Jan. 10, 2021

“THE GREATEST POWER IN THE WORLD”

(FAITH)

HEBREWS 11:1-3

1 John 5:4 “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

Charles Spurgeon said, “It is not thy hold on Christ that saves thee, it is Christ. It is not thy joy in Christ that saves thee, it is Christ. It is not even thy faith in Christ that saves thee, though that be the instrument. It is Christ’s blood and merit.”

Now let’s talk about the greatest power in the world. “FAITH”

1.   Definition of Faith- Hebrews 11:1

Dr. J Oswald Sanders said, “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.”

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for…”

“Substance”- is a scientific term, the opposite of hypothesis or theory. It is that which rests upon facts.

If your faith does not rest upon the Word of God, it is not Biblical faith at all. It has to rest on what God says. It means to believe in God.

Colossians 1:9 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;”

To know the will of God is to know the Word of God. Therefore faith rests upon the Word of God. Romans 10:17

“The evidence of things not seen” vs.1 

John 20:29 “…blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

“Evidence”- is a legal term meaning “evidence that is accepted for conviction.”

True bible faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.

Faith is only good as its object, and the object of our faith, is God!

Faith involves obedience to God’s Word. It was faith that acted- Noah “prepared” an Ark, Abel “offered” a sacrifice, Abraham “offered” up Isaac, Moses “left” Egypt.

Bible faith is “witness” Hebrew 11:2 “obtained a good testimony (or report)” vs.4,5,39, and 12:1 calls a list of men and women “so great a cloud of witnesses.”

Genesis 15:6 “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.”

God wants us not only to be saved by faith, but to walk by faith.

Hebrews 11:3 “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Faith enables us to see what others cannot see.

Hebrews 11:7, 13, 27

Dr. J Oswald Sanders put it perfectly, “Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.”

Faith occurs 24 times in chapter 11 of Hebrews.

The best way to grow in faith is to walk with the faithful.

1.   God spoke to them through His Word.

2.   Their inner selves were stirred in different ways (personal relationship with God).

3.   They obeyed God.

4.   He bore witness about them.

What is your faith in? God is His Word!

Matthew 9:29 “…“According to your faith let it be to you.”