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Hebrews after 11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so the 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 if he being dead yet speaketh.
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see that and was not found because God had translated him.
For before his translation he had this testimony that he pleased God.
But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
By faith, nor being warned of God, of things not seen as yet move with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.
By the which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith by faith Abraham, when he was called to go into a place which he should after received for inheritance, obey, and he went out, not knowing whether he went.
By faith he sojourned in the land of promise.
As in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob.
The heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is called.
Through faith also Sarah herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful. Who had promised, therefore sprang their even of one, and him as good as death, so many as the stars of the sky and multitude, and as the sandwiches by the seashore innumerable.
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
And truly.
If they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
But now the desire, a better country that is and heavenly.
Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city.
By faith, Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.
Of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.
Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure.
By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph.
Worship leaning upon the top of his staff by faith. Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel and gave commandment concerning his bones.
00:05:04
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents because they saw he was a proper child and they were not afraid of the King's commandment.
By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
Esteeming the reproach of Christ.
Greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, for he had respect under the recompense of the reward.
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king.
For he endured seeing him who is invisible.
Through faith he kept the Passover.
And the sprinkling of blood.
Lest he that destroyed the first born should touch them.
By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, which the Egyptians are saying to do, were grown.
By face, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were compassed about seven days.
By faith, the heart of rehab.
Start with them that believe not when she had received the spies with peace. And what tried more, say, for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon on a barrack of Samson, and of Jepsen, of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness.
Obtain promises, stop the mouths of lions, quench the violence of fire, escape the edge of the sword out of weakness, were made strong.
Wax valiant and fight turn to flight The armies of the aliens. Women received their dead race to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance.
That they might obtain a better resurrection.
And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, Yay, moreover, a bond and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute.
Afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy.
They wandered in deserts and in mountains, and in dams and caves of the earth.
And these all having obtained a good report through faith.
Received not the promise, God having provided some better thing for us.
That they without us should not be made perfect.
Let's stop. This is often called the faith chapter because it brings before us those who in time past, whether before the giving of the law or after the giving of the law, learn to walk by faith. And I believe the reason it is brought in here is because he has been bringing before us the better things of Christianity.
About whether it was before those sacrifices were instituted or now that Christianity had been made, known and revealed, it was impossible to please God apart from faith. They might go on with all those sacrifices of Judaism, but if there was no faith, they were of no value to God. It was the faith of the offer that God valued, as it was the faith of those that are mentioned here even before the Law.
And so now a person might accept all the outward things of Christianity and yet not be a safe person at all. It is an awkward things. It isn't going on in a certain outward path that God values. It is the heart. It is taking God of his word. It is having confidence in him that is of real value in God's sight. And that is what we are put to the test to today.
00:10:12
That's what they were put to the test to before, is there that confidence in God? If outward things come as the result of inward faith, God values that. But I say again, the outward things in themselves have no value. And I believe this is very prominently brought before us in this chapter and in what our brother brought before us in the young people's meeting. It is that confidence in God that is so important.
And that is the character of the pathway. Today we walk by faith, not by sight. I might just add here too, that this first verse is not really a definition of faith. The clearest definition of faith is found in John's Gospel chapter 3. It says he that hath received his that is God's testimony has set to his seal that God is true.
That is, in the face of everything that seems to be the opposite. The scripture says, let God be true and every man a liar. Now that is, faith believes things not because we can prove them scientifically, not because we even prove them in the experiences of life.
But because God says it, and that is the thing. That's really what faith is. And this first verse of our chapter really is telling us what faith does it. A definition of faith is taking God at his word, setting to our seal that God is true. But what does faith do? It makes real to us, brethren, what we haven't seen. And that's what is so important.
The natural man walked by sight.
It's everything that appeals to him in this world of sight. But I say again, in this verse here, we find what faith does. It makes real what we haven't seen. It's the substance of things hoped for. It's the only evidence we need. God has spoken, and that makes it real to us.
In Romans chapter 10, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
And that really isn't the faith believes what God says in God's testimony.
Of whatever might be the the results of that I was thinking of how we Peter, speaks about the trial of your faith, and in Psalms it speaks of of Joseph how that the word of God tried him, that is God had made things known to Joseph.
That he was to be elevated, he was to be dominant and here he is found in prison in Egypt. So that the word which God had spoken to him they not way becomes a real test of his faith. And I believe as long as we're here in this scene, there's always going to be testings and trials to our faith. That is God would would give a testimony.
Of himself in his precious word, in many ways, many things he has to say. And then we may find that circumstances appear just the opposite of what God has spoken in His word. But it seems to me that all of these in this chapter, they they are real witnesses to the path of faith, not because they set out to be a witness, but because they believed the testimony of God.
And they acted according to it. And many of them went through very trying circumstances.
Now thinking of that expression here in the second verse, or by it, the elders obtained a good report, and then again in the 39th verse, and these all having obtained a good report through faith, well.
We what What the Lord wants, I believe is, is faith and exercise and activity and not to reasonings.
And human wisdom. And if we would desire to have a good report, I believe it would be that that faith would be an exercise like these, not trying to do something to produce results, but acting according to the word of God. The testimony that God has given us in his precious word. And walking in the light of that Word, and leaving all of the results with God. Because we find in this chapter that.
00:15:23
The results were not always the same, as was pointed out in the address. Some did not obtain deliverance, some did. So the results varied, but they all obtained a good report because they had faith in exercise.
I think it might help to to point out the two keywords in this first verse, substance and evidence.
The word substance. It's nice to see how it's been rendered elsewhere to get the real force of it. It's already been brought out, but now faith is the substance. Faith is the realization. Faith is the assurance. Faith is the confidence. That word is rendered that way elsewhere. Turned to Hebrews One, verse 3.
Here you have the same word.
Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, that word rendered person. I'll read that in the new translation. It says about Christ. He is the expression of His substance. And so the word is rendered substance in Hebrews 1/3 in the new translation, as it is here and also in chapter 314.
We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end. That's the same word. So the Word has the thought of that which gives substance to it. What makes substance to our souls is faith, isn't it? Faith gives the realization in my soul of the future that I'm hoping for, and it makes it good to me and good to you. It's faith.
Faith is what gives substance to it, to our souls. It gives the present confidence in the things we hope for. And then it says the evidence of things not seen. That's rendered conviction. And in John 16 eight we have that same word.
Are you right? Look at it.
John 16/8 When he has come, the Holy Spirit he will recruit not. That word reprove sometimes is rendered convinced or convict. He will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Now that's the word that's rendered evidence here and in the in the new translation. Again, Brother Darby has it. He will bring demonstration to the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment.
And so that's what we have here. Faith is a demonstration to our souls of things hoped for. Faith shows the true character of things.
Well, I want to read that in John 3 verse 20 you have the same word again just to show how it's used in scripture. John 3 verse 20.
Says for everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deed should be reproved. Now that's the same word. And in the new translation again it says that his deed should be shown as they are. That is the light shows the true character of everything. Now going back to Hebrews 1, faith is the substance, the substantiating, the realization in our souls, that conviction in our souls of the things we hope for.
We don't see them. There are hoped for, and faith gives the souls conviction of these things which are real to us. That's what faith does. And then it brings a demonstration of the things not seen. So faith inspires with present confidence in the things we hope for and affords demonstration of matters not seen. That's what that first verse is saying, isn't it? As our brother Gordon was saying, it's really the same thing, but just I thought it might be helpful to show.
How the same words are used elsewhere to get the real force of the verse?
Faith that we're talking about is the faith of God. We should always remember this, Peter says. We've obtained, like precious faith. It's a gift by grace. Are you saved through faith? But that's not of yourself. It's a gift of God. And our brother was reading or quoting from Romans 3 where the apostle Paul in Romans 33.
00:20:23
Said for what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? Notice it's the faith of God. That's what we have, and it's that faith that ties us to his son and says we leave it all with him that our brother was bringing out. I was thinking that faith in action is so beautiful to see. It doesn't look at the circumstances.
Or what happened to us? It looks to see what the Lord has in mind and it tries to to discern what the Lord has for us in it. I was thinking just one thought here the second kings, second kings 4th chapter we have this woman of great faith and she was given a child which was an impossible thing apart from God.
But of course God took that child. He died on her knees, and she went all the way back to the man of God, a long way and a high climb to the top of the hill, the mouth. And in verse 25 it says, So she went and came unto the man of God to the mouth. Now notice the questions put to her. It says in verse 26. Is it well with thee?
Well, she was grieving.
She was at the end of herself. She had just lost her only son and there was no hope of another to her. And then the next question is it? Well with my husband, he didn't enter into any of her problems. He didn't comfort her at all or help her in this time of trial. Is it well with the child? The child was dead, she said. It is wealth notice.
In verse.
27 She caught him by the feet. She was at the feet of the man of God, where she took every effort she had to get there. Therefore all was well. Well, we know it wasn't, but it was. If she said I'll leave it with the Lord, I'll leave it with the Lord. Well, he gave her son back, but she didn't know he was going to give her son back. She just knew.
All was well. That's what faith does.
It's the faith of God. It's beyond reason. Reason doesn't come in at all. It just says we'll look to the Lord in this and we know it'll be well have a first Act 27, one is enjoyed has a very simple answer to our question too. Acts 27 and verse 24.
All on his voyage to.
The Lord appeared to him during the night, and he says in verse 24, Fear not, Paul, Thou must be brought before Caesar. Lo, God has given thee all them that sail with thee, therefore serves thee of good cheer. For I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. It's not a simple answer. I believe God.
That's why it's massive. First Peter, chapter one that was mentioned that the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perishes.
Though if he tried with fire might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. If we understand it isn't the trial of faith. If you explain something to me and tell why you have done it, then it's not for me to trust you. I understand because you have explained it. But there are many times in life where faith is put to the test. We can't understand why.
But we believe God, as you have said, We take him at His word, and that is precious to God, even in our own experience. For someone to take us at our word in the face of something that seems to be the very opposite, we say, well, it's nice that they believe what I said. They'll find out afterwards that I spoke the truth. And we feel pleased that that person had enough confidence to take us at His word before the explanation was given.
00:25:17
All brethren, God is honored. God is glorified when you and I trust him. When to simply trust him seems the hardest thing of all, when there seems no natural explanation. But just it's enough that God said As for God, his way is perfect and.
Tells us more than this. It's not only that we give a present joy, but our lives are going to pass into review. And it tells us that it should be found under praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Our lives are going to pass into review.
And God is going to manifest these things. And perhaps some of the things that looked like great accomplishments were not half as great as that simple confidence when everything seems so black and impossible. That's what God values. And that is to be the very, shall I say, background, the very reason for us living in this world. Not because we think we're going to gain certain things, but because.
We know that faith pleases God, It honors him. And I believe this is the whole import of this chapter. Whether we understand or not in other day it says we shall know even as also we are known. And so you're content to wait that day.
Saw by it, the elders obtained a good report and as our brother brought out in the end of the chapter.
The ones who got glorious deliverances in answer to faith and those who suffered in faith all obtained a good report. It isn't that the ones who had those miraculous deliverances had a good report. Sometimes when you read books about faith, you think that those people who had those wonderful answers to prayer had those the superlative faith that God looks at things from his viewpoint and the ones that count upon him.
When deliverance doesn't come and the trust him and continue to live a life that pleases him.
That is what makes a good report in God's sight. And so let us remember that it isn't just that we see something miraculous happening, but that I believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. We take him at His word. That is what is so precious. And the Lord Jesus was the perfect example of that. He was the man of faith. That's why it says looking under Jesus, he began and completed the path of faith in every circumstance.
He did what pleased his God, He counted upon his God, and his whole life was a sweet savor to to God who had sent him.
Noticed in the chapter the end of chapter 10 here in Hebrews.
A quotation from the Old Testament verse 38 Now the just shall live by faith, and three times we have that in the New Testament. And each time no doubt there is some emphasis on a certain aspect of it, But it's in Hebrews here and then, in Romans and in Galatians, and I believe in the Old Testament we only have about.
Two times perhaps faith mentioned, although it's implied, and it's evident from this 11Th chapter that it characterized those Old Testament Saints. But in this prophecy of Habakkuk, it's nice to notice how it's concluded because it was a time of great disappointment and a time of real pressures as spoken of for the Prophet, pressures from the north, and disappointments and distresses.
And we notice in the very close of this prophecy in the third chapter of Habakkuk.
He says in verse 17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall the fruit be in the vines, The labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat. The flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The Lord God is my strength, and He will make my feet like Hinds feet, and He will make me to walk upon my high places to the chief singer on my string instrument. And so we see that he could always rejoice in the Lord. The Lord is the chief singer, He leads the singing, and we see such an overcoming spirit here when everything seems to be contrary and negative. And this is all because.
00:30:28
Of faith. So the faith was there even though it isn't mentioned by word in the Old Testament, except perhaps twice.
In the third verse.
Have not only we've been Speaking of faith as believing, believing God and what God has said, but here we see that faith gives us to understand.
It's faith that gives us to understand, not only believe that the world's framed by the word of God, but to understand it. And this is really the only way we can understand how things began, isn't it? We'll never understand it. Man cannot understand it if he does not have faith. It's only by faith that we can understand. And when one, faith is an exercise.
As we have later on here that one must believe that God is, that's one of the.
Characteristics of faith. And when one has that faith in God, and knowing that God is, then it isn't difficult to understand that He's the one who brought everything into existence.
He's He is sovereign, He is eternal, He is all powerful and to that faith.
Gives understanding to the fact that he could bring.
Into existence, that which never had any existence before. It is not that he took what was available and what was at hand and what already existed and formed something out of it. Even though we know in in Revelation, in the Genesis one, that there was a bringing ordered condition of things out of chaos, but the original creation was bringing into existence.
Something that had no prior existence and faith. This is very reasonable to faith. It may be unreasonable to unbelief, but to faith, it's very reasonable that God would do that and that God could do that. And so it isn't something fanciful, but it's only faith that gives that. And I I feel that efforts to substantiate the the act of creation by God by.
You might say scientific evidence really would detract from this. The believer doesn't need it because he has faith and he believes that God is, and he knows God, and so he knows that God can, and God has brought it in. He's declared it in his word in the beginning.
God created the heavens and the earth, and that's not only what that we believe, we believe it is. God has said it, but faith gives us to understand it. It's very reasonable that it should be so that God has done that. That subject taken up in Proverbs chapter 8. It's very beautiful there in Proverbs chapter 8, where we have instruction as to our pathway through this world, says in Proverbs 8 and 22.
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no deaths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth, while as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the earth.
And it goes on in the.
30th 1St Then I was by him as one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth. And my delights were with the sons of men. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, blessed are they that keep my ways, hear instruction, and refuse, and be wise, and refuse it not.
00:35:00
And that is if God had prepared and made everything in this world as the Scripture tells us He did.
And everything arranged in such perfect wisdom and order, then can we doubt that he understands our pathway through this world, that he knows how to direct everything. And so he takes this up here as the very starting point. And that is very important. The reason I believe that we see the breakdown of everything today stems back to the denial of the creation. And God is Creator, because when we accept that, then we have.
A responsibility to God as Creator. We see His wisdom in creation, we see in this beautiful point is brought out rejoicing in the habitable parts of His earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.
Brethren, can we? Can we doubt His perfect wisdom and marking out the pathway and in ordering things in our lives, when we look out on the creation in which we live, and see all His wisdom, how foolish we are to go ahead of one.
Who is so perfect and who has arranged everything in the creation as he has? And this is taken up in Proverbs to instruct us for earthly wisdom, for the path of heavenly wisdom, should I say, for our pathway through this world. And now it's taken up here in the 11Th of Hebrews as being the reason why these who went contrary to the ideas of the natural man, but believe God and want to pass that the natural man did not understand.
Because they believed in the God who created everything and knew him as their God, were in a personal relationship to him, and therefore knew that his delights were with them. Well, this is what gives us confidence in God and for the pathway of faith, not only to know how to conduct ourselves wisely in the world, but when the whole system has broken down in the hands of man, to see that the path of faith is still marked out by one who is all wise.
And is still working on the power of Babel. I was thinking of the description of the building of the Tower of Babel. It took and took play and birth them baking bricks and that's lying for their mortar. Well, there was man's great attempt to make himself a name.
Just had before said God made things out of those things which do not appear out of nothing but men has to use the contemptible things of this earth, and it has a real application for us today, does it not?
One is thinking again of our dear young people that may think, well, the world has still a lot of things that are so enormous, so great, so wonderful. We are entering into an age of the computer so-called. But can we not call them just slime and Brick Man's greatness, to be built up on their own minds and knowledge and intelligence? And what does God's word have to say about all that?
As he that increases knowledge, increases sorrow, and the result of it all has only been that man knows more about the wickedness that's going on all over the world. When some of us were younger, we didn't know as much about what was going on all over the world. But now, with communication as it is, what are we finding out? That the wickedness is all over the earth. And we I remember one time we stopped for the night and started out the next day and out in front of one of the motels with the sign.
Have a good day. Don't listen to the news. Well, I'm afraid that's the way it is as man increases knowledge and that's all the computer is doing, is just bringing all knowledge together. And it's just increasing man's sorrow. Oh, how wonderful it is to have a book from the all wise, the one who knows everything and who's marked out a path. And as our brother was saying, the faith is the gift from him. The strength to walk in the path is from him.
And he wants us to count upon him, not count upon our own wisdom, not count upon man's wisdom, but to count upon him, and to count upon his word. Only God grant his word, will become increasingly precious to us. And the need of looking to him for every step in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths, is still true today.
00:40:03
A wonderful tool that the word of God never changes doesn't have to be adjusted. It is absolute, perfectly reliable when you take science, books that were written only a few years ago have to be changed. Things that they believe to be accurate a few years ago are proven to be false. But the word of God needs no revision.
And remains the same. And I believe we have to emphasize that we should not stoop down to the level of trying to.
Prove These would be scientists who preach evolution to be false by scientific event. We rest on the word of God. God says that I believe it. That settles it. That gives me peace and that gives me assurance. And it is the Word of God that never changes.
By the way, you can never buy scientific discover. We find out how things came to be, why we are here, and what our destiny is. You can only get that by divine revelation, which we have in our hands in this blessed book, the Word of God. We don't want to discredit scientific discovery. I believe man has been permitted to accomplish tremendous things.
But the Word of God is what we rest on, and the Word of God only can give us answers that give meaning to our life. He gives it in His word. The divine revelation lets us know how He in His wisdom arranged everything, created everything, gave us purpose and why we are here. We can never find that out by reading the most enlightened scientists.
Of this world. How wonderful that is. Beloved, a young people read this book, become familiar with this book, and base your convictions on what you find in this book. It's the might even tickle you and might make you feel good that you prove some scientists to be wrong or somebody who passes as well. Because evolution certainly isn't the science. It's a philosophy. It's not proven. You need just as much faith for that.
To believe that evolution then you need for the word of God. But that faith that you need to believe evolution is not the faith of God and that you are very shaky basis for faith. We believe this book and that's the basis for our faith. Not only that, that's how we received it. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. God spoke and that's what we have and we believe that. I was thinking it's Timothy.
Timothy, we have a little verse there that I believe speaks a lot at this point. Second Timothy, second chapter 13 first.
If we believe not yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. Now God has spoken, and that's what our faith rests in. Doesn't matter what the world thinks. It's always been wrong, but I was thinking the worst.
Tragedy. The worst thing that happened to his disciples when he was here.
Was his death.
And all they had to do was rely and believe his word, because many times before he told them very explicitly what was going to happen, and even to the point of their spitting in his face, he explained it all. And then he said, and on the third day I shall rise again and go back to my father.
They should have believed. Well, notice just one thought. In Luke 24 we have these women at the sepulcher, and they were in the in the despair. They were at the end of themselves because of this terrible thing that happened. And notice the response of the answer, They said. Why seek ye him that liveth among the dead? That's verse 5.
The other translation Why seek him that liveth among the dead? He is not here, but risen. Remember his word. That's all they should have done, was rested on what he said. Well, of course that's those. What about the two on the way to Emmaus? It said in verse 15. They reason, they reasoned themselves, and every thought of our own will take us away from God.
00:45:24
Every thought cannot be God word, it is always a way. Well the Lord of course came, and by the word of God he brought the the word of God to them in verse 27 And they were restored because they believe. And lastly the apostles they didn't believe. And in verse 38 the Lord said, why are you troubled? Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
The apostles were thinking.
Instead of justice trusting what the Lord said, and so He brought them back and restored them the same way verse 44, He used the word that he had spoken and the Old Testament Scriptures that spoke of him. Well, brethren, that's what we have. And I was thinking we may be unfaithful. That's true. They were unfaithful when they wouldn't believe the word of God. That's all it is.
Unfaithfulness. But he is faithful. He said it, and I was thinking, we have been reminded already if God before us who can be against us. He said that and all things work together for good to them that are the fault. He said that and we should just rest in it. Circumstances have nothing to do with this Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were facing.
The fiery furnace he did said seven times over, and they remembered. I'm sure the heart of the king is in the hands of the Lord. He turns it with us, whoever he will, as rivers of water. What was their answer to King Nebuchadnezzar? We are not careful to answer thee, O king, If, God, if, if, if.
Our God is able.
And if not, it's still alright if you won't deliver us from this furnace. You see, they had that sense in their soul by faith that God was over all was wonderful. We have the same if God be for us, who can be against us? Faith makes that good, no matter what happens.
This afternoon we have word in our hands, the word of God and how precious that is. But here the word of God is spoken of a little differently by through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. Let's just read some verses in Psalm 33. I think they bring this out so nicely.
Psalm 33 verse 6.
Psalm 33, six.
By the word of the Lord, where the heavens made, and all the host of them, by the breath of his mouth He gathereth the waters of the sea. Together as in heap He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For he spake. And it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast.
Sometimes it is said, well, meaningly, and we probably all made the error. But they say that God created the universe out of nothing. There was never nothing. There was always God. He created the universe out of himself. He's fake and it was done, He commanded, and it stood fast And how wondrous that we understand through faith that the worlds were framed by the word of God.
We hold the Word in our hands this afternoon. That's one form of it. But the creation of which we're a part exists by the Word of God. He spake it into existence, created out of Himself, that which we see around us, and it's all from himself and of Himself. The Word of God. Well, so we're to stand in awe of Him. We're to fear Him if he could bring into it, into existence that which never had any existence before.
He could speak it into existence. He certainly is the controller of everything that happens down here. He's over it all and He allows it and He orders it all for His eternal glory and our eternal blessing and faith trusts Him, doesn't it? No matter what comes, our steps as capture that are very beautiful. We have the 1St about faith and then we have about creation and then we have about redemption.
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How beautiful this is that we see the creation, but it was ruined by man sin and God steps in again, just as He was the one who by His word made everything. Everything would have ended in judgment as far as man was concerned if God hadn't stepped in in another way.
And that was in connection with Redemption. And we see this typified to us in Abel's Sacrifice.
And so how wonderful it is, the way it's brought before us in this chapter, that faith just believes God, so we see him as the creator of everything. And then we see in this fourth verse, 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.
We often hear the expression while we all believe in the same God. Well, Cain believed in the same God is able. They both approached God with a sacrifice, one according to his own mind and thoughts. Cain brought of the first fruits of the ground the cursed earth, with no sense apparently, of his guilt. Why did Abel bring a different one? Well, just as God brought everything into being, so he worked in Abel's heart.
To make him realize that there was a proper way of approach into his presence, I believe it had been shown in the fact that when sin entered, God clothed Adam and Eve with coats of skin. As that is, he showed that the only way they could stand in his presence was not by something from the their own making, but by something that brought before us death and blood shedding. And so Abel laid this to heart and thought of God. He approaches God in the right way.
And so why are we different from others? People say sometimes, well, you have your religion, and I have mine. Well, I have no more right to my own thoughts than you do to yours, if it's a question of that. But God is the one who has shown the right way of approaching to His presence. And as Peter stood up in Acts, he said, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men.
Whereby we must be saved. It's not man for to choose his own ideas or thoughts or religion.
God is the one who alone can give in His Word through revelation, just as by His word He created things, So He gives to us a proper way of approach into His presence. And there's no other way, only His way. And that is through a sacrifice through that which figures to us the death of Christ and His precious Blood, which alone can fit us for God's presence.
Piggy expression.
Connect righteousness that God had said, that in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die.
And one of the ways in which faith is is expressed as we've been mentioning that faith believes what God says. Apparently Cain didn't believe that he brought he did not bring an offering that that spoke of death at all, did he?
The but Abel was impressed with with these things that had taken place in regard to to Adam and Eve in the garden and as her brothers mentioned, how the provision was made to cover them. But the death had come in, and it isn't it's unrighteous to to set aside any pronouncement of God, anything that God.
Speaks to set that aside or not accepted is unrighteous.
But he really justified God like the.
Centers and publicans who justified God in being baptized with the baptism of John. That's the expression that is used. They justified God. God had pronounced the nation as having.
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All in the way, and being perverse and in need of repentance. And those who accepted that and bound to that in faith, why they went out to John to be baptized, and they justified God.
So the righteous righteousness is brought in with Abel righteousness because.
He accepted what God had pronounced and what God had had brought in, in the way of not only of judgment, but in the way of recovery. And so in that way he is a witness.
Of righteousness of righteousness we have in first John that.
Pain slew his brother and the reason was because his brothers Deeds were righteous and Cain's were not evils, Deeds were righteous.
You have that thought brought out in Romans 4?
Verse 20 HE Abraham.
Staggered, not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised, he was able also to perform, and therefore it was imputed to him.
For righteousness now it was not written for his sake alone that was imputed to him.
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus, our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offences, was raised to gain for our justification.
Yes, there, I suppose it's for the the fact that righteousness reckoned to us counted to us by faith they're thinking of.
When we speak of faith, we know that faith is a common word used.
Taken up by those who are not true believers, and even sometimes by those who make no profession of Christianity using the word faith. But true faith is not just having some vague confidence in someone.
Faith really has God as its object, and the Word is the basis for it. And we see here that one of the characteristics of faith is that it's righteous, that is, it justifies God. One can't speak of having faith and at the same time, setting aside God's word, faith recognizes God's word and acts on God's Word so that one of the IT might say one of the features or one of the characteristics of faith.
Is righteousness. You can't separate the two. Faith and righteousness really go together so that when when someone speaks about oh I have faith or my faith sustains me. The question is, is it that faith according to the word of God, that is we find in scripture that as God as its object and the and the word is it's as the basis for it and is it righteous? Is it really?
Respond to the word of God. Does it respond to what God has has declared in his word? That's what Abel did. He responded to that. Cain did not. He was just the opposite.
That's brought out in job. Look at job chapter 40.
Job, chapter 40 and verse six. Then answered the Lord unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man, I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me Now this is the verse particularly Wilt thou dissing all my judgment? Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous, when when Job hesitated to take his true place in repentance before God?
He was actually condemning God's judgment of him because God's judgment of everyone of us is that we are sinners and guilty in His presence. If we claim to have a righteousness apart from that, we are really disallowing His judgment in order that we might be righteous.
And that kind of righteousness God calls filthy rags. It is not acceptable before him. But but Speaking of Abel, he took that true place. He really recognized his guilt, just as God had said. As our brother remarked, in the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. He recognized that sin required punishment, and so he accepted what God had to say about sin.
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And in that way, he declared God to be righteous in himself as a Sinner and needing something to satisfy those claims of God. I think it's important also for us to see that repentance is really of faith and not a preparation for faith. Really. Repentance is true. Repentance is because we believe God. I've illustrated it like this. If someone shouted in the door, the building is on fire.
If we didn't believe what he said, we just all stay in our seats and pay no attention.
But if we believe the message, we immediately want to find a safe place. And God has not only warned us of our condition, faith believes what God has to say about our condition. As long as we cling to any righteousness of our own, we're disallowing His judgment. We're telling him that he's not speaking the truth when he says that we're guilty and lost and exposed to His judgment. When we believe that, then we see a little sign over there says exit. We believe that that's a safe escape. We go to it.
And God has not only told us of our condition and we declare God to be righteous when we accept that, but we also realize that the way of escape he has provided is the one and only way. And that is what we have in Romans chapter four, that through what Christ has done, God has provided a way to put away our sins. And so the 5th chapter begins. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.
We get outside. We're at peace now. We're out of the burning building, and so we take God at His word. We rest in peace that the way he has provided is certain. It's sure. It is a way by which we can rest in peace in His presence and know that it's His provision. So let us remember, brethren, that both both repentance and believing on the Lord Jesus are all of faith, and it all begins by taking God at His word. That's why when we preach the gospel, we present to the Sinner not his feelings, but what God says about his condition.
And what God says is a penalty that he is exposed to. And then the provision that God has made. We preach repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord. Jesus Christ saw that repentance, properly speaking, means a change of mind. That is what the word simply means. And I've often said a Sinner has wrong thoughts about two things. He has wrong thoughts about himself, and he has wrong thoughts about God.
And the word of God sets those two things right. It sets right the thoughts about himself, and he justifies God and says I'm guilty. It sets right it's thoughts about God. And he finds that God, in gracious, wondrous love, has provided A surer way of escape.
He rests in that, and that is what glorifies God. That is what is the result of faith, taking God at his word.
Where one has to begin with God.
That is, I believe that one cannot.
Receive anything from the Lord until that that basic and elementary truth is is recognized. And I think that's why Abel is not just historically. We know of course, that Abel lived before the ones that are mentioned that follows, but I believe there's a moral order to there.
The first one brought before us is Abel. We do not have any witnesses of faith before the fall that we do after, and one has to be brought to that point where there is that repentance and that accepting of what that what God says is true. I was thinking of the way that in Luke 20 when they came to the Lord.
In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 20.
The chief priests and the scribes, the elders, And in verse two they say, Tell us by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority? And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing, and answer me the baptism of John, Was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say from heaven, he will say, Why then believe ye him not, but if we say of men?
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All the people will stone us, for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
And they answered that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
It seems to me he takes them back to the baptism of John. They wanted to circumvent that that issue and bring up other issues, but he brings them back to that basic elementary message that God set out with John that.
Preaching a baptism of repentance. And they had rejected that, and so they he could not take them up on any of these things. And he had they He could not bring anything before them that from himself until they had accepted that. In the 7th chapter of this gospel we read that the publicans and sinners justified God in being baptized. But.
These rejected the counsel of God against themselves. That's weird read, isn't it? They rejected the counsel of God against themselves in not being baptized with the baptism of John. So I believe as our brothers bringing out it, that's the important thing is to accept that and that's the.
Beginning of ones dealings with God, or God's dealings with with man is the the bowing at his word and accepting what he has to say in regard to what we are and in regard to what he is and in regard to what he has done. That is in opening a way of of finding a way back into his presence. And that's what we see in Abel. Abel accepted all of this.
And he He accepted the way that God had opened up for man to be brought back into his his blessed presence. I think it's important to see that distinction, too, between repentance before man and repentance toward God. Because people will often be sorry for something because it has affected them, it has brought some trouble into their life, it has shamed them before others, and they call this repentance well.
In a certain sense it is, but it's repentance before men. It's a change of thought, because they don't like to lose the prestige that they once had, or they don't like to be looked down upon or to suffer for the results of some mistake. But what God requires is more it's repentance toward God. It's looking at the thing as it appears, not just before men. We find that on 2 occasions, King Saul said I have sinned.
Once to Samuel and once to David, but never to God. He never took his true place in repentance before God, and so that is important in regard to the center, the publican who went up into the temple to pray. He took his place before God and said, God be merciful to me, a Sinner. He wasn't concerned about who was looking on. He was probably despised by the man beside him, but he was thinking about what God thought about things.
And that's the important thing. And brother and I believe it's also true in connection with sin in the lives of believers, that there is no true restoration until we look at the thing in the presence of God and see how it is not before our brethren, not what they think of it, but what God thinks about it. And when we judge it in the light of His presence, then there is true repentance toward God. Then there can be restoration.
Well, I believe it's a very important thing because repentance is often just before men. But what God values and what he speaks of in His Word is repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
I've always enjoyed definition of sentence and I'll give it to you.
Repentance is the judgment we form under the effect of God's testimony of all in ourselves, to which that testimony applies.
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The word literally means an afterthought. Upon reflection, the word of God comes to me, reaches my conscience. It corrects my thoughts. As our brother was saying about ourselves and about God, and as I reflect upon the testimony that's been presented to me in the Word of God, my thoughts are corrected and I changed my mind. That is, I learned to think God's thoughts, Brother Smith used to say to us in Oak Park.
Over and over again, learn to think God's thoughts well. That's really what's involved in repentance.
It's an afterthought upon reflection as we reflect upon the word of God. Man has high thoughts of himself. God speaks differently, and he lays bare the evil that's in our hearts. And when we receive that testimony, and we realize, as Job, as Isaiah could say, woe is me, for I am undone, as Peter could say, depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
As Job could say, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth thee.
Wherefore, I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. That's what he had to be brought to. And that's why God deals with us in his ways of faithfulness, to bring us to that that we might see that we are nothing and that he is everything and he He wants to bring us into blessing. And the way we lay hold upon these things is by faith.