True
Faith
Bible verses: Hebrews 10: 35-11: 2
10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will
be richly rewarded.
10:36 You need to persevere so that when you have
done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
10:37 For in just a very little while, “He who is
coming will come and will not delay.
10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith. And
if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.”
10:39 But we are not of those who shrink back and
are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.
11:2 This is what the ancients were commended
for.
Carl Henry,
an evangelical theologian and a professor at Fuller Seminary, wrote: “The whole secret of abundant living can be summed up in this sentence: Not your responsibility but your response to God's ability.”
In our lives,
there are things we can do and things only God can do. The God's work is not
done by our wisdom or strength, but by our full faith and trust in living God and
His work. A life of faith is a life in which we respond by faith to God's ability,
not to our own.
What we
think and believe is very important as our thoughts and beliefs drive our
actions. It is very important for Christians to keep their faith in God healthy
through their thoughts and actions.
Just as we need reasonable and sensible plans for our lives in this world, it
is important for Christians to plan and build their lives with biblical and
healthy faith. That is why Christians should remember that at the center is the
Bible, the Word of God, which will surely guide them through their lives better
than any books or guides in this world.
Hebrews chapters
10 and 11 are the parts that are most clear and specific about Christian faith in
the whole Bible. That's why Hebrews 11 is called the Chapter of Faith. It was written for Jewish Christians who
abandoned their faith during their hardships at the time. Many of Jewish
Christians gave up their faith and returned to Judaism in the face of suffering
and confusion. The Book of Hebrews asks them to hold their faith and speaks
clearly about the conviction of true faith and the hope for the future. Today,
let us share what is true faith expressed in Hebrews chapters 10 and 11, focusing
on the Word of God.
First,
true faith has confidence. It will receive God’s reward.
Let's look
at Hebrews 10:35 again.
10:35 So do not throw away your confidence; it will
be richly rewarded.
The Bible
speaks of confidence as the first element of true faith. This is the confidence
towards God that comes from humbly getting down before Him. Biblically speaking,
it is the confidence given by the blood of Jesus Christ. Those who humbly get
down and pray before God gain the confidence bestowed by Him. New Testament
theologian David Peterson said of this confidence or boldness: “God-given
confidence through the blood of Jesus Christ must not be thrown away or taken
lightly, no matter how hard it is currently.” When we look to Jesus, the
Son of God who died on Cross to save us, his love restores our hopes and
strengths.
When we restore
the confidence through the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross, the Bible says we
will receive God's blessing and reward. Hebrews 6:10 shows that there will
be abundant reward. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work
and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to
help them.” God's
rewards and commendations are always more precious and greater than the praise
of any man.
Second,
true faith has patience. It fulfills God's promises. We must have unwavering
faith because He never delays.
Let's look
at Hebrews 10: 36-39.
10:36 You
need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive
what he has promised.
10:37 For
in just a very little while, “He who is coming will come and will not delay.
10:38 But
my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be
pleased with him.”
10:39 But
we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe
and are saved.
The promise
we receive after we do God's will in verse 36 is a promise that is connected with
His salvation.
Salvation is not done by human effort, but by the grace of Jesus Christ, and
therefore is the work of God entirely. The Bible says that patience in faith is
needed while the salvation remains as God’s promise. That is, after doing God's
will, we must be able to wait and endure with faith. Be comforted by God’s Word
that He will not delay.
The Greek Old
Testament, Greek translation from Hebrew Bible is called ‘Septuaginta’ in
Latin. Habakkuk 2:3 quoted in Septuaginta says, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and
will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will
certainly come and will not delay.”
In other words,
God's promise is fulfilled by the believers who keep their faith and wait for
the revelation. And although the promise may seem to come slow, it will
certainly come without delay. It is proclaimed again in Hebrews 6: 11-12, “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that
what you hope for may be fully realized. We
do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and
patience inherit what has been promised.”
Third,
true faith is the assurance of
things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, as evidenced by the people of faith in the Old Testament.
Let's look
at Hebrews 11: 1-2.
11:1 Now
faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
11:2 This
is what the ancients were commended for.
Chapter 11
describes faith as real.
The true faith stated in the Bible does not refer to the vague hopes of the
world or certain religious beliefs. True faith refers to the belief in the
exact word of God, inerrancy of Scripture. And it also means to live with
patience and obedience, waiting for God's promises come true. True faith is
the starting point and source of what we hope for.
What is meant by “faith is the
conviction of things not seen” is that faith is a way of proving invisible things, such as the existence of God, the
faithfulness of His Word, and the sovereignty of God. It is shown by the people of faith in
the Bible, especially in the Old Testament.
If you look at
the second half of chapter 11 after today's text, stories about those believers
appear as examples.
Noah
believed in what he had not yet seen and built the ark, and according to his
faith the judgment and salvation of the flood appeared. Moses was not afraid of
going before the king of Egypt in his faith of God's promises. Many prophets
such as Gideon, David, and Samuel in the Old Testament went the way of faith. And they lived a life of faith and
experienced the fulfillment of His promises. We must believe in God’s words, and
true faith will guide us to see His promises fulfilled.
| 
