Now I want you to open your Bibles
again to Hebrews 11. The just shall live by faith.
Did you know that the Lord was pleased to record that same sentence
four times in the scriptures? The just shall live by faith. It's in Habakkuk. It's in Romans. It's here in Hebrews. And I believe
the other time it's recorded in the book of Galatians, the
just shall live by faith. Now, I don't know that anything,
the importance of anything is increased by the number of times
that it's in God's word. I wouldn't claim that at all.
I think that's mighty poor evidence or proof that anything is important
because of the number of times that it appears in God's word.
for the Lord to say something once is sufficient. But the fact
that he did say it four times, the just shall live by faith,
ought to get our attention. And there are three things that
I see in this sentence here in Hebrews 10, 38. Now, the just
shall live by faith. That is, that the justified begin
spiritual life by faith. That's the way it is begun. He
that believeth on the Son of God hath life. That's the way
life is imparted by faith. Come unto me and live. That's what Christ said. He that
believeth on the Son hath life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. We were
dead in trespasses and sin. We have believed on Christ and
believing we live. When he told his disciples to
go out and preach, he said, preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized as evidence of his faith shall
be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. So the just begin spiritual life
by faith. That's where it starts. There's
no life without faith. He that hath the Son hath life.
He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. That's where spiritual
life begins, by faith. All right, the justified not
only begin life by faith, but they continue to live by faith.
Let's go to Galatians 2. In other words, the life of the
believer is a life of faith. The Apostle said, we walk not
by sight, but by faith. We don't walk by sight. Ours
is a life of faith. Ours is a life of faith. Spiritual
life is a life of faith. In Galatians 2.20, Paul said,
I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me." That is my life, the life of
faith. A man was heard to say this past week, and I don't plan
to tell the whole story, but he was heard to say this, religion's
got nothing to do with business. This was a businessman talking
about a business deal that interfered with his religion or somebody
else's religion. And this was the conclusion to
which he came. Religion has nothing to do with
business. No, it doesn't if you're an unbeliever.
But if you're a believer, it has everything to do with it,
because your religion is your business. That is your business. That is your life. Christ is
your bread. Christ is your water. Christ
is your breath. Christ is your life. Christ is
your husband, brother, mother, father, friend. Christ is all
and in all. It is my business. It is my business. It is my life. The just shall
live by faith. This is a charge that I bring
against this generation of churchgoers and this generation of preachers.
They've got their politics, they've got their religion, they've got
their social life, they've got this, that, and their club life,
and they've got their holidays, and then they've got Jesus Christ
sitting over here in the corner somewhere, and once in a while
they'll go over there and pay a little attention to him, and
then they'll go on about their business. That's not salvation,
and that's not faith. The life which I now live in
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. The just begin life by faith,
and faith is their life. It's a life of faith. We walk. This is our conversation. This
is our citizenship. This is our life. This is our
lives. We live by faith. And if Christ
is not your life, Then he's not your Savior. Now that's all there
is to it. And look back in Hebrews 10 again. Now let's look at this statement
again. The just shall live. They begin life. That's how they
begin life. It's a new life. If any man be
in Christ, he's a new creature. He belongs to a new family. He's
got a new direction. He's got a new life. Old things
have passed away. All things become new. We are
new creatures created in Christ Jesus. and the image of him who created
them. And we live by faith. And when there's a conflict between
Christ and my business, the business has to bow. If there's a conflict
between Christ and my wife, my wife has to submit. If there's
a conflict between Christ and my social life, my social life
has to surrender. If there's a conflict between
Christ and my friends or family, they've got to go. That's just
because Christ, who is our life, you know what I'm saying? When
He, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we appear with Him
and go. Jesus Christ, to the average 1981 church member, is nothing but a fire escape
from hell. That's all he is. He's an insurance policy. Like
Jay said a while ago, it's not blessed assurance, it's blessed
insurance. That's what it is. He's just
somebody that we have got over there in the corner just in case
we need him. That's not salvation. Now that's
all there is to it. It's not salvation. You say what
you want to. Those people do not know God. Because God is too great to put
in a corner. The Lord Jesus Christ is all
and in all. He's everything. He's Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end, and all in between. And
this thing of salvation is a commitment. It's a surrender. It's a communion
with the Lord Jesus Christ. And anything short of that is
dishonoring to God. It may be all right for Buddha
or Confucius or Mohammed or some idol, but it's degrading to a
holy God to ask him to take second place to anything or anybody,
even yourself. He that loveth father, mother,
brother, sister, husband, wife more than me, yea, his own wife,
he cannot be my disciple. He cannot be my disciple. What
I'm preaching, my friend, is total commitment to the Son of
God, the just shall live. Yeah, but a man's got to make
a living. No, sir. No, sir, he doesn't
have to make a living. I beg your pardon. He does have
to die and meet God. And I don't have to live, but
I have to die. I don't have to live. There's
nothing in the Word of God that says I have to live, but there's
something in there that says I've got to die and face God
in the judgment. There's a whole lot about that. And then thirdly, the justified
not only begin to live by faith, they continue to live by faith.
Christ is their bread and their water. Christ is their life.
Christ is their hope. Christ is their refuge. But the
just shall live out yonder by faith. That is the resurrection.
Turn to John 6. They shall live. They shall live
by faith. It is faith in Christ that assures
us of the resurrection. Listen to this. Who's going to
have part in that resurrection? He that believeth on the Son
of God. Who's going to be raised in the first resurrection over
which death and hell hath no power? They that believe in the
Son of God. Listen to this, John 6.40, And
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which
seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting
life, and I'll raise him up at the last day, the man who sees
and believes. The man who sees and believes,
I'll raise him up. Turn to John 11 while you're
over there. John 11, verses 25 and 26. Now this is when Lazarus
had died and the Lord Jesus came to the grave and before he raised
Lazarus from the dead, he said to one of the sisters, Martha,
in John 11, 25, Jesus saith unto her, I am the resurrection, I
am the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live, and whosoever liveth and believeth
in me shall never die. Do you believe this? Do you believe
this? I am the life. So this thing
of salvation, this thing of redemption, this thing of eternal life, this
spiritual life, this life of God, this what folks are calling
today salvation, it's by faith. And that's where it begins. It
begins by believing on Christ, trusting Christ, receiving Christ,
coming to Christ, intelligently, willingly, lovingly, in an understanding
fashion. And it consists of continuing
with Christ, continuing in Christ, continuing separated unto Christ. I care whether or not I please
Him. I care whether or not I have
unbroken fellowship with Him. Christ is my life. And everything
else revolves around Him. Everything else revolves around
Him and the things of Christ. I'm talking about his word, the
gospel, the fellowship of the saints, prayer, Bible study,
fellowship in Christ, everything else revolves around that. These
people have given their lives for this, Jay. They're men who
have been unwilling to surrender on this score right here, Christ
is my life. They're men who've lost their
wives because of this right here. They're men who've lost their
children. There are women who have lost their husbands. There
are people who have lost their jobs. They have lost their standing
in the community. Because they would not surrender.
They would not submit on this score. Christ is my life. And that's the direction I'm
going. That's Him with whom I'm walking. The just shall live
by faith. Christ is their lives. They live in Him. He's everything
to them. wives obey your husbands, in
the Lord. Children obey your parents, in
the Lord. You obey magistrates, in the
Lord. But God is first. And anything
that promises you a hope of life and resurrection and a home in
heaven that does not revolve around the Lord Jesus Christ
totally is a lie, and there's no truth in it. How can you love
him first there if you don't love him first here? How can
you enjoy eternal fellowship with him there if you don't enjoy
fellowship with him here? And then the just shall live,
the resurrection, the resurrection will be by faith. I wish I had
the ability, I wish I had the ability to describe the life
of faith, the importance of faith, the glory of faith. To give faith
its proper place, this faith in Christ. Here's a man who, there's a certain
thing out here, he's a businessman. And he belongs to Christ, he
says he does. And he's got a decision to make. This decision involves his relationship
with Christ. Or it involves his relationship
with Christ to such an extent that it's going to cost him something.
It's going to cost him business. It's going to cost him friendship. It's going to cost him, perhaps,
ridicule. It's going to cost him. Well,
that realtor, he has no decision to make. The decision has already
been made. The decision was made when he
received Christ, if he did. That's when the decision was
made. And he has no wrestling over this thing. It's just how
he's going to make it known. That's the thing. The decisions
are he shall live by faith. But there's no way he's going
to give up his relationship with Christ. What should it profit
a man if he gained the whole world and lose his soul? I knew a man one time, married
to a very beautiful woman. They'd been married for a certain
length of time. had one child, she hated the
church, hated the gospel, hated the pastor. And he got ready
to go to a prayer meeting one night, and I'm not saying a fellow
has to be in every service, you know me better than that. But
anyway, he got ready to go to a prayer meeting one night and
she stood between him and the door and she said, I hate you,
I mean, I hate your Bible, I hate your Bible, I hate your gut,
I hate your church, and I hate your pastor. And if you walk
out this door tonight and go to prayer meeting, I won't be
here when you come back. And your child won't be here
when you come back. What's a man going to do? Well, he's got no
choice, Hal. You see, he that loveth father,
mother, husband, wife, brother, and sister more than me cannot,
this is what God said, this is not what I say, what God said,
cannot be my disciple. Well, he said, I don't have to.
Go to prayer meeting any other time, but tonight I have to go,
because you've made me choose between you and God, and I have
to go. I can't do otherwise." And out
the door he went, and when he came back she wasn't there. They
were divorced, and he lost his son. I know another young man
who was in business in Florida, and he knew real well the retired
president of Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company. This young man was in
business, and the retired president of Pepsi-Cola bottling company
took a liking to it. And he told him, he said, tell
you what I'm going to let you do, I'm going to let you give
the invocation, the prayer. This young man was a Christian,
a believer. He preached Psalm 2. He said, I'm going to let
you give the invocation at the National Pepsi-Cola Dinner in
Miami, Florida. Jimmy Roosevelt, he was a big
Floridian, wasn't he, at that time. He's going to be there.
Everybody's going to be there. The board's going to be there.
Television will be there. Everybody, anybody will be there,
and you'll sit with me at the speaker's table and lead the
prayer. He said, your business after
that night will be made. No more problems. So that's good. And he called the young man a
little while later. He knew he was a Baptist, but
he didn't know it'd stir up so much, you know, so he called
him. A little while later, just a few days before the banquet,
he said, say there, he said, this is so-and-so, president
of Pepsi-Cola bottling company, former president, he said, when
you play at the banquet now, you don't have to mention the
name Jesus Christ, do you? He said, after all, we don't
want to offend anyone, and this many of them are Jews, and he
said, you can just leave that off, can't you? And the man said,
well, I could have if you hadn't mentioned it. I don't have to use the name
Jesus Christ every time I pray, Paul. I don't have to. But you
tell me not to, I have to. See what I'm saying? I have to.
I have no other choice. And he said, you know what you've
given up? He said, I know what I'm not giving up. I know what I'm not giving up.
Now, I don't know what you've given up, but I know what I'm
not giving up. I can't do anything else. I'm not talking about the
little conflicts and skirmishes and all this we have along the
way. Don't mistranslate, misinterpret this. You know what I'm talking
about. I'm not talking about all the little doubts and fears
and stumblings and fallings and all of these things. All of us
deny the Lord too much as it is. I know that. I'm talking
about the things you know what I'm talking about. Vital, vital
things that are important in relationship to Christ. in the
home, on the job, in your business dealings, on the street, wherever
we are, the house of God, the testimony of the saint, your
social life, your contact with others, your comradeship and
so forth. How can you enjoy, how can you
walk with and enjoy and have party in that which is dishonoring
to the Son of God? How can your best friends be
infidels? I don't understand that. I don't
understand that sort of thing. How can you be a friend of the
world and a friend of God? James says you can't. And he's
had a lot of experience in this thing. The apostle I'm talking
about. He says you can't be dumb. He
says they that are friends of the world are enemies of God.
And he makes that part plain. He draws the line sharp, you
know. He says that's just it. You can get on one side or the
other. Like Joshua said, you can serve those gods over there
or this one here. Just take your choice. I know where my house
is going. Faith. I don't know how to describe
it. Turn to Romans 4 and let's see what says about Abraham and
faith. We're talking about faith tonight,
man. We're not talking about a decision. We're not talking
about a nicey-nicey handshake, you know, and a mental assent
to a little truth. We're talking about a life-changing,
direction-changing, heart-changing, thought-changing, master-changing
experience of grace where Christ moves in and moves everybody
else out. Romans 4 verse 3, what sayeth
the scriptures? Abraham believed God. He believed
God. He didn't believe in Social Security,
he believed in God. He didn't believe in the American government,
he believed in God. Now I like the American government, don't
misunderstand me, but it's going the way that all other governments
have gone. Like Jay said, starting with this service, Jesus Christ,
the same yesterday, today, and forever. Everything else is subject
to change. Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. Brethren, when we're talking
about here righteousness, we're talking about perfect holiness. We're talking about the righteousness
with which God is satisfied. We're talking about the righteousness
and holiness that God bestows upon a man positionally, and
not figuratively either, but actually imputes that righteousness
of Christ to him. And how did he get it? He believed
God. Whatever this faith constituted,
that's how he got righteousness. I'm not talking about this little
holiness, touch not, taste not, handle not, how good I am. I'm
talking about righteousness. Holiness! Righteousness. In the sight of God, in the presence
of God, before the throne of God, that allows a man to speak
with God. That kind of holiness. And you
know how Abraham got it? By believing. By believing. Not by reading a list of do's
and don'ts, and not by fulfilling a lot of ceremonies and rituals,
and not by reading his Bible at 4 a.m. every morning and praying
at 5. By believing God. Alright, look at verse 20. He
staggered not at the promise of God, Romans 4, 20. He staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what God
promised, God was able to do. And therefore, It was imputed
to him for righteousness. That's the kind of faith I'm
interested in. What God, I'm fully persuaded,
being persuaded, being persuaded, strong in faith, giving all the
glory to God, that what he says, what he promises, he'll do. He's
able. Now watch it, it goes on. Now,
it was not written for his sake alone that this righteousness
was imputed to him, but for us also, to whom the same righteousness
that made Abraham the friend of God, the friend of God, God
talked to him as a man talks to a friend. Isn't that what
it says there? He talked to Abraham like I talk to you. A friend. Boy, you say, I'd sure like to
have that. Well, why not? When God becomes more important
to you, Then other things, maybe you'll have that privilege. Because
God was a whole lot more important to Abraham than his father's
house, because he left it. More important than his uncle,
was that who it was, or his nephew Lot, he left it. More important
than Ishmael and Hagar, he sent them away. More important than
Isaac, he put him on an altar. There it is. That's God's plan. But no, we can't part with a
business account. Friend of God, enemy of God is
who we are. Huh? No, we can't part with a little
overtime to come to church. Friend of God, hogwash. Abraham laid his boy on the altar. That's a friend of God. Huh?
That's what it says here, because he believed. He believed God.
He believed God raised that boy up to kill him. That's faith. That's faith. He believed God. He believed God. And it was written,
not for his sake, but for us, to whom it shall be imputed,
if we can believe. That's what Christ said to that
father who had the sick boy. He said, if you can do anything,
heal him, Christ said. All things are possible to them
believe if you can believe. Oh, he said, Lord, I believe.
Help my unbelief. To whom it shall be imputed if
we believe. No. That costs too much. Well, it's worth it. It's sure
worth it. It's sure worth it. That's the
reason I say if I could, if I could tonight, I'd show myself and
you how important it is to believe God. Whatever the cost, whatever
the consequences, to believe God. Whatever the circumstances,
whatever the surroundings, to believe God. Just believe Him. I'm not talking about going out
looking for a fight. You can have one without looking for
it. I'm not talking about looking for a fuss. I'm not talking about
running around trying to convince people you're saved by grabbing
them and saying, are you born again? I'm talking about just
standing for what this book says. And God will give you a trial.
You won't have to go snooping around looking for it. It will
come to you. It will come to you. Satan will give you an opportunity,
an opportunity to see what you're made out of, to see if God Almighty
is really your Lord. Well, let's look at verse 11
now. Faith defined. We're going to see it defined
and illustrated. I'm already overdue on this point, but this
is important. He says, now faith is. Now faith
is. Faith is. What is faith? Well, let me point out these
things just run by briefly. We know this about faith. We
know the source of faith, don't we? For by grace are you saved
through faith, and that knowledge of yourselves, it's the gift
of God. This kind of faith is the gift of God. This kind of
faith. And it's the only kind of faith
that will save. Faith without works is dead. Faith without works is dead.
So this kind of faith is the gift of God. It says in Philippians,
it's given unto you not only to suffer for him, but to believe
on him. Says, he that hath begun a good work in you shall perfect
it. And then we know not only that our Lord is the source of
faith, but he's the object of faith. Abraham believed, it doesn't
say Abraham believed the Bible, though he did. It says Abraham
believed God. Abraham believed God. So our
Lord is the source of faith. When the Philippian jailer came
to Paul and said, what must I do to be saved? Paul said, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the object of saving faith.
Faith is directed toward Him. It's not even directed toward
providence or toward circumstances. Somebody said to me one time,
I believe in prayer. Now don't let me upset you, please. Stay with me. I don't believe
in prayer. I believe in Him who hears prayer.
Now, I don't believe in prayer anymore, and I believe in a rabbit's
foot. A lot of people, the Pharisee prayed thus with himself. All
the time hearing people in the hospital, and I go and I say,
here he'll say, pray for me, I believe in the prayers of good
Christian people. That sounds good, but that's
rotten. Now, I'm saying that because it's so. It's nothing
in the world but idolatry. I don't believe in the prayers
of good Christian people any more than I believe in ceremonies
and rituals and legalism. We can't put faith in prayer,
we've got to put faith in Him! Prayer is just a method, a means
of getting to Him. I believe in Him whether you
pray or not. That's right, I believe Him. Boy, I believe in the Word. I
believe in the Word if you mean the capital W-O-R-D, the Lord
Jesus Christ. I believe Him. And this is what
I'm saying, my friends. Christ is the object of faith.
And there are a lot of people who've got faith in their faith.
They believe they're saved because they've done something. They
believe they're saved because they believe. I'm saved because
Christ loved me and gave Himself for me, not because I believed
Him. He saved me. Faith didn't save
me. Christ saved me. Faith didn't
die for me. Christ died for me. Abraham believed
God. You think about a lot of these
little clichés we've got today. He just believed the living,
eternal, sovereign, omnipotent, infinite, holy God he believed
in. If God said kill your son, he
killed him. If God said leave home, he left.
If God Almighty said go to the mountain, he went to the mountain.
He believed God. He didn't ask why. He didn't
ask how. He didn't ask when. He didn't
ask where. He just believed God. Oh, for
that kind of faith. That's the object of faith. Then
the foundation of faith is the Scripture. The Scripture is not
the object of faith. It's the foundation of faith.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I
have a reason to believe because God said it. I have a ransom
to receive, and a Redeemer to believe, and a reason to believe
that Redeemer. Because He said, Charlie, He'd
save sinners. That's the reason I believe.
He said it, I believe it. If He didn't say it, I don't
believe a word of it. That's the reason I don't believe Mary
never had any other children. I know she had at least three
sons, and two daughters because it names them. And that's the
reason I don't believe she bodily ascended to heaven either because
God didn't say it. And I don't believe in purgatory
because God didn't say it. And I don't believe in sprinkling
babies because God didn't say it. And a lot of other things
I don't believe because God didn't say it. We got no reason to believe
anything unless God said it. The Bible is the foundation of
faith and then We know faith is going to be tried. You be
afraid of faith that is not tried. James says the trial of your
faith, the trial of your faith. I tell you the big ships do business
in deep water. The big ships do business in
deep water. They expect to go out in deep
water and when they get out in deep water they expect to run
into a storm. And you can expect, if you're
one of God's big ships sailing in deep water, that that wind's
going to try your sails and test your direction. It will. God's promised it. They that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You
know that song, I never promised you a rose garden? Well, God
didn't either. Not here. Not here. He promised you one someday,
but not here. And then we know that that faith
is one of the precious things. Turn to 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1. Now I want you to listen. You
talk about, I want you to look at the company that faith keeps.
I want you to look at the company that faith keeps. In Simon Peter's,
right at 2 Peter 1. 2 Peter 1 verse 1, Simon Peter,
a servant, a bond slave, an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that
have obtained like Precious. Precious faith. What else is
called precious in this book? Cecil, can you name me one other
thing or John or anybody here? Precious what? Precious what? Blood. Precious blood. We're
redeemed with the precious blood. What else is called precious?
Precious promises. You remember? Precious promises.
What else is called precious? He's precious. Under you that
believe, he's precious. That's the company faith keeps.
You talk about the importance of faith. We're saying the precious
blood, the precious promises, the precious Son of God, and
Peter says, precious faith. And you talk about it as lightly
as if it's just nothing. And some preacher says, run down
here and shake my hand. If you believe you're saved and
the sheriff of heaven is already there, I hope none of you would
ever raise your hand on a proposition like that. It's nothing but presumption,
presumption. I'm not as sure for heaven as
if I was already there. My confidence and hope is in
Christ, not in some decision or profession I've made. I hope
by His grace safely to arrive at home. We're playing with this
thing. If you come down here and I'll
guarantee you God will save you. You can't guarantee any man God
will save him. I tell you, if God gives him
one of the most precious jewels that heaven can give, it's faith
God will save him. Faith. Precious faith. Listen to this old hymn. We don't
sing hymns like this, but Isaac Watts wrote this in 1709. They
are the hope. the sons of men on their own
works have built, their hearts by nature unclean, and all their
actions guilt. Let Jew and Gentile stop their
mouths without a murmuring word, and the whole race of Adam stand
guilty, guilty before the Lord. In vain we ask God's righteous
law to justify us now. sense to convince and to condemn
is all the law can do. Jesus Christ, how glorious is
thy grace, when in thy name we trust. Our faith receives a righteousness
that makes the sinner just. That's where it is. But let me
show you this. Look at the text again in Hebrews
11. Now faith is. Faith is. We've seen this. source and object and foundation,
trial, importance. And here the Apostle Paul says
it is the substance of things hoped for. Well, what are the
things we hope for, that faith hopes for? Well, we hope for
eternal deliverance. Hope. That's a beautiful word,
hope. And hope is not just a wish or
a desire. But hope, the believer's hope
is based upon expectation and promise. You see, it's more than
just a wish. I wish it rained, or I wish the
snow would melt. You see, that's not a hope. Somebody
says, I hope the snow will melt. You've got no hope for that.
You wish it, but I hope to be like Christ, and I expect to
be because that's what He said He's going to make of me. See
what I'm talking about? Hope is based on expectation.
Now that's what we hope, eternal life, deliverance from sin, perseverance
in Christ, resurrection, eternal glory. And faith is the substance
of this hope. It's the substance of things
hoped for. Now what does the word substance mean? It means
confidence. It means support, that which
supports it. That which gives you assurance
of it. Now watch this. Because we believe God, and because
we believe God's word, These things are a reality to us. We have possession of these things
now in promise. To faith, a promise is as certain,
a promise of God, is as certain as a past deed. That's right,
you see. Faith, so this is a reality to
us. Faith is the substance or the
confidence and the support of that hope of eternal life, that
hope of eternal deliverance, that hope of eternal glory, that
hope of eternal salvation, that hope of eternal fellowship and
communion. Faith is the support of it, the
confidence of it. For example, listen, Christ said,
because I live, you shall live. You see that? Because I live,
that's the promise. Because I live, you shall live.
Listen to this. To them that are in Christ, there
is no condemnation. Faith says, I believe that. I
have that. No condemnation because I'm in
Christ. See, faith is the support of that hope. It is the confidence
of that hope. It's the essence of that hope.
It makes that hope a reality now, though it's just a promise. Abraham, when he took that boy
and put him on the altar, he knew God was going to raise him
from the dead. How did he know that? Because God said, in Isaac
shall thy seed be called. See, he knew that. He knew one
of three or four things was going to happen. Either Isaac was not
going to die, or else if Isaac did die, he was going to be raised.
He knew that. And faith was the support of
that. It was the confidence of that.
It was the essence of what he was doing. He believed God. God
said, in Isaac shall your seed be called. Not Ishmael, Isaac.
He believed. And that's what he's saying here.
Faith makes the promise a reality. Faith makes the promise a possession. Because we regard whatever God
promises as being as certain as if God had already done it.
You see what I'm saying, Charlie? That faith is the substance of
these things that I hope for. It's the essence of it. It's
the confidence. It's the assurance of it. It's
the support of things I hope for. Faith is. And I'll tell you why folks can't
lay hold upon those things, because they don't have any faith. They
don't have any faith. If they had faith, they'd have
the rest. And confidence and assurance
of the promise. No, we went around and said,
show us a sign. Lord, show us a sign. Show us a sign that we'll
believe. He said, no sign is going to
be given but the Word. The promise. And the promise to faith is sufficient. The Word to faith is sufficient.
People always talk about putting out the fleece, you know. Better
put it back in your pocket. Because the Word is sufficient
to faith. Faith doesn't have to have a wet sock on the line.
Faith has the Word of God. That's so. And you quit buying
these books on folks that have died and went out yonder and
saw a big light at the end of a tunnel. Faith doesn't need
that tummy rot. Faith's got God's power. You
quit getting all excited. I don't care if readers digest
this, support it, and all these silly things. I've listened to
some of those folks, and there's not a word of truth in anything
they say because it doesn't fit this book. They see lights, and
they see visions, and they see all these different... Well,
you can hallucinate and see those things. And I don't know how
to account for how a person's heart's not beating and not breathing
and all that. I know Lazarus went somewhere
and came back. I don't know where he went. But faith doesn't need
those things to convince them there's life beyond the grave.
God says it. God says it. You see what I'm
saying? Faith is the substance, the essence, the confidence,
the ground. of that which is hope for it.
And because faith believes, it becomes a reality. It becomes
a possession bill as if it's already happened. See, God promised
it. It's as sure as a past deed.
Now look at the next line. And faith is the evidence of
things not seen. What are we talking about things
not seen? Well, turn to 2 Corinthians 4.
2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 11. Now listen to this. We look not,
while we look not, 2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 18. While we
look not at the things which are seen, but at things which
are not seen. For the things which are seen
are temporal. Everything your eye beholds is temporal. That's
right. Just hold that just a minute.
Everything. This flesh, even the heavens
shall melt with a fervent heat. The earth shall be consumed. Everything. But the things which
are not seen are eternal. What's not seen? Well, I can
give you a lot of things that are not seen in reference to
a Christian. Let's go back in eternity past. There's God's
counsel when He purposed to save a people. You've never seen that.
Election. God making Christ our surety.
God giving the Son of people the covenant of mercy. It's all
back here on the Nopson. That's eternal. And then in time,
Christ came. You didn't see that and I didn't
either. He walked this earth. God incarnate. He died on the
cross. If they tell me that, I haven't
seen it. He was buried and rose again
and ascended back to heaven, where he's at the right hand
of God. Now things now are not seen. The Holy Spirit awakens
us from spiritual death, reveals Christ to our hearts, brings
us to faith in Christ, to trust in Christ, to rest in Him, turns
our whole lives around, inside out, turns us in a new direction,
gives us a totally new family, People think you're fools and
crazy and you've lost your mind, but you're walking with the king.
That's not seen. No, no. You can't draw a picture.
And that's what a lot of folks are trying to do. They're trying
to draw a picture. They say, I was on hard drugs and I was on liquor
and I was on... And folks see these things, but,
well, I fell in reform. Yeah, I fell in reform. That
doesn't mean he's saved because he's on hard drugs and now he's
not. Don't get old, don't get taken in. I see all these fellas
from Watergate going to jail and coming out writing books
and making millions. You can change your way of living. You
can turn over a new leaf without knowing God. Knowing God is not
seeing. It's a living relationship with
the King. Not seeing. And then things in the future,
not seeing. There's some things going to happen. God says He's
going to Create a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth
righteousness. He's going to raise the dead. He's going to
judge sinners. He's going to give us eternal
hope. None of that's seen. From eternity past to eternity
future. That's what's eternal. And faith
is the evidence of that. Now what do we mean by that?
Faith gives my heart evidence of it. Evidence. What is evidence?
Proof. Proof. And I've got proof of
it. I've got proof of it. His spirit
bears witness with my spirit that I'm his child. I've got
proof of it in here. It's an inward proof. It's an
inward evidence that led Job to say, I know that my Redeemer
liveth and though worms destroy this body, I'm going to see my
Lord and not another. I'm talking about myself, he
said. And you can put that, he said, on my tombstone, and you
can write it in a book, and you can write it on my tombstone
with a point of a diamond. I'm going to see my Lord. Faith
gave him that evidence. Old David could talk about a
Redeemer, a Savior, that was 2,000 years in the future, saying
the Lord is my Shepherd. Moses could write of Him whom
he'd never seen. And these all died in faith,
and the evidence of those things not seen was their faith. Evidence. I have the evidence. I have the
evidence. It's an inward evidence. His
spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are children
of God. Now look at faith illustrated
quickly. If you're not too weary, I may
have a few left. But even if you just stay there,
and that's all right, take that, wrap that up and put it in your
pocket and do what you want to now. But here, for those hardliners,
stay with me. For those gluttons, for those
folks that say, Brother Man, you didn't preach too long. I
like them. Just what you quit so early for,
you know. But for you folks that are still
there, here is the illustration of faith. Look at verse 3 of
Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 verse 3, through faith we understand,
we understand. Here's what faith is, illustrated,
faith understands. I hear folks talking about, now
listen to me, blind faith. There ain't no such animal, Jay.
I beg your pardon. No sir, I'm not blind faith,
nothing. He that seeth the sun and believeth
on it. God gives the blind eyes to see. Now he says of the unbeliever,
he hath not eyes to see, nor ears to hear, nor heart to understand,
but God hath revealed them unto us. I heard a preacher one time
say a philosopher, I don't know who it was, but he told him,
he said religion's like four blind men looking at an elephant.
But he said, how's that? He said, well here's an elephant,
they're four blind men and they see it differently. They describe
it differently. One of them gets a hold of his
ear, and he says, well, an elephant is like a big leaf. And another
one gets a hold of his leg, and he says, well, an elephant's
like a big tree trunk. And another one just pushes against
that elephant's big old side, and he says, well, an elephant's
just a big flat wall. And another one gets a hold of
his tail, and he says, well, an elephant's just like a snake. Well, he said,
they all got their ideas, you see. They're all blind, and they
all describe it like they feel it. Well, the preacher said just
one thing wrong with that illustration. God's people aren't blind. God's
people aren't blind. We see Christ. We see the wisdom
of God in Christ. We see the fall of man in Adam.
We see the wisdom of God in redeeming us by the sacrifice of his Son. We see those, understand, by
faith, we understand, read on, that the worlds were framed by
the Word of God. God made this world! Faith understands
that. You better be able to give a
reason for that hope. You're not blind faith, nothing.
It's living faith, it's seeing faith, it's understanding faith.
Faith understands! How can you call on him in whom
you've not believed? And how can you believe in him
of whom you've not heard? I know whom I have believed.
I understand. Read 2nd in verse 4. Faith offers
a sacrifice. By faith all able offer unto
God a sacrifice. A blood sacrifice, mind you.
Faith never comes to God without a sacrifice. Not faith. Not faith. That's faith illustrated
right there. Faith understands and faith brings
a sacrifice. Faith knows without the blood
there's no remission. Faith doesn't engage in this
little old silly talk, we're all going to heaven, we're just
traveling different roads. Not faith. Faith knows there's one
road, one way, one Lord, one faith. Huh? Yes sir, faith comes
by the way of the cross. The way of the cross leads home.
There's no other way but this. We'll never get sight of the
gates of life if the way of the cross we miss. No, sir. Faith offers a sacrifice. By
faith, Abel offered. Then look down here at verse
5. Faith walks with God. Enoch, by faith, walked with
God. You read that in Genesis. He
walked with God. He walked with God. He was a
family man. He was a public man. He was an
important man. He was an influential man. He
was all these things. He walked with God. A man can't
walk with God in this day. I beg your pardon. I beg your
pardon. I believe a man can walk with
God. I've seen too many over here as you go through Scripture.
Go back to David. He was the king. He walked with
God. And you see men like Isaiah, men like Daniel, men like Joseph. Joseph was second in command
in Egypt. He walked with God. He walked with God. You don't
have to go to a cave to walk. I don't believe God's in caves.
I think those fellas have missed it. You say, boy, they're sure
holy men. They live up there in a cave and burn candles and
sit around cross-legged in a bunch of toe sacks. You know what a
toe sack is? That's what they sit around in.
But they're not holy men. God's down here. God's where
the people are. Christ Jesus said, you don't
light a candle and stick it under a bushel. You put it right out
there where everybody is, Darwin. where the carpenters are and
the plumbers and electricians. Salt, you don't take salt and
put it in the shelf there, you put it on the meat so that the
fella that bites in it will taste it. That's right. And a man can
walk with God and work right where you work. I'm not asking
you to be a sanctified sissy, I'm just asking you to be a man
that walks with God by faith. by faith. Enoch walked with God,
and God just, he wasn't there, he just walked right on into
heaven. Somebody said, yeah, he just walked with God and just
walked right on into glory. And then verse 7, by faith Noah,
being warned of God of things not seen, moved. Faith moves. Faith doesn't sit in a corner
and whine. Faith doesn't sit in a corner with indifference.
Faith moves! Bartimaeus said, wait! Thy son
of David, have mercy." Zacchaeus ran and climbed up a sycamore
tree. There he did. He moved, moved.
Noah, being warned of God of things not seen, moved and built
an ark. He moved, he moved. He didn't
sit around somewhere in a chair with an indifferent, careless
spirit and attitude. He moved. And the leper came
and fell on his feet and said, Lord, if you will, make me clean.
Move, move. And then verse 8, By faith Abraham,
when he was called to go, he obeyed. He obeyed. And look at this. I like what
this says here. And the last line, And he went out not knowing
where he was going. I don't know. The songwriter
said about tomorrow. Don't know about tomorrow. It may bring me poverty. But
the one who feeds the sparrow is the one who stands by me,
and the path that be my portion, be it through the flame or flood, with his promise, which goes
before me, I'm covered with his blood. I don't know about tomorrow,
but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know that he loves me."
Huh? Isn't that enough? That's enough. That's enough. Abraham didn't
know where. He lived at home 70 years, and
God said, leave. And he took favor and left. He
took the Savior and left. And in verse 9 it says, this
faith sojourned in a strange country and dwelt in tents. Yeah,
temporary places. Don't plant your roots too deep. Because this is not your home.
We're dwelling in tents. Verse 10, faith looks Faith looks,
faith works, and moves, and obeys, and walks, and serves, and labors,
and witnesses, and gives, and goes. But faith keeps an eye
turned toward him, always looks to Christ for strength, sustenance,
security, and for his coming. He's coming back. Yes sir, always
looking to Christ, always looking to Christ. always looking to
Christ, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed
of men, rejected of men, despised of men, chosen of God and precious. I'm looking to Him. If we can
turn our eyes on Christ and look full, full into His wonderful
face, the things of this world that seem so necessary and so
important will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory
and grace. But I'm saying this to you. Don't engage in that vocation
or that calling apart from faith, because you'll miserably fail.
You make yourself miserable and everybody else. And that's the
reason that I don't feel inclined to put pressure on people to
do things. I say like Spurgeon, Jay was
reading that to me today or telling me about it. Spurgeon said, isn't
that huge auditorium? He said, go off over there and
get by one of those columns and seek the Lord. Just by yourself. See if you can find an altar
somewhere to lay yourself on. See if you can. And that's it
though. I'm saying this is fine for a
man who has faith. But it's a miserable existence
for a man who doesn't. It's an impossible existence,
Brother Jay. Can't be done. It's all got to
begin. See, faith is the substance of
things hoped for. Faith is the evidence of things
seen. By faith, Abel offered a sacrifice. By faith, Enoch
walked with God. By faith, Abraham left his home. By faith, he looked for a city.
Without faith, he couldn't do it. He'd have failed. For the just shall live by faith.
And this is what we've got to lay hold on. I've got the whole
thing. It's wrapped up in one word. Believe God. I believe
God. And that way I can rest amid
my greatest conflict or trial or darkest day. I can trust. I can be not afraid. I can be
confident. Whatever I will not fear, David
said, what man can do unto me. I will not fear the future, the
past, present, or future. That's only the blessing of faith. Our Father, as the disciples
of old, we pray for faith and the increase of faith. This we cannot give to ourselves
or to anyone else. It's the gift of God. And Lord, we pray, help my unbelief. Lord, increase. You said according
to your faith, be it unto you. Lord, give us faith. May each of us find our own place
alone and apart. and seek this relationship which
these men had, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Abel. They walked with thee. Bless this to our hearts tonight.
Let it not die, but may it live in its fruits, be visible throughout
eternity. For Christ's sake we pray. Amen.