What It Means - Living by Faith

Brethren, we live in a very materialistic world. It's quite easy for us to say, my faith isn't strong enough. I don't seem to be able to work up enough faith. And really, the question I believe it needs to be, what is it really to live by faith? And so today, brethren, I want to talk a little bit about this topic, what it is to live by faith. I'm going to start by looking at Hebrews 11. In verse 6, it says, Without faith, it is impossible to please God. It is impossible to please God without faith. For he who comes to God must believe that God is, that God exists, and that he, God, is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. A rewarder of those that diligently seek him. And the point of being a rewarder is a positive statement, because we are addressing in chapter 11 a positive view of faith. But the negative is also true. He is the one who is going to chastise those that don't diligently seek him. In other words, God is our judge. Ultimately, God is our judge. And in fact, he's given that judgment to Christ, and we will help him later on. But God is our judge. And it is impossible to please him without us believing that he is and that he is the one that is going to judge us, positively and negatively. But positively, he's the one who's going to reward us for doing what's pleasing to him. And in the previous chapter, if we just turn to the maybe one page back, or maybe in the same page, in the previous chapter, in verses 38 and 39, we read, Now that the just shall live by faith. We are to live by faith. And so the question is, what is living by faith? But if anyone draws back, my soul, that means God's as a being, has no pleasure in that person. There's no pleasure in that person. And we are not those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe forwards, believing him, trusting him, so that he'll be the saving of our lives and of our beings, of our soul. And so, what is it to live by faith?

You know, in other words, brethren, reading a disstatement, it says, the just shall live by faith. It's saying that the just will live eternally, not just in this life, but will live eternally by faith. And what is faith? You know, faith, or basically trust, is knowing that God is faithful and that he will do what he said and promised that he will do, even though maybe he hasn't done it yet.

And if God is faithful, he wants us equally as his children to be faithful, because the Bible does talk about from faith to faith. God is faithful, and we have to be faithful. And if we are going to be like God, we're going to need God's love, and God's love is poured in our hearts through his Spirit. So, in this short encapsulation, I have basically hit the main points of this message.

But let's go a little deeper. You see, faith is not positive thinking. Faith is not positive thinking, because positive thinking is confidence in self, in yourself. Because we heard in the sermonette, it was basically a definition of some people have confidence in self. And therefore, we need to remember that faith is not emotions.

Faith is not sanctimonious sentimentality. Feelings and emotions are of the flesh. Of the flesh means sea, hearing, tasting, smelling, and touch. So, faith is not physical. Faith is spiritual. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, and we're going to read verse 7. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 7. 3 For we walk by faith, not by sight. You see, we walk in absolute trust and confidence in God, because it's what we have not seen. As you read in Hebrews 11 verse 1, 5 is the confidence of what we have not seen.

The hope and the surety of what we can't touch today. That is absolute confidence. And so, as we read in Hebrews 11 verse 6, it's the absolute recognition that God exists and that He blesses us for obedience. Right? He's the rewarder of those that diligently seek to do what pleases Him. So, He blesses us for obedience. That's faith. Therefore, faith is trust and confidence in the invisible God to perform what He has not done yet and which the mortal flesh cannot do.

Faith is the absolute trust and confidence in the invisible God that you and I cannot see that He will perform what He has promised but He has not done yet because He's faithful, He does not lie. And it seems that mortal flesh cannot do it. And so, faith is acquired. Faith grows from time to time. As we grow in faith, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, we grow in faith as well.

So, we're going to look at two examples. One a little deeper. The first one, example, we're going to look at the example of Abraham. And then we're going to look at it very briefly at the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. In the example of Abraham, we see that in Hebrews 11. Verse 8. In Hebrews 11. Verse 8 says, By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he received as inheritance.

Can you see the connection between faith and obedience? By faith, he obeyed. You see, living faith requires obedience. If you have a little child and you put a little child on top of a table or something like that, and you say to the child, Jump and I'll catch you. If the child jumps, it's an evidence of the child trusting you as a mom or a dad. So the evidence of that trust, of that faith, of that trust is acting. The difference between trust and faith is that trust is that you see your mom and dad.

Faith is it's an invisible God, and you have that confidence in the invisible God. So we see, he said, he went out not knowing where he was going. You see, Abram was told, Go out of your land, land of your fathers, and go. Now imagine, I come to you and I say, You got your home? You got where you lived? You lived there for years. Understand, most of you, okay, some of you might be, but at that age, Abram was 75 years old. So most of you are probably not yet 75. So you are at your home.

You've been there for many years. And I say, Leave and go. Where? I'll tell you. Just go. Are you going to go? Well, so let's look at that in Genesis 12. In Genesis 12, it says, Now the Lord has said to Abram, Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house to a land that I'll show you. I'll make you a great nation. I'll bless you and make your name great. And you shall be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you and I'll curse him who curses you.

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. So Abram left, departed, as the Lord had spoken to him. And Lot went with him. And Abram was 75 years old when he departed from Heiron. And you know what? He did not know where he was going to go. He's 75 years old. All his worldly possessions put into a caravan, or whatever it is, into your whole truck, or whatever it is. And there I go. Where? I don't know. Well, let's trust in the invisible God.

And then you see, later, and let's go and that, going back to Hebrews. Now, we'll continue in Genesis very briefly, a little later, in Genesis 15, verse 1. So this is now about 10 years later. Now, we know it's 10 years later by reading some of the events that just happened in chapter 14, specifically verse 17, where it talks about a specific battle. And historically, we can go there and can see there was about 10 years later. So, in Genesis 15, he says, after those things that were described in chapter 14, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision. As I said, he was about 10 years later. So he's about 85 years old. Do not be afraid, Abram. I'm your shield. You're exceeding great reward. And then a little later, in verse 5, and then God brought Abram outside and said, look now towards heaven and count the stars. If you're able to count them. Now, nowadays, you probably can count the stars because there's so much light around the eye, you can't see the stars. But you go to some place out where there's no electricity in neighboring areas. I've been in places in Africa and in northern Brazil, in Malacca, where it's pitch dark and the sky is just lit up with thousands of stars. And he says, count them if you can. Obviously, you can't. And then he said to him, so shall you, to say, let's be. And Abram believed. Abram trusted God. And it was accounted to him for righteousness. This is an important point, brethren, that trust, that absolute trust in God was credited into his, let's call it, bank account, as if putting that in analogy, as righteousness. Because he believed in God. He trusted God. That God was able to do it, and he would do it. But he had to wait. But he had to wait.

Because, physically speaking, he was 85 years old, which means his wife, Sarah, as we see in another verse a little later, was 10 years younger. She was 75. She was 75. And so, physically speaking, if a woman is 75 years old, and you know better than me, because a lot of you are ladies, you've passed the stage of childbearing. So, physically speaking, as a 75-year-old lady, she was passed the stage of giving, of bearing children, of giving birth to a child. And so, physically speaking, it was impossible for Sarah to have a child. But he knew God had promised it, and he believed. He trusted God.

Turn with me to Hebrews 11, verses 11 and 12. By faith, Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bought a child when she was past the age. She was 75 years old. She was past the age of childbearing. But she conceived, and that's a miracle. It's impossible, physically speaking. Because she judged him, faithful, who had promised, God is faithful, which means his yes, is yes, and his no, is no. And that's why we know Christ said, let your yes be yes, and your no be no. Why? Because you and I need to be faithful.

God is faithful. In other words, he's trustworthy. Therefore, you and I can trust him. We can have faith in him because he's faithful. That's what faith is, trusting somebody that is faithful. And because God is invisible, that's not just trust, but that's faith. Verse 12, therefore, from one, you see, Abram and Sarah, the two become one flesh, right? From one, the two. Abram with Sarah from one. And from that one, as good as dead, yes, because that union of Abram and Sarah, physically speaking, was as good as dead because they had passed the childbearing age. We were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. Through that unity of one flesh, Abram and Sarah, which physically speaking, could not bear children, but from that miracle, she bore a child, Isaac, when she was 90 years old, when she was 90 years old, and Abram was 100. And from that child, a whole Israelite-ish nation of Ephraim, Manasseh, Reuben, Judah, Levi, Zebulun, Isaac, Ahar, etc., came out.

You see, Abram trusted and demonstrated that faith, and over time that faith grew and trust because as things happened, the faith just grew. Look at Genesis 17, verse 1. Genesis 17, verse 1. When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, I am the Almighty God, walk before me and be blameless. Then he's 99 years old and still no Isaac. Still that promise is not fulfilled. From the day he left, Abram, when he was 75 years old, was now 24 years later, going to 25 when Isaac was born. He trusted a promise for 25 years old, for 25 years.

And humanly speaking, that couple could not have any more children. And look at verse 4 and 5. As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be called Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. But still no children. Look at verse 17. Then Abram fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, shall the child be born to a man who is 100 years old? Because I mean, he's now 99 and in the U.K., there's another nine months, so by the time that happens, he's going to be 100 years old. And shall Sarah, who was 90 years old, be the child? God, you promised, but is it really true? And then Abram said to God, oh, that Ishmael might live before you? Well, maybe it's Ishmael. And God said, no, no, it's Sarah. Your wife shall bear you a son. Sarah, 90 years old, shall give birth to a baby. And I'll establish my covenant with him. That is living faith. He waited for 25 years. He was 100 years old. And she was 90 years old. Because God is faithful. He made a promise, and He does not break a promise. And He is faithful to perform what He has not done yet, and which mortal flesh cannot do. That is faith. And look at Genesis 22, verse 1 through 3. Because now we see Isaac has now been born. Now he's probably a teenager or maybe a young adult. And God now tells him, He says, now God tested Abram, you know, put his faith to trial. Brethren, our faith, your faith, my faith, is often tried. Could be health issues. Could be whatever.

Abram was tested. You and I are going to be tested, and we are being tested. So God tested Abram and said to him, Abram, and He said, yes, I am. And He said, now take your only son Isaac, whom you love, to the land of Moriah and offer him, where does a burnt offering on one of the mountains which I tell you? And so Abram said, wait a minute. You promised this. No, let me think about this. Oh, come on. I need to meditate about this. Come on, God. I mean, now this is not fair. But that's not the case. He did not hesitate. And the very next morning, He rose up early in the morning and saddled His donkey and took two of His young men within and Isaac, His son, and He split the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place which God had told him. He had no doubts. He said, I'm going. So let's go back to Hebrews 11. By faith, Abram, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises, offered up the only begotten son of whom it was said, in Isaac, your seed shall be called, including that God was able to raise him up, to do what is physically impossible, even from the dead, from which He had also received in a figurative sense. Yeah, He received Isaac from the dead because Sarah could not bear children. So that's He received Isaac from his wife, which physically speaking could not bear children anymore. So physically speaking, that childbearing process in human terms was dead in a figurative sense.

That is complete confidence in God. He was fully persuaded that God could perform it.

And you see, it was not just that. In many other situations, you and I can read in Genesis 26 verse 5, Genesis 26 verse 5. Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, my laws. Abraham kept God's laws, God's statutes, God's commands.

Do you know what? God's law is not done away in the New Testament. God's law is not done away in the New Covenant. God does not change, right? God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Look at Matthew 5 verse 17. Matthew 5 verse 17. Do not think, Christ said, that I come to destroy the law. And what do people say? So-called Christians, well, we don't have to obey the law. I'm free now because I have faith. Hogwash. That's a lie. That's a Satan-inspired lie.

I do not come to destroy the law or the prophets. I do not come to destroy but to fulfill. Now, fulfill obviously means, obey it, but also means to complete it. You see, to fulfill what the prophets said, that means what the prophets said, it came to happen. The prophets said what? That a Messiah would come. And that was fulfilled, right? Fulfill means that a prophecy was fulfilled. It came to fulfill those promises in His first coming and more promises in His second coming. He's fulfilling them. Likewise, it came to fulfill the law. It's not just obey it, but it's to fulfill because the law pointed to the Passover. The law pointed to the Passover Lamb.

And 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7 says, Christ is our Passover Lamb. So He fulfilled the law of pointing to the Passover. The law in Leviticus, the first few chapters from chapter 1, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5, it talks about sacrifices. Christ came to fulfill the meaning of the symbolism of those sacrifices. He fulfilled what the law pointed to. Leviticus 23, 11 says that when He raised and sent it to heaven, He was accepted in our behalf as what? As our high priest. You read that in Hebrews 5 verse 6 and many others in Hebrews, He is our high priest.

Just before He actually went to heaven after 40 days of being with the brethren, He said, wait in Jerusalem till you receive the promise of the Father. You read that in Acts chapter 1 verse 4 and 5. And you know that the promise of the Father, you read that in Acts 2 verse 33, was receiving of the Spirit that proceeds from the Father that Christ gave us, God's Holy Spirit, on the day of Pentecost. He fulfilled Pentecost. And so God's law is not done away. God's law by Christ was fulfilled. He obeyed it and He fulfilled what it pointed to, to Christ and to the Holy Spirit, because there are sections in the law that pointed to the Holy Spirit. So the ceremonial law which pointed to Christ and to the Holy Spirit, that has been changed as you read in Hebrews, because Christ is now our new high priest. And He has offered a sacrifice forever. So the other ones were just a shadow. The true meaning is Christ. So we looked through the example of Abraham about faith. That faith was obedience and trust in God to do what He said, even though He was tested and proved. And I mentioned earlier on, I'm going to give you another example. And that is the example of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And you can read that, and we're going to read a little bit of that briefly in Daniel chapter 3. In Daniel chapter 3. And we're going to start reading in verse 4. So you know that this image had been set up, and they were told, you're going to worship this image of Nebuchadnezzar. And so in verse 4, we read that there was a herald, an instruction. And that was cried out, said, to you it's commanded of peoples, nations, and languages. And there was everybody in this domain of Babylon. That at the time you hear the sound of the horn, the fluid, the harp, the lie, and the sultry, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. So when you hear this fanfare, whatever noise, you all have to worship this, or else, zap, you're dead. Verse 6, And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fire furnace. Now that's quite a trial. Imagine you were living there, and when that music is played, everybody's got to bow down to it. And we read in verse 8, Therefore at that time, at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews. And they spoke and said to the King Nebuchadnezzar, O King, live forever! O King, hallelujah, such great King! You, King, made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of this big fanfare shall fall down and worship the gold image.

And whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery place. But there are a couple of people here which you, King, have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon. You, King, you put these people in charge, and they are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, King, have not paid due respect or regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you've set up.

Then Nebuchadnezzar was in a rage and fury, and he gave command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they brought these men before the king. And Shadrach spoke saying to them, is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I've set up? Now, if you are ready, at the time, you hear the sound of this fanfait, and you fall down and worship the image which I made. Good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. And who is the God who will deliver you from my hands? Now, let me ask you, do they say, well, I wonder what I shall do? You know, I mean dilemma. Man, I mean, between the spade and the wall, what shall I do? Now, surely. God, you know, God doesn't want me to die now. Surely, you'll make an exception.

But you know what? The answer was in the tip of their tongues. They didn't wait or split a second, meditating, what should they say? The answer was in the tip on their tongues.

Verse 16. Shadrach, Meshach, and the B'ednego answered and said to the king, Arneu, Bechanneu, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O King. But if not, I mean, maybe I've got a trial and God will deliver me. But if God will not deliver me from this, maybe, health trial, I know that in the resurrection I'll be healed. If not, let it be known to you, O King, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we ever worship the gold image that you've set up. Man, that is clearly not political correctness. That was straight.

And so Nebuchadnezzar was mad. He was mad. Look at verse 19. The Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He spoke and commanded that they hit the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. As it happened to you, brethren, when you are in a trial and somebody pushes you to break out's laws and you stand firm, those people get even angrier, and the trial gets seven times bigger. The trial gets worse and worse. And you wonder, why isn't God acting? Why, instead of him zapping the king straight away, he's allowing the trial.

And so verse 20, and he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in the army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and cast them into the burning fireplace. And then we know the story. Verse 25, you know, and he says, Look, he answered, I see four men loose. Walking in the midst of the fire, and they're not hurt. And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Yeah, come out. And then you read that. And in verse 28, says, Nebuchadnezzar spoke, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who sent his angel and delivered his servants who trusted him. They trusted when they were pushed through the trial, and when the trial got bigger, seven times bigger, they still trusted and did not give up.

That's faith. That is faith. Trust and obey in trials. That is faith. You see, we have to obey. Christ said very clearly in Matthew 19. In Matthew 19, and these are Christ's own words. Matthew 19, verse 16 and 17. The old one came and said to him, Good Teacher, what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life? And Christ's reply was, Just have faith. No. Christ's reply was, First place, why did you call me good? No one is good but God. But if you want to enter into life, that is eternal life. Because they're already living. That's not physical life. That's if you want to enter into eternal life. And the question was about eternal life. If you want to enter into eternal life, keep the commandments. And he started to list a few of the 10 commandments. And brethren, that's Christ. Brethren, that is the New Testament. God's law is not done away in the New Covenant.

In John 15, verse 10. John 15, verse 10. We see that Christ Himself. John 15, verse 10.

He said. John 15, verse 10. If you keep my commandments, you'll abide in my love, just as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. Christ kept His Father's commandments. And Christ's commandments are just the same. The two are one. The two have the same mind, of the same spirit, and they want us to be one like they are one. In John 5, verse 30. John 5, verse 30. We read, I can or myself do nothing. In other words, I trust in God to help me. I can't do it. As a human being, He had emptied Himself of that power. He became in the flesh. And so He said, I can or myself do nothing. He had no confidence in self. He had no faith in self. So if Christ had no faith in Himself, how can you and I have faith in ourselves? Look at John 14, verse 10. John 14, verse 10.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me, the words that I speak to you, I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does the works. Jesus Christ trusted in the Father. The Father dwelt in Him through God's Holy Spirit. And we must have the same faith of Christ that He had the same trust in God through God's Spirit in us. But you see, we live in a world of deceivers, of liars, which tell us that we don't have to obey God. In 2 Corinthians 11, 2 Corinthians 11, and we're going to read in verse 13 through 15, For such are false apostles. In other words, such are false ministers, such are false pastors or ministers in churches, deceitful workers, transforming themselves as if they were servants of Christ, apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Oh, these people talk such sweet things. Oh, they're so sanctimonious. They're so religious, just believe in Jesus. Outside, they're an angel of light. Inside, they're full of bones and evil. Because if you don't obey God, if you don't keep God's commandments, then you're breaking God's law. And if you break one, it's as if you broke them all. Therefore, verse 15, therefore it's no great thing if these ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. Because they're breaking God's law. God's law is not done away, brethren. Romans 3, verse 31. Romans 3, verse 31. Do we then void the law through faith? Do we say, well, we don't need a law because I have faith? Certainly not. On the contrary, we establish the law. If I'm going to obey God under trials and difficulties, because he tells me to do this, and I'm pressurized not to do it, that's faith. And that faith establishes the law. Obeying the law is God's love. Romans 13, verse 10. Love does no harm to a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of God's law, of the law. God is love. And God gives us his love through the Holy Spirit that he pours on us. Romans 5, verse 5. Romans 5, verse 5. And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Brethren, we do not earn salvation by our works. It's not by our own self-confidence. We have to trust God and push through our trials, trusting God. In 1 Peter chapter 1, we are told that this trying of our faith, let's just read 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 6 and 7. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials. You know, some of us are going through serious health trials. Some of us are going through enormous emotional trials.

As a minister, a number of you explain to me in confidence some of the trials you're going through. They are enormous. It is like the fiery furnace has been blown up seven times. When I talk to these brethren, I just don't know what to say. I just, I'm speechless. I cry. And I pray for Christ's coming, because many of you are going through enormous trials. But he says, rejoice, because the genuineness of your faith, being more, much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. When Christ will come, this faith of yours that is being tested by fire, by that burning furnace, you will receive praise, honor, and glory that you and I cannot even begin to comprehend.

And you and I need God's Holy Spirit to push through, because God's Spirit gives his godly love. And brethren, Jesus Christ had real faith. He had real living faith, and we need to learn from Him to have the same living faith. And we're learning, and we're growing in that faith, like we're growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as we obey through our trials. He will forgive us, and He'll give us more of His Spirit. Christ is in us, and the Father is in us through His Spirit. To conclude, let's just read Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and 17. Romans chapter 1, verse 16 and 17. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel, of the good news, of what Christ has done for us. For it is the power of God to salvation to everyone who believes, who trusts God, Jew or Gentile. Verse 17. For in it, in this good news of what Christ has done, God's righteous is revealed from faith to faith. God is faithful, and we need to become faithful. Christ trusted in faith in the Father. We need to trust in a faith in the Father through Christ. From faith to faith, the just shall live by faith. We shall live eternally by faith. It's a mutual trust. It's a mutual faithfulness. We must live by faith by living faith.