July 8, 2018
Text: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb.11:1
Scripture:10:26-11:3
A Warning to Christians
10:26-29, All sins are willful. The only message of truth for man is the Gospel of Christ (I am speaking to all blessing in Christ. And they are pasted finding out, called "unsearchable" , Eph.3:8.) If you turn from the message of Christ, there is none other, Gal. 1:6-7. This is problem facing the Hebrews: they desired to go back to the O.T. system of worship. This aspect of willful speaks to rebellion and unbelief. It is apostasy, a falling away from a previously held position. It is not a onetime sin; it is a continually persistent sin; (See example of Kadesh – Barnea, Duet. 1 – 2.)
10:28, the law has no feeling or compassion – Our Redeemer is the Son of man. He is touched with the feelings that we have.
10:29, One is to value their redemption, 1 Peter 1:18. Our time here on earth is an opportunity to bring honor and glory to Christ and not to be spent living for self, living for the temporal. If you respect the coming time of accountability, you will redeem your time now and see the eternal and the coming J.S.O.C. - 2 Cor. 5:10.
10:30, The LORD does judge His people. There is an interesting verse in Ex. 32:34-35, Duet. 32:35-36.
(v.30) For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. "Vengeance" is His. The very same truth that is presented in 2 Tim. 2:11-13. He is faithful to His Character …He shall judge His people - For gain or loss - He will not deny His Character: impossible for Christians to escape justice at the Judgment seat of Christ.
Standing Before Him Is A Time To Be Respected
Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
- Remember you past conversion, v.32
- Suffering in the cause of Christ, v33
- Remembering the eternal, v.34
- Continuing in the faith has a great payment of the reward, v.35
- Letting patience have her perfect work, v.36 ( James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.)
- Remember Christ is soon coming, v.37
- Know thatLiving by faith pleases God, v.38
- Continually, we press toward the mark the prize…. – We have the option as the body of Christ to continue living by faith. V.39, see Co.1:21-23.
Substance and Evidence
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Most everyone trying to explain this verse give the definition of faith but this verse is giving the elements of faith. For a moment look at the verse and meditate on it! If you take a concordance or Bible dictionary and look up the word "substance" you find, "That which subsists by itself is called substance;" "Something real, not imaginary; something solid, not empty." "Person," "substance".
"Faith is the substance", the reality, "of things hoped for". "Christ in you the hope of glory". Christ is the substance of your faith. Gal_2:16, Gal_2:20 , Gal_3:14, Gal_3:22, Gal_3:26, Eph_4:13 , Php_1:27 .
If you take all these things together you arrive at the sound conclusion you cannot separate Biblical faith and the person of Christ.
When Abraham died, the only land he owned was the grave of his wife but yet he lived in the certainty of God's Promise. The substance of his faith is the reality of his possession. Heb 11:9 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: Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. If you want to read about that city see Rev. 21:10-23, e.g v.10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Keep in mind the city is not heaven itself but a city in heaven
Faith is the anchor of your soul: it is the present possession of Christ.
Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness, Romans 4:21-22. That was written for our benefit, Romans 4:23. Faith is imputed (given) to you for righteousness when you believe God, Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Rom 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Faith is the certainty that you have eternal life,
Heb. 6:18, That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Faith is imputed to you for righteousness when you believed God, Romans 4:23.
When you see Christ, you will not need faith because Christ who is the substance of our faith will take us to be with Him. 2 Cor. 5:8,"….. and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Today, your present possession is the anchor of our soul, Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; So that allows you entrance "…..into that within the veil; Go to Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
What is within the "veil"? It is "the holiest of all" Heb.9:7. The very presence of God is within the veil, For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Heb. 9:24.
You put that together with Romans 5:2 and Heb. 6:19-20. And you, by your present possession of identification with Christ in faith have access into the holiest, Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Heb.10:19-23
- It is God's purpose for His Body to live godly lives, Col. 1:22.
- We are to continue in the faith of Christ, Col. 1:23
Faith remembers others in true worship, And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25. True worship is defined in Romans 12:1-2.
Let me ask you this: Do you know you have Eternal? If you don't the only way to know is to believe on Christ for Eternal Life.
Have you been cripples in your Christian life by willful sin? He is still the same Saviour believed on when you were first saved. You need to speak to Christ about your sin in confession.
Is there a matter you need to clear up with the Lord?
I ask you to do obey the Holy Spirit today.
It would be a blessing to hear from you: www.nrbbc.com www.nrbbc.org
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