God. Saving faith is not a doctrine
in the head, it's a hope in the heart. So saving faith, saving
faith is the confidence and substance and ground of things we hope
for, and it's the proof or assurance of things not seen. A father
came in from work one day. And he gathered his family together,
his children and his wife. And he said, we're moving. We're moving. My boss has given
me a new outstanding job with a great salary. And I have, through
his leadership, I bought a new house with plenty of rooms. and a yard for you children to
play in, and a creek behind the house to wade in, and surrounded
by a beautiful mountain. And tomorrow we're going to move
in our new home." The wife was so excited, and the children
were so excited. They knew there'd be no sleep
tonight. Going to move into this place that our father has bought
for us and secured for us. And finally, somebody asked the
older boy, your hopes are so high, and yet you've never seen
this home. You've never seen this place
where you're going to live. What is the ground of your hopes?
What is the assurance that this will all come through? And he
said, oh, oh sir, I have my father's word of it, my father's promise,
and that's all the evidence I need, and that's all the evidence you
need. Faith is the ground and the substance of things hoped
for, and the evidence and proof of things I haven't seen yet. Look at verse three. Through
faith we understand. This is what we understand. God
has, the Son of God has come and given us an understanding.
And we understand some things. That the world, we're praying
by the Word of God. The foundation, the confidence,
the substance of faith is four words. The Word of God. The Word of God. Abraham believed
God. He didn't just believe there
is a God. He didn't just believe about
God. He didn't just believe, oh God, he actually believed
it. He heard the Word of God and
he believed it. And the Lord said, get out of
this father's house, and he got out. You know, it says, and he
obeyed God. That's the ground of it, the
substance of it, the foundation of it, the Word of God. What
else do you have? We believe and assure that thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Now, I'm going to
take these next few verses, and I'm going to ask you to pay very
close attention to five points. The Lord God given us five things
about saving faith. Five things about saving faith.
And here's the first one. Verse four, By faith Abel offered
unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous. God testified of his gifts. And
by it, he being dead, yet speaking. Saving faith must and will have
a blood sacrifice. Has to be. Two brothers built
an altar. Cain brought the fruit of the
fields. Abel brought the blood sacrifice. And the Lord had respect to Abel's
offering, but the Lord rejected Cain's and his offering. Saving
faith has to have, will have, a blood sacrifice. The life of
the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the
altar to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood
that maketh atonement for the soul." I believe that. I know
that. I rest in that. The blood of
Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin. David said,
Lord, purge me. Purge me with hyssop, and I'll
be clean. Wash me, and I'll be whiter than
the snow. Peter wrote in I Peter 1, For
as much as you know, that you were not redeemed with silver
and gold, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, as of
a lamb without spot and without blemish." Saving faith must have,
will have, blood sacrifice. It's the blood that maketh atonement
for the soul. Never get beyond The beginning. The blood of Christ redeems us. His precious blood. What can
wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that
washes white as snow. Nothing sweeter or wonderful
to know than the blood of Jesus. Soon to be 80 years old and preaching
50 some odd years. It's like a brand new story. It's the blood of Christ. Secondly, saving faith must have
a walk of faith. Saving faith has got to have
a blood sacrifice. Come to the cross. And secondly,
saving faith has got to have a walk of faith. It will have,
it must have. Look at verse five. By faith
Enoch, when he was translated that he should not see death,
and was not found because God translated him, and before his
translation he had this testimony, he pleased God. How did he please
God? Let's go back to Genesis 5. Let's
see what it says about Enoch here. In Genesis chapter 5, verse
22 and 23. Genesis 5, 22 and 23. Listen
to this. Verse 21. Genesis 5, 21. And
Enoch lived sixty-five years and begat Methuselah. And Enoch
walked with God. Enoch walked with God. After
he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and he begat sons and
daughters, and all the days of Enoch were three hundred and
sixty-five years, and Enoch walked with God. And he was not. God took him on. What can you
say about the walk of faith? A preacher described for me the
walk of faith. I'll describe it using Enoch. Number one. He didn't walk by
sight. He walked by faith. No man has
seen God. No man can see God and live.
We walk by faith, not by sight. And that's how Enoch walked,
believing God. Secondly, Enoch did not walk
by laws and rules and rituals. No, sir. The law was not yet
given. Enoch walked with God. Thirdly,
Enoch did not walk by religious works and religious rituals. No mention is made of Enoch's
works. His great grandson built an ark,
but nothing said about the works of Enoch. Nothing is said about
the works of Enoch except this, he walked with God. Fourthly,
Enoch did not walk with God for a little while. After he begat Methuselah, he
walked with God 300 years. All of his life on earth, he
walked with God, till God took him off. This is the walk of
faith. Not by sight, not by laws and
rules, not by religious works and rituals, Not for a little
while. The walk with God is yesterday,
today, and forever, until He takes us home. He'll call, and I'll answer,
and He'll take me home. I'm still walking with God. In
young days, middle days, in old days, the walk is really sweeter. The older you get, the more precious
he becomes, his word becomes, and his walk becomes. Walk with
God. All right, thirdly, saving faith,
got to have a sacrifice, blood sacrifice. Saving faith, got
to have a walk of faith, a daily walk of faith. Thirdly, saving
faith must have works of faith. Look at verse seven. By faith,
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen yet, moved with
fear and went to work. He prepared an ark to the sailing
of his house, by which he condemned the world and became heir of
the righteousness which is by faith. Noah heard from God. And Noah knew that God would
send a flood. God would send a flood. God told
him so. Noah knew that God had made with
him a covenant of grace. God told him so. Noah found grace
in the house of the Lord. Noah knew that God would save
him and his house. God told him so. So what did
he do? He obeyed God. He carefully prepared the earth
and entered in. His faith was not idle. His faith
moved him to fear and obedience. By the fear of the Lord, men
depart from evil. Noah moved with fear and prepared
the earth. Here is a simple illustration
of the work of faith. Turn with me to Exodus 9. This
is a simple illustration of the works of faith. This is so simple, so simple. Exodus 9, verse 18. Exodus 9, verse 18. Now, verse 18, Exodus 9. Listen. Behold, tomorrow, about this
time, I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail. Such is
not then in Egypt, such the foundation thereof even till now. So, sin
therefore now, and gather your cattle, and all that you have
in the field. For upon every man and beast
which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home,
the hail will come down upon them, and they'll all die. And
he that feared the Lord, the word of the Lord, among the servants
of Pharaoh, what they did? Left them in the field. No. They
made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses. And he
that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his cattle, his
servants, and his cattle in the field, and God destroyed them. That's the work of faith. No
one heard from God? He feared God. God instructed
him, and he obeyed God. That's the work of faith. And
Paul, if you turn to 1 Thessalonians, chapter 1. 1 Thessalonians, chapter
1. See, faith has a sacrifice. Faith has a walk. But faith has a work, a work
to do and a work to be done. Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father
which is in heaven. Listen to Paul in I Thessalonians
chapter one, verse two. We give thanks to God always
for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. Remembering
without ceasing, what? Your work of faith. And secondly,
your labor of love. You love one another and you
labor for one another. And your patience of hope, waiting
on the Lord. Your patience of hope in our
Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. Therefore,
knowing breath, your election of God. Saving faith must have a blood
sacrifice. It must have an obedient walk.
And it's got to have, it's got to have works of faith and labor
of love. Our faith is not idle. Our faith labors for God. All
right, the fourth illustration in Hebrews 11, verse 8. All this by faith now, saving
faith. Faith. Where faith begins, work
ends and peace remains. But there are works of faith.
Listen to verse 8. when he was called to go out
into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance,
he obeyed. He obeyed and he went out, not
knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in a land
of promise in a strange country and dwelt in tabernacles, in
tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
Abraham never entered into that inheritance. He never owned a
foot of that land. He and Isaac and Jacob wandered
around. Moses led them into the promised
land. Abraham had the promise, but
not the land. He had the promise. And so he
wandered about looking for a city which had foundations, whose
builder and maker is God. So when we think of Abel, we
think of the blood sacrifice. When we think of Enoch, we think
of the walk of faith, continuous, continuous walks with God. When we think of Noah, we think
of 120 years of labor and work, building the ark. When we think
of Abraham, who believed God, immediately remember great and
unusual trials. Saving faith, saving faith must have great
trials. You know, the Apostle Peter said
in chapter one, let me read that. Peter, 1 Peter chapter one, verse
seven and eight. 1 Peter 1, verse 6, wherein you
greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, you are
in heaviness through many trials, manifold temptation, that the
trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold at
perishing, though it be tried with fire, might be found under
praise and honor and glory at the period of Jesus Christ. This
life of faith, this walk of faith, would not be without severe and
heavy and great trials. Let me show you a little bit
about Abraham. He was 75 years old. Always lived with his family
and kinfolks. The Lord came to him and said,
Get out of your father's house and go to the land that I'll
show you. I promise you." And he obeyed. He went out and walked.
He didn't know where he was going. And he never inherited the land.
He always lived in tents with Isaac and Jacob. Then came a time when the Lord
prospered him, and Lot, he and Lot had a problem, his nephew
Lot. And Abraham said to him, well,
let's not have a conflict between your men and mine. You just take
the land you want to take, and I'll take what's left. And old
Lot, you know, in selfishness, he chose the well-watered plains
of Sodom, all fine, bottom land. And Abraham went to the mountains.
And then God promised Abraham an heir. And he waited twenty-five
years before that heir came. In the meantime, his wife suggested
that he get a child by some other person. And Abraham succumbed
to her temptations, and Ishmael was born. And when Ishmael got
to be about fourteen or fifteen years of age, Isaac came. There
was a conflict between Hagar and Sarah, between Ishmael and
Isaac, and between everybody, and God came. God said, Abraham,
get rid of that boy. Get rid of Hagar and get rid
of Ishmael. Isaac was his only son at that
time, fourteen years old. He said, the son of the bondwoman
can't be an heir to the son of the free woman. Grace and words
can't bleed. Get rid of them. You talk about
cutting your heart out with a knife, you have to tell that boy goodbye.
Put a bottle of water on his shoulder and kiss him goodbye.
And then Isaac started growing up. And the Lord came to Abraham. And this is fifty years later
now. He said to five years old, And all these troubles and trials
and conflicts, all these years. And I could go through a lot
of them. And now he's a hundred and twenty-five. And he moved
to a place where he found some rest and peace. Old Bimelech,
you remember the king, gave Abraham some land. And he planted some
groves and orchards and all these things, and everything was doing
beautifully. Just going beautifully. Rested,
rested, waiting on Lord to take him home. And God said, Abraham, here I am. Take your son, your
only son, Isaac, whom you love, take him up on Mount Moriah and
offer him to me as a sacrifice. You know, Abraham's great trials—this
is fifty years later. He'd gone through all these troubles
and trials and heart conflict, and God sent him on a three-day
journey to sacrifice that boy. He didn't complain, he didn't
find fault. And that's what I'm saying. It's not over. Sometimes our greatest trials
will come to us in our olden days. That's just right. Because if you be without chastisement,
you're not a son. Every son whom God loves, He'll
chasten. Because that's how faith is proved. It's got to be proved. Faith
has to be proved by God. Has to be. Man builds a ship. Got it out in the backyard. His
wife said, will that thing float? He said, I think so. How do you
know? Got to put it in the water. Got to put it in the water. And
we'll find out. And that's the way, that's the
way this thing of saving faith is. It's got to be put in the
water. It's got to meet with conflict and difficulty and heartache
and sorrow and death of loved ones and death of children and
great sickness and trial. It has to be. Just like there's
a saving faith demands a sacrifice, demands a walk of faith, demands
a work of faith, and it has to have a trial of faith. It has to be. But thank God for my trials. I believe I've learned more through
my difficult times than I have the easy times. You have. I believe
you can see God better through the telescope of tears than any
other way. I believe that. All right, in
closing, Verse 11, saving faith has a reason for its confidence
and assurance. Verse 11, that through faith
also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered
of a child when she was past age. hundred years old when she
conceived and had that child. And here's the word. Watch it.
Because, because, because she judged him faithful, who promised. Everyone wants assurance. Everyone
wants confidence. Everyone wants a sure hope, but
let me tell you this, hope and assurance has one source, Him. Read it again. Because she received
of a child when she was past eight, because she judged Him faithful. That was Abraham's
faith. He believed God, and he judged
God faithful. He is the one who promised all
these things, and He's the only one who can fulfill it, because
He's the only one that really keeps His Word. All men alive. That's so. That's so. We call them little fibs or something,
little white lies. I said that. I didn't really
mean it. God never talks that way. Men can lie and still be
men. God cannot lie and still be God. Men can lie and still be men. What's new? But God cannot lie
and still be God. So she believed. And she bore
a child, Isaac, who also is the Lord Jesus Christ, the fulfillment
of the promise of Zion. Well, someday all this will be
ended, and someday faith will end and give way to sight. He says here in I Peter 1, 9. Let's look at that, I Peter 1,
9. I Peter 1, 9. Verse 8 says, "...whom,
having not seen, you love. In whom, though now you see him
not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full
of glory, receiving the end of the reward of your faith, even
the salvation of your souls. Someday, I won't need faith anymore. Faith will give way to sight. I will behold His face in righteousness,
and I'll awake with His likeness. Satan and faith. May God Honor
it and bless it to your hearts and to your, and to your growth,
spiritual growth. Thank you very much.