The Just Shall Live by Faith

Have voiced that they are coming. So, pray that all that works out. I expect to have a good group with us beginning here on Monday for our vacation bible school. So, If you want, you can turn to Ephesians chapter two but we also we're going to have it up here on the screen in just a second but Ephesians chapter two verses eight and nine were kind of using to launch. Into our study the last couple weeks.

We introduced it last week. I spent a few minutes to talk about the importance of understanding the meaning of words and sometimes in Christian circles in particular, we forget that not everybody understands the terminology that we used or some of the words that are used in scripture. A matter of fact, there are a lot of people sitting in pews today that do not understand what these words mean and rather than help helping to communicate clearly and accurately God's message in the gospel it brings confusion when people do not understand the meaning of the words and the theological and the theological terms. So, we start out with last week with a simple one. One that most of say, well, I know what that means but I I have found in ministering in knocking on doors and talking to people that a lot of times when you ask the question, are you saved?

That doesn't mean the same thing to them that it means to us and there are a lot of people that are think that they're saved that are not saved. There are a lot of people that think that term means something different than how God uses it in the word of God. Ephesians two eight and nine, for by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Let's go to the Lord in prayer before we continue today. Thank you Lord for your word.

Pray Lord that you would guide as we look into it today as we seek to learn more about you and about your way of salvation, about the doctrine that is communicated in your word and how we might communicate that in an accurate and clear way to others and how we can apply it to our own life. Lord, I pray that we will grow in our faith as we talk about faith today and Lord, that you would help us to be able to to preach and teach the gospel to others that they might share in that faith as well. Lord, bless our remainder of our time. May you be glorified and honored in all we say and do in Jesus name, amen. So, last week, salvation.

What is biblical salvation? To save as used in the Bible is well, the word and simply means to rescue or deliver from something. So, if you're going to save somebody from something, you deliver, you rescue them. That's what the word save mean. A matter of fact, in the Old Testament, the word saved, the Hebrew word translated saved is often times also translated delivered and David talks a lot about being delivered from his his enemies and there are a lot of things that you can be delivered from but the word save simply means to deliver or to rescue but as we use it in reference to the gospel particularly as it's used in the New Testament, we're not talking about say being saved from from pain or difficult circumstances or being saved from our enemies.

We're talking about being saved from the enemy, Satan, from from sin, and from hell. Save from what? What is it that you need to be saved from? You need to be saved from sin and hell because if you're not saved from sin and hell, that's where you're headed. That's where we are all headed.

We're on the broad way that leads to destruction unless we're saved from that destruction. We're saved off of that root that leads to destruction and death and ruin and we take the narrow way that leads to what? Life everlasting, okay? That's what we need to be saved from. That's what we're talking about.

Who are we saved by? Well, we're saved by who? By the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Lord and savior, okay? He is the one who can save us from the Broadway which leads to destruction.

He's the one who can save us and forgive us of all our sins. He's the one who can save us from eternal death and hell and give us eternal life in Jesus Christ in heaven. It is Jesus Christ who is the savior. I can't save you. The Baptist religion can't save you.

Jesus Christ can save you. Your good works can't save you. Taking communion can't save you. Only Jesus Christ can save you from sin and hell. Saved how?

How are we saved? We're saved through faith in the sacrifice resurrection and power of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Who came to save lost sinners for whom he died. We're saved through faith in Jesus Christ. The son of God who came and died on the cross for your sins and mine.

The one who is risen from the dead. And who has offered to save us from our sins. If we will trust in his promise and in his power to do so. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. That's how you're saved.

Not by joining the roles, not by getting dunked in water. Not by putting money in the offering. All those things are good. I hope some more of you that have been coming for a while will join our membership roles. That's a good thing.

I hope some of you who may have been saved but not yet baptized that you'll get baptized. That is a good and necessary thing. I hope that you will give of yourself to the Lord in his service. That is a good thing. But those things alone don't save you.

Only faith in the shed blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ can save you from sin. Faith. Faith in Jesus. That leads us to the next question this morning. And that is this one, what is faith?

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by what? The just shall live by faith. We are saved. How? Through faith.

Through faith, we are saved. By grace, are you saved through faith. It is a word we use a lot but what does it mean? What does God mean by it? Not only what does the word faith in English dictionary mean but what does God mean by it when we read it in scripture when he talks about having faith, when he talks about faith being necessary for salvation and and living justified before God.

What is faith? It is important that we get it right seen as the only means to salvation from sin and hell and the way to have a relationship with our creator. It's an important thing. It's important thing that people get. They must have faith because without faith, they'll never see heaven.

Without faith, they'll never see God. Without faith, they'll never have a relationship with their creator. Without faith, they can't be saved. Faith is important. In Hebrews eleven six, it says, 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. Without faith, it's impossible to know God. Without faith, it's impossible to please God. You must believe in him. In his son, in his sacrifice, in his resurrection, in his promise, and his power to keep that.

For all those who come to him. And receive him as their Lord and savior. Only then will we reap the rewards of being part of his family receiving his spirit having his promise, he'll never leave us nor forsake us. Having the promise of a place he's prepared for us in heaven. Eternal, eternal life.

You must have faith. Without faith, it is impossible to be saved. The word meaning to have faith is the same word often translated in scripture to believe. So, when you read, for instance, John three sixteen, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes or believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That word translated believe there can also be translated to have faith.

It's in the Greek and it means to have faith or to believe. So, when we read believe, you're also reading to have faith and when you read to have faith, you're also reading to believe. So, the simple definition of faith is what? Believe. Faith is believing.

It's not works. It is faith. It is believing. By which we are saved. However, as used often the word of God, it is more specific than simply believing, okay?

There's a little more to it than simply believing. It is believing in something which requires a little more. That is believing in that which you cannot which cannot be proved by your five senses, okay? Now, see, I believe that this pulpit is here. In front of me.

Can you see it? You see this big, heavy, brown, wooden thing that hides half of me behind it, that I like to stand behind. Why do you believe that it's here? Why do I believe it's here? Well, I can see it.

I can touch it. Okay? I can touch it. If I bend down and smell, I can probably smell it too, though my smeller doesn't work very well. So, I might not be able to smell anything.

But I can see it. If I do that, I can what? I can hear the sound it makes when I hit it and I'm certainly not going to taste it, okay? But I believe it's here for those reasons. I I can see it.

It's it's here and you can see it too. So, you believe it's here. You have to have faith that the pulpit is here? No, not really because you can see it. You can touch it.

You can feel it. Therefore, it doesn't require faith as used in scripture because we can prove it scientifically. We can see it and observe it with our physical senses. Faith is believing in something that you cannot prove with those five senses. As used in scripture.

And there are many things that we take on faith, not just spiritual things. Okay, let me give you an example. You ever heard of George Washington? Do any of you believe in George Washington? Do you believe that George Washington lived?

Yes. Do you believe that he was the first president of The United States? You do. Have you ever met George Washington? Probably not.

I don't think even some people whose names I won't mention in here are old enough to have met George Washington. I was speaking mainly of Al, but anyway. So, you haven't met George Washington. You ever seen George Washington? Well, maybe you've seen supposedly a portrait, but you haven't even seen a picture because there weren't cameras in 1776.

So, you haven't even seen a picture of George Washington. You weren't there when he was inaugurated, the first President of The United States. You can't travel back in time to meet him and talk to him. It requires what? It requires a little bit of faith to believe that.

Faith in what you've been taught. Faith in what you read. Faith on what you've been told. I am certain there was a person named George Washington and he was our first president. But I I can't prove that.

And I haven't personally seen him. I must accept that by what? By by faith. By faith. Hebrews eleven one says this, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. As used in scripture, it is the ability to perceive and understand and trust in the things of God which we cannot see with our physical eyes. Let me read that again. It is the ability to perceive, to understand, and to trust in the things of God which we cannot see with our physical eyes. You can't see them with your physical eyes.

You can't perceive of them and people have a hard time believing in God because they cannot see him with their physical eyes but in essence, I can perceive of him with spiritual eyes by what? By faith. I can understand him and I can understand things about him but I must understand those things by faith. I read God's word. I put my faith in what I read.

I put my faith in what I've my relationship, personal relationship with God. And therefore, I grow in my understanding. Lot of people out there that don't understand anything about God because they don't have what? They don't have faith. That's right.

Under perceive, understand, and trust. It's also about trust. I can trust in God because of faith. Those two work hand in hand. Faith is more than just asserting that something is true.

It is actually learning to trust as it's used in scripture. We'll come back to that in just a minute. Trust or believe in things of a spiritual nature which can either be proved or disproved by science. They are outside the observable realm of science and our five senses. For instance, God that the Bible I hold right here is not just the words of men but the words of who?

The words of God. What does that take? That does take faith. You can, there's a mountain of evidence that it is what it says it is but it still requires what? It still requires faith.

That Jesus is the son of God. That requires faith. There is a heaven and there is a hell. I know that's the truth. I know they're real.

Have I seen them? No, I must believe and trust in that by what? By faith. That's how I know. I know that God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I know that God created this world. It didn't just show up one day. God created it. How do I know? By what?

By faith. Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. In other words, God created this whole universe which we're learning more and more. They put a new telescope out there and they can see just thousands and galaxies, not just stars. It's it's amazing.

It all essentially fits in the palm of what? Palm of God's hand so to speak. It's big to us, not so big to him. He created it all. How do I know that?

I know that by faith. I can't go back to the dawn of to the day of creation and watch him. Praise God. I I do have a record of it. Scientists and non believers, they don't have the record or at least won't accept it.

We do have a record of somebody that was there being God himself. These things take faith. To understand Things which have not yet come to be. Things that are hoped for. I must also take them on what?

On faith. God has promised me things that have not yet to occur. And the only way I can know those things will occur is by faith. By my faith in God that he keeps his promises. Now, he's given me evidence of that.

Plenty of evidence. He sent his son to die on the cross for my sins. He promised that way back in Genesis three fifteen. They would send the seed to the woman to crush the head of the serpent. God his promises and God has fulfilled a myriad of prophecies in God's word but the rapture hasn't happened yet but you know something, it will.

It will. How can I know that? By faith. To be absent from the bodies to be present with the Lord. One day, this body is going to cease functioning but all those who know Christ as savior from to be absent from the body is to be what?

Present with the Lord and when this body ceases, I'll open my eyes and who will I be in the presence of? Jesus Christ, my savior. That hasn't happened yet. But I know it will. I know it by faith.

Christ will return to this Earth and he will establish his kingdom for a thousand years. That will happen. How do I know? By faith. Faith is the evidence of things hoped.

The substance of things hoped for. The evidence of things not seen. You've heard the phrase it takes a leap of what? A leap of faith. Now, I don't very often refer to TV and movies and that sort of thing, but there was this Indiana Jones movie that I watched a while back.

And he had to go through this series of obstacles and stuff to get to this thing he was trying to reach. That's all you need to know. But anyway, but one of the things he had to do was he got to this place and there was a cliff, and it dropped off way down like a, what's that cartoon, Roadrunner, you know, when he goes off, you know, and at the end. Okay. So he's looking down, his kiss goes way down, and the doorway, the the opening to the cave he needs to go to is over there.

And there's this great chasm in between. But he's reading from this book that says, you have to take a leap of faith from this place. And so, he's looking at it, and he's looking at it, and he's looking at it, and it's like, okay. Finally, he decides, Okay, well, says to do this. And so he sticks his leg out and guess what?

As he goes to take the step, his foot lands on something. And the way the the chasm and the rocks were made, there was a rock bridge that went across about this wide. But from that position, you could not, what? See it. It was camouflaged.

And there's a great deal of things in this world that are of eternal consequence and value, that are camouflaged to these eyes. But they are very much what? They're very much real but you have to take that step of faith and once he took that that leap of faith, then he could see. You know, and once you take that step of faith in Jesus Christ and you trust him, then, with eyes of faith, now you see. You know, it's the right amazing grace.

I once was lost, now I'm found, was blind, but now I what? Now, I see. And when when you trust Jesus Christ as your savior, he opens your spiritual eyes to see and understand and know but you have to take that step of faith. You cannot be saved. Without it.

Thus, faith is used in scripture involves more than simple belief but also trust. Trust in that which cannot be proved apart from faith. Trust in something, someone, or something. In this case, trust that Jesus Christ is who? The son of God, died on the cross for your sins and rose again from the dead.

Trust that if I choose him as my savior and Lord that he will forgive me and take me to heaven. Trusting that Jesus Christ is the son of God. Trusting that he will take me to heaven and save my soul. If I will place my soul in whose hand, in his hands. Trust in Jesus that he will keep his word.

Trust that this word which I hold in my hands is God's word. Trust that he went back to heaven to prepare a place for all those who will believe in him. He said, if you believe in God, believe also in me. I go to prepare a place for you and if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. Faith.

That God that Jesus is preparing a place for us. Trusting. Faith means trusting. Trusting in Jesus words. Trusting in the word of God.

Trusting in his promise of eternal life to all those who have put their faith in him. That's what faith means. It means to trust. But I've seen people say, well, it's just like that bench right there. I'm going to go down and I'm going to sit on it.

I'm trusting it to hold me up. No, faith is like somebody telling you a a bench is there and you're blind and you can't see it and you sit down. That's that's faith. But once you sit down in the seat though you can't see it, then, oh, well, yeah. It holds me up its ear.

Once you put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you know but you have to take that step of faith. You have to trust him. It is belief and trust in a divine person who is worthy of our love, worship, and obedience. I trust him to guide me. I trust that he loves me.

I trust that he is the all wise, all holy, all loving God and I worship him as I worship him here today. I'm here because I believe. I'm here because I trust. That Jesus Christ is in heaven. And that he is worthy of my faith, love, obedience, service.

Through faith, we can accept and rely on the reality of God. His grace, his mercy, his power, and wisdom, his salvation. For there is no other way. Many reject his love, mercy, and grace because they do not have faith. They cannot bring themselves to believe in his existence and sovereignty nor trust in his grace and mercy and care without seeing proof.

I do not envy them. And neither should you. No matter how wealthy, smart, successful, or powerful they may be. Without faith, it is impossible to know Jesus. Without faith, it is impossible to have eternal life.

Do not envy those. Who do not have faith or will not exercise that faith and trust God. Some refuse to accept him until they have a sign. I've had a couple people I've witnessed to and worked with and well, yeah, I, yeah, I believe it. I believe it but I just, I just need just something else.

One more sign. Proof that God exist, that Christ is risen from the dead. They demand a sign. Sound familiar? The Pharisees, they demanded a sign and a sign and Jesus gave them signs.

We have them recorded where? Right here in his word. But they demanded more and more and more and more. He's given us his signs. He is risen from the what?

Dead. He was seen by over 500 people, Paul wrote. In his report, in his record. He gave us, he has given us and preserved for us his word. It is a sign in itself.

He created this world we live in. It is a sign in itself. The heavens declare the what? The glory of God. He has sent his spirit into this world.

Back there on the day of Pentecost. He has given many signs you have to comes down to what? Faith. You have to believe. You have to take that step of faith.

Without faith, it is impossible to please him. And there's plenty evidence Romans 120 says, for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world. In other words, those things we much believe and accept by faith are also clearly seen being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and godhead so that they are without what? Excuse. God says, those who refuse to put their faith in God are without excuse because there is ample what?

There's ample evidence. You may not be able to see God but you can see what God does and see what God has done. God is not asking for blind faith. He has given a multitude of evidence. Why does Satan attack things like creation and and through evolution and those type of things?

Why does Satan attack on those fronts? Because he's trying to take away the evidence that is clearly right in front of our face. That there is a god. But we are without excuse. John three, seven, and eight, Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about being born again.

He didn't understand. He said, marvel not I say unto thee, you must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whether it goeth, so is everyone that is born of the what? Spirit. Being born again is being born of the spirit, being born through faith in Jesus Christ into his family.

Can you see the spirit? No, you cannot but can you see the evidence of the spirit? Yes, you can. You can't see the wind but you can see the trees blowing. I can be sitting in my living room and I can look out the window and I can't see the wind.

I can't feel the wind. I can't hear the wind and yet I know it's blowing because I see the leaves. Blowing in the wind. Jesus said to Nicodemus, Nicodemus, you might not be able to see the spirit but you can see that the spirit is real. And if you'll trust me, and then you'll know.

And you'll see it not only in the lives of others but you'll experience it in what? In your own life. Again, God is not demanding blind faith. We may not be able to see him but we can see what he has done and what he's doing. His creation, your very existence, your conscience, where that come from?

Your moral code, your intellect, the testimonies of others to preserve word of God, the reality of sin. Where do you learn about those things? Right here. But aren't they real? Yeah, they're real.

There's plenty of evidence. There is a god. There is a god against which humanity rebels and sins. There are consequences for sin. Everybody sees that.

There are consequences. Even in this life, there's consequences for sin. It is destructive. We can see the results of it. But you must finally take that leap of faith Trust in Jesus Be born again.

Become his child. Still others misplace their faith in other things which cannot prove, which they cannot prove, but which seem more convenient. There are myriad of human religions out there that people have invented to try to reach God apart from who? Apart from Jesus Christ. Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, secular humanism, and the list goes on and on and on.

Most of those religions are what we call works religions. What's convenient about works religions? Well, it teaches you that you're good enough that you can earn it if you'll just follow these rules and you'll do it this way. You don't have to humble yourself and repent of sin. You can just do this list of good things and and you'll earn it and you'll make it on your own.

That's convenient to a world that doesn't want to hear. I'm a sinner and I must repent and trust Christ to save me. We'd rather hear, oh well, we we can handle it. We can't handle it. You must trust Jesus Christ.

John fourteen sixty has said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the father but by me. Acts four twelve says, neither is there salvation any other for there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Not only do It is not only important that you believe but it's important what you believe in and who you believe in. It's not just the amount of your sincerity or the strength of your faith but what it is you have put your faith in.

And if you put your faith in all these other things, to save your life, to give you fulfillment, to get you to heaven, you won't get there because the object of your faith is just as important as faith itself. A lot of times today, the word faith is thrown out. We gotta have faith in yourself. Well, you know, it is good to have some confidence in your abilities but that isn't going to help you get to heaven. That isn't going to make you pleasing before who?

Before God. Well, just have faith in the system. Have faith in the rules. Have faith in the institution. Have faith in this faith in that.

No. Faith in a person. Who's that person? That person is Jesus Christ. Not only do we enter by faith and are justified by faith in Jesus Christ and we'll look at that word justified in a couple weeks but we continue in faith to grow and learn and love and serve God.

Faith isn't something, you know, you you step out in faith and oh I'm saved and now, I step back. No. You keep on what? Keep on walking. Growing in your faith.

As you grow in your faith, as you grow in your trust in the Lord and your knowledge of who he is and what he has done for you. It enables you to grow and to learn and to love him more and to serve him without fear. To make decisions each and every day based not on your sight but on faith. We walk by faith not by what? Sight.

The just shall not just be saved by faith, the just shall what? Live by faith. That is a continuing process. Faith leads to. Actions.

You see that in in Hebrews 11. By faith in God, what God told him, Noah built a boat. How long did it take him? Over one hundred years. Now, that's faith.

Faith that judgement was going to come. Faith that that boat was going to float. Faith in God's promise and his warning. By faith, Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. By faith, Abraham followed the Lord from his homeland to a place that God would show him.

By faith, he he even took his son, Isaac, up on the mountain to sacrifice him. By faith, David stood before Goliath. Did David stand a chance before Goliath? No, not at all. Except that God was one.

That God was with him and he knew it. How'd he know it? He knew it by faith. Faith that led to actions. By faith, Joshua led Israel into Canaan.

By faith, Ruth left with Naomi. By faith, Hannah prayed for a son. By faith, fishermen left their nets to become fishers of men and follow Jesus Christ. By faith, you can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, Paul says. By faith, we are more than conquerors.

By faith, we can serve God without fear. By faith, we can follow God's word even when we don't entirely understand it. I believe it and I can follow it and apply it by faith. By faith, we can be assured that one day, we will inherit the place God has prepared for you and me First Peter one, let me just read three verses for you. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Two, an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you. Who are kept by the power of God for it is God and Jesus that saves through what? Through faith. Through faith ready to be revealed in the last time. One day, we will see him what?

We will see him look up here. We will see him what? Face to face. John says, I will see him for I will be like him and we don't know and understand all of that but we can know it and believe it and know that it will happen one day by what? By faith.

John five twenty four, last verse. Verily verily I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall come not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life. I passed from death into life when I was nine years old and I trusted Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior. I took that leap of faith. There's a lot I didn't understand about God.

Matter of fact, there's probably a good bit I still don't understand about God. But I'm trusting him by faith and I became his child on that day and I passed from death into life. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ to be your Lord and savior? Have you put your life in his hands? The one who came from heaven to die for you, the one who rose again from the dead, and has offered you the gift of eternal life.

The one who went back to heaven to prepare a place for you, the one who is coming again one day. Have you put your faith in him? If you have, then you've passed from what? Death unto life and you will continue particularly as you come to church and read God's word to grow in that faith to become more like him. As we all should be.

Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For faith. Faith that you have have given us. Faith to know you faith to receive your gift of eternal life, your son, Jesus Christ.

We thank you Lord for all that you've done and all the evidence, the mountain of evidence you've given us, that we cannot see you, we can know you. And as we have put our faith in you, we've experienced personally. Who you are and what you are doing in our own life. I pray that we will grow in that faith and I pray Lord that we will share that faith with others and I pray Lord that if there be one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior, that as we sing this hymn of invitation that they'll come and receive him today. In Jesus name, we do pray.

Amen. Take if you would your hymn books. Three