The righteous live by faith

Hebrew 10:32-11:7

Key verse 10:38, 11:6.

It is a hard time to live by faith. People scoff at those who live by faith. It seems that technology seems to be a ruler of this world as fast as science is rapidly being developed. There are fake Christians who easily compromise their faith against persecution and temptation and they shout at the true followers of Christ that “people who faithfully live by faith are foolish.” When we see this world without faith, it is easy to get confused and get compromised to the world.

However, God is the sovereign ruler. When we have faith in God, we can see His divine work and sovereignty over the world. Today’s passage describes how our ancestors overcame the time of incredible suffering.

The book of Hebrew was written AD 64-70. Persecution was so severe for the saints in Rome. Many Hebrew believers who were converted from Judaism to Christianity ran away from their homes, relatives and family to keep their faith. After they resided in Rome, severe persecution came to them again. At that time, Judaism was publicly admitted as the common religion. But Christianity was regarded as a cult. So Christians were brutally despised and persecuted by Rome’s authority. Some of the weak believers’ faith were shaken and wanted to return to Judaism.

This book was written to encourage believers to put their hope in Christ and to keep their faith. In our postmodern time, it is not easy to keep our faith. We will learn about the definition of faith and thecontention of faith through today’s passage. It gives us a great encouragement and clear direction.

I pray that God may give you humble heart to receive His grace through today’s passage.

*The encouragement to live by faith in dark time. (10:32-39)

Look at verse 32-33 “32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.”

After the Pentecost came, many Hebrew people were converted by Apostles’ message. Their eyes were opened and received the true light. They were set free from legalism. They could taste the joy of the kingdom of heaven. They thought suffering was privilege as chosen ones. They suffered along with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of their property because their hope was the heavenly kingdom. When we are so full of grace, we think that it’s easy to die for Christ, just as Peter thought. One theologian said that walking on the water one time is much easier than walking on dry land faithfully.

The author reminded of their faith. “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened”. When we look back at how God worked through our hard times, this can give us a refreshed mind.

When I look back my at the beginning of mission life, I worked as a pizza, newspaper and mail deliverer and also cleaned other people’s houses to survive. Whenever we gathered together, we prayed together. We had to fully trust God. We experienced God’s grace so much through fully trusting God. Even though we had to share a two bedroom house among six people, we were happy because there was a place to live. The remembrance of hard time gives me refreshed heart and a thankful attitude. However, the persecution of Hebrew believers were going to unendurable suffering. Some of them were killed by hungry lions or burned alive.

How does the author encourage Hebrew believers? Let’s read verse 35-38. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37 For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back,my soul has no pleasure in him.”

The author recalled their faith and reminded their faith God planted. To have faith in Jesus is completely God’s grace. Without God’s permission, we cannot have faith. Faith is much more precious than gold. It cannot be exchanged with anything in this world.

What direction does the author give us? Let’s read verse 38. 38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

It quoted from Habakok.2:4. No matter our circumstance is good or horrible, no matter our fruit of life is fruitful or not, we fully trust God and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit through His living words. God doesn’t like the one who shrinks back. The life of shrinking back to ungodly way insults the work of the Holy Spirit. It insults holy things as pig eat vomit food.

*The faith to please God (11:1-7)

What does the author remind of them? Let’s read Hebrew 11:1. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. He encourages the faith in God.

Verse 1 is closely related to previous chapter. The author describes two parts of definition of faith;

First, faith is the assurance of things hoped for. The objects of our hope are the objects of our faith. We cannot see Hope because future things; heavenly kingdom, Jesus’ second coming, our complete restoration are future things. God promised all these things in the scripture. It will surely happen to us. One of the great examples is Abraham’s life.

Romans 4:17-21 vividly describes it. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.

6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

He was about a hundred years old and his wife, Sarah’s womb was dead. All circumstances were against having hope. However what Abraham did was to believe what God said to him so that God’s promises would be fulfilled. Faith in God or Faith in God’s promises will be fulfilled

Second, Faith is the assurance of what we do not see.

Because faith is invisible like the spiritual world, we cannot see the work of the Holy Spirit but it exists and it is powerful like a strong wind. We cannot see God visibly. But He exists as the sovereign ruler and creator. Faith is not just a theory but it is real so all of our ancestors had lived by faith, being assured that God’s promises would be fulfilled

Faith of God’s creation is the foundation of our faith. The author tells us in verse 3. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

If we believe Genesis 1:1,we can believe all Scriptures; Jesus’ many miracles, resurrection and regeneration, sanctification, kingdom of heaven by the power of the Holy Spirit.

From verse 4 to the end of verse describes how the heroes of our ancestors lived by faith. Look at verse 4!

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

It mentions first offering after Adam sinned. There was no sacrificial system. God opened the way to have relationship and fellowship with human beings through offering. When human beings come to a holy God,, their sin should be dealt with first. Otherwise, it is impossible for a sinful men to come before a holy God.

How was Abel’s offering?

he came to God with a contrite and broken heart as a sinner and brought his offering as he asked for the mercy of forgiveness of his sin. (Ps32:1,5,Ps51:17)

Psalm 32:1 teaches us who is the most blessed one.

“Blessed is the onewhose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” It is King, David’s confession, who had everything. Psalm 51:17 teaches us what kind attitude is acceptable. My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heartyou, God, will not despise. He brought his offering looking for God’s grace of forgiveness.

However how was Cain’s offering? There was no evidence that Cain regarded himself as a sinner. He came to God based on his own pride and righteousness. He probably was taught about sinfulness of humanity from Adam and Eve thousand of times.

But his heart was so superficial, proud and stubborn. We can see his stubborn heart after God rejected his offering. Instead of repenting his crooked heart before God,he blamed God and killed his brother, Able with full of jealousy and anger.

God received Abel’s offering. Even though he died, He commended as Abel as righteous. Look at verse 5. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

His time was very close to Noah’s time. Genesis 6: 5:6 describes their spiritual circumstance.

“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

He lived by faith not just a few months or few years but for 360 years. Genesis 5:24 briefly describes his entire life, “Enoch walked with God”.

Spirituality in the very earliest years was a matter of walking with God. Before the Fall in the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God. But generation of Enoch’s time was completely ungodly and wicked. To walk with God means two men travelling along a road keep each other company.

Maclaren’s Expositions describes it. “The companion is at our side all the same, though the mists may have come down and we cannot see Him. We can hear His voice, we can grasp His hand, we can catch the echoes of His steps. We know He is there, and that is enough. Enoch and God walked together, by the simple exercise of the faith that fills the Invisible with one great, loving Face.” God was a companion. God was not a distant deity. And this man must be with God through each moment, daily by intimate communion. It must not be easy. When Abram was far from God, God visited him and rebuked him in Genesis 17:1 “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,” but Enoch walked with God by faith, by effort, by purity for more than 300 hundreds years.

Is his living by faith in vain? No. verse 5 tells us. 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.

God gave him great reward. He didn’t experience physical death. He was commended as one who pleased God.

Part three- the content of faith

Verse 6 teaches us how we can please God. Let’s read verse 6 again!

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

What does the content of faith in verse 6?

Firstly, we should believe that God exists. The faith of his existence is essential. God’s existence is not fiction but real. He is a living God that works in us daily. He is the creator and sovereign ruler of all creation. If we don’t have faith in God, it is impossible to live by faith nor to please God. Christian life is not actually doing but being. Doing is the fruit of being. If we truly believe Christ Jesus as my savior and Lord, we will have a zeal to follow His teaching and His way. Godly Fruit in our practical life comes out. If we have faith in God, our value system, life style, goal, thinking will be gradually changed into a godly centered way because we know God exists and He reigns over our life.

How can we have faith in God? it is completely God’s grace but we know that God can open our eyes and ears through His living words by the work of the Holy Spirit. so what we can do is humbly seek Him through words of God as we pray for his help. Romans 10: 17 teaches us. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

God always leads us into his living words to teach who he is and guide our soul into Christ.. we can meet God’s existence through his living word.

You probably heard John Bunyan who wrote the very famous book, Pilgrim's Progress. He is well known to be a powerful preacher andwriter. Many souls returned to Christ through his book or messages. Before he didn’t know Christ, he wrote his lifestyle in his book. “it was my delight to be taken captive by the devil at his will; being filled with all unrighteousness; cursing, swearing, lying and blaspheming the holy name of God.” after he discharged from the army, he had chance to read the book “Arthur Dent’s the plain man’s pathway to heaven and Lewis Bayly’s the practice of piety” and was convicted of his sin. the heart of his seeking God started through reading those books. He met some godly women who shared joyous conversation and realized the joyless existence without God. He saw himself as lost and outside of Christ. he began to cry to Christ. His rebirth was influenced by a sermon Gifford’s sermon based on Song of Solomon 4:1 “Behold, you are beautiful, my love,

behold, you are beautiful!

Your eyes are doves

behind your veil.

Your hair is like a flock of goats

leaping down the slopes of Gilead.

Second, He rewards those who earnestly seek him. The expectation of His reward is not wrong. Apostle Paul greatly expected the reward in heaven while he faithfully ran the race of life. If we don’t expect reward, we become hypocritical and unfaithful. God promises us that great reward is waiting for those who are faithful. ‘’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’’ (Mt 25:21). We should look for God’s reward instead of man’s reward and expect God’s reward. When we look for God’s reward, we can overcome our current situation and have peace and full of thanks to God at any time.

Hebrew 11:6 is one of life changing verse for my mission life. When I came back Madison WI 1998 by myself, I couldn’t see any hope here. My English skill was so short, my visa status was a student visa and it just left few months. What I could see outwardly was suffering and hardship without hope. I felt like like an alien. I suffered severe headaches due to hopelessness for a while. I couldn’t even have breath due to severe stress. When Madison church coworkers went to the Pine lake retreat, I was so stressful. I covered myself with a blanket and prayed to God. “help me, help me!” I don’t know how to pray. At that time, Hebrew 11:6 was suddenly going around my head. “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

I intentionally held this verse and repeated it numerous times until I believed it. When this verse came into my mind, heart, and believed it, strange thing was happened. Headache was gone. stress was gone. I could have confidence that everything would be solved by faith. I became bold.

So I faced my problems with boldness. When we sent in the application for our greencard, it was approved in ~1 year, when normally, it takes 2 years to get approved. If the process of Green Card k more than 2 years, our family wouldn’t have been able to stay in the US.. However, God gave our family the Green Card before it was happened. When I trusted God, he gave us the reward beyond even our reasonable thought. So M. Deborah could pass the pharmacy license when we depended on Mark 11:22. “Have faith in God”

In conclusion,

The way of pleasing God is our faith in him. we should believe He exists by moment by moment in our daily lives. He also gives a great reward upon those who earnestly seek him. The most precious reward is knowing Christ who has everything. Let’s read Key verse Hebrew 11:6.