Religion has so diluted Christianity that we struggle to understand a simple word like “faith.” This is nothing new. The first century Christians faced the same problem, which is why the writer of Hebrews spent the entire 11th chapter explaining what faith is.
The problem is that religion demands adherence, obedience, and loyalty. Religion demands purity in actions, and creed. In its demand for these things, the relationship between God and man, and God’s amazing grace that has been bestowed upon man, get relegated to merely being an introductory paragraph.
Attend any seminary, and you’ll learn that there is historical faith, saving faith, and true faith. Talk to some religious leaders, and you’ll learn that there is a living faith and a dead faith. Some will even define faith as a system or a doctrine to be followed.
All of this ignores the fact that God gave us His word… and words have meanings and definitions.
Language is a gift from God. We speak in language and understand each other every day, most of the time without really thinking about it. When you tell me that you believe me, I don’t parse your statement to determine if the fact that you believe me will accompany obedience to me, or whether your belief in me is living or dead. I simply understand that, when you say you believe me, you are taking me at my word.
So it is with faith. The biblical dictionary definition of faith (this is a combination of the Strongs and Thayer’s definitions) is a deep-rooted trust, or a conviction of the truth. Simply put, faith means trust.
Hebrews 11:6 describes what it means to have a deep-rooted trust in God, and a conviction of His truth. Hebrews 11:6 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.”
Faith in God means believing that He is, and that He is Who He says He is. It also means to trust that God is good, and that He will respond to your faith. He will reward your diligent search for Him and His truth.
Faith means believing God is, and that God is good.
Faith really is that simple. And that simple faith is the faith that saves.
As Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, he stated that now is the judgment come, and now is the prince of this world cast out.
In essence, Jesus was saying that now is the moment, and this was Israel’s time. Time to see their Christ and Deliverer, time to turn to the Lord. However, they didn’t.
The reason Israel missed their moment is that, while they were looking for a messiah, they weren’t looking for God. In fact, they didn’t want God. They wanted their own kingdom.
Often, we make the same mistake. We miss heavenly opportunities because we don’t desire God. Rather, we desire our own kingdoms, and we desire God to bless our kingdoms.
Listen to today’s message as Pastor Leland Acker calls us to faith, and calls us to lay it all on the line for our Lord.
Enoch is probably one of the most enigmatic figures in the Bible. He was pivotal. At least two New Testament writers made references to him, and he is remembered as one of the Godliest men who had ever lived. Yet, despite all this, we actually know very little about him.
Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped writers from exploring the man and myth of who Enoch was. Some of what is written is based on ancient manuscripts. Other writings are based on legends and myths. From all this, entire belief systems and doctrines have arisen from perceptions of who Enoch was, what he wrote, and what he did.
Here’s the thing. The only relevant information about Enoch was given to us in the Bible. Genesis 5 tells us that Enoch was the father of Methuselah, that he walked with God for 300 years, and then was translated up into Heaven.
Hebrews 11:5 summarizes Enoch’s life this way, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
All God wants us to know (because this is all He inspired to be included in scripture) is this. That he fathered Methuselah, walked with Him for 300 years, and was captured up into Heaven. God also makes the note in Hebrews 11:5 that Enoch pleased God by his faith.
So, what God wants us to know is that He is pleased by our faith. When we trust God, God sees that faith and places us in the same league as Enoch.
Hebrews 11 follows that thought with verse 6, which 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.”
There are many things written about Enoch, and there are entire religious doctrines built on myths surrounding a relatively unknown, yet pivotal Biblical figure. However, what God wants us to know is that Enoch had faith and lived by his faith in God, and that pleased God. Further, God wants us to follow that example.
One of the most amazing things about God, and one of the unique things about the Christian faith, is how God can take a deeply flawed individual and transform him, using him in an amazing way. One of the most iconic stories in the Bible about this is the story of Jacob.
Jacob lived his entire life under God’s favor. God had favored him from the time he was conceived, and throughout his life, Jacob was reminded by God and others of the Lord’s favor upon him. Yet, Jacob continually lived as if he had to work it out on his own. That lack of faith led to some of Jacob’s biggest sins and mistakes, and cost him dearly.
However, by the end of his life, we find Jacob trusting and worshipping God. Take a listen to “Jacob Have I Loved,” from the Gospel Expedition Podcast, via Soundcloud or YouTube, below:
In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel both brought offerings to the LORD. Scripture tells us that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, which makes sense because he grew crops for a living. Abel, on the other hand, brought one of the firstlings of his flock, which also makes sense as Abel kept sheep for a living.
Now, Genesis 4 tells us that God had respect for Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s. As a result, Cain became very upset. God confronted Cain about his attitude, saying, “If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if not, sin lies at the door.”
Cain did not do well, however. As he and Abel worked in the field, Cain vented his frustration on Abel, resulting in a fight that led to Cain killing Abel. Cain was subsequently banished, leading him to found a godless society. Adam and Eve had another son, who fathered the Godly lineage in the pre-flood world.
Such set the stage for the downfall of mankind, leading to the flood in Genesis 6-9.
In taking all of this into consideration, the question is often posed, “Why did God respect Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s?”
One answer commonly given is that Abel offered a blood sacrifice, while Cain did not. While this explanation harmonizes with the Gospel pattern of the shedding of blood for the remission of sins, the fact is that there is little Biblical evidence for it, especially when you consider that grain offerings were a completely legitimate part of the temple system of worship in the Old Testament.
The explanation with scriptural evidence is actually much simpler. Abel offered his sacrifice by faith, whereas Cain did not.
Hebrews 11:4 says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.”
Abel offered his sacrifice by faith. He knew God was God, trusted in His goodness, and rested in His grace.
On the other hand, Cain lacked this faith. He obviously knew God existed, but did not trust God’s goodness and grace. For Cain, the offering was more of an obligation than an offer of thanksgiving or worship. Thus, God rejected it.
Scripture is very clear, and the point is driven home in Hebrews 11. What pleases God is faith, that simple trust in His existence and grace. While that faith motivates action, the fact is without that faith, the most righteous acts in the world will not please God.
So, with all that in mind, do you have faith. Do you believe that God is? And do you trust in His goodness and grace? (Hebrews 11:6)
And if so, are you living by that faith? May God grant you clarity as you reflect on your faith.
Have you ever noticed that multiple educated people can evaluate the same sets of data, and come up with two completely different conclusions?
One Wall Street analyst looks at a particular company and recommends buying their stock. Another looks at the same company, with the same financial statements and business prospects, and recommends selling their stock.
One football scout watches a prospective quarterback and sees vulnerability and liability. Another sees the same quarterback in the same game and sees the future of the franchise.
Multiple experts, same information, different conclusions.
Today, we see the same things happening in the debate over evolution. The evolutionist sees evidence such as carbon dating and fossils, and concludes that evolution is true. The creationist sees the exact same evidence, and concludes that the fossil record proves the existence of the flood from Genesis 6-9, and thus creationism is true.
Both the evolutionist and the creationist are highly educated and well-reasoned in their conclusions. So, how do they look at the fossil record, carbon dating, canyons and rock formations, and come to such different conclusions?
It has to do with their faith.
The evolutionist has a faith that the world was created by various physical forces and chemical reactions without the intervention of a divine creator. Thus, when he examines the fossil record, his faith is validated by what he sees as evidence of an old earth. Through his faith, he believes in evolution.
The creationist has a faith that the world was created by God, so when he examines the fossil record, his faith is validated by what he sees as evidence of God’s intervention (such as the worldwide flood).
You see, faith is not shaped by evidence, but rather, faith shapes how we evaluate evidence. If you are looking for proof before you believe, then you will never find the evidence you are looking for. However, if you believe, you will see things that validate your belief.
Thus, we find in Hebrews 11:3 that “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.”
Our demand for proof of God’s existence will never be satisfied, at least, not until the end time. However, when we decide to trust that God exists and that He is good, then God responds to that faith and rewards it (Hebrews 11:6).
So, the question is, what do you believe? And how is that belief shaping your worldview?
Here’s a challenge for you… go to any Bible study, Sunday School class, or online Bible forum, and ask the question, “What is faith?”
You will get a variety of answers. One common answer is, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, thge evidence of things not seen.” That answer is a quotation of Hebrews 11:1. Your next step is to ask, “What does that mean?”
The tragedy of modern Western Christianity is that salvation comes by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but most don’t even know what faith is.
If we don’t know what faith is, how can we be saved? If we don’t understand faith, can we truly experience redemption and reconciliation?
In John 3, Jesus is approached by Nicodemus, who recognizes that Jesus was sent by God, but the Lord’s radical teaching of repentance and faith did not always line up with the religious traditions that Nicodemus followed.
Nicodemus, unlike his fellow Pharisees, wanted the truth. Recognizing that Jesus came from God, and that what Nicodemus believed didn’t line up with what Jesus taught, Nicodemus came to Jesus to reconcile his personal belief system with what God actually wanted.
Jesus knew this, which is why Jesus said that a man “must be born again” in order to be saved.
The rest of the conversation in John 3 is about how to be born again, that is, how to be saved, or how to be redeemed and reconciled to God. John 3 is one of the most important passages of scripture, because it is here that Jesus, the only Begotten Son of God who went to the cross to pay for our sins, tells us how to be saved.
These instructions on how to be saved are as valid and true to us today as they were to Nicodemus. Nothing has been added or changed since, for if it were, this passage would not have been recorded in scripture.
In John 3, telling us how to be born again, Jesus tells us that “whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” And just in case we confuse ourselves on what it means to believe, Jesus tells us (and Nicodemus) and Old Testament Bible story.
In John 3:14, Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
In this verse, Jesus references an incident from the book of Numbers, where Israel complained and rebelled against God. Because of the severity of their rebellion, the LORD sent what the King James Version refers to as “fiery serpents” into the camp. Fiery serpents were more than likely poisonous snakes, as the scripture described how they bit the people, and the people began dying.
As they died, they cried out to Moses for help. Moses prayed to God, and God told Moses to make a bronze serpent, place it on a pole, and set it up in the middle of camp. If anyone is bitten, they can look at that bronze serpent and live.
Being saved from the snake bites in Numbers was as simple as looking to that serpent on the pole. No sacrifices, no offerings, no religious works. Just a simple look.
In John 3, Jesus said in the same way, He was to be lifted up on the cross. And in the same way, if people look to Him on the cross, they will be saved. Looking to Jesus on the cross constitutes belief, because that is what you are depending on for your forgiveness and salvation. Because Jesus went to the cross, you know you have been redeemed and reconciled to God.
Belief in Jesus is as simple as looking to Jesus and remembering that He redeemed you through His death on the cross. And that belief is the ONLY condition that must be met in order to be saved.
Faith and belief are used interchangeably in the New Testament. They are both translated from the same Greek word. So, with that in mind, we conclude that faith simply means a belief, a trust in the Lord. We have faith because we believe that Jesus will receive us into Heaven, because He paid for our sins on the cross. That’s faith. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Faith is not a religious system. Faith is not an expression of religious works (on the contrary, your works reveal whether or not you have faith.) Faith is belief.
Do you believe in Jesus? Do you believe that He died on the cross for your sins? Can you look to Him on that cross and know that because of His death and resurrection, you are going to Heaven? If you can, and if you have done that, you have been saved, and you have become a Christian.
While that faith will change the way you live and think, please know and be assured that it is the faith that has saved you.
Are the things you are doing bringing you peace and fulfillment? Do you find purpose in those things, and are they rewarding? If not, why do you continue to do those things?
It is those questions and more that the Lord poses as He issues a great invitation to Israel in Isaiah 55.
In Isaiah 53, the Lord showed how Israel’s sin led them astray, but how God would redeem and restore them through Christ, who would give His life as a sacrificial lamb to satisfy the judgment and wrath of God.
Following that message of salvation, the Lord calls the nation to break forth into singing, because He would bring in a time of everlasting blessing. That promise was made in Isaiah 54. In Isaiah 55, the Lord invites the people to come, and to inherit that blessing by repenting of their sins and trusting in Him for salvation.
The picture the Lord paints in Isaiah 55 is of a benefactor offering water, wine and milk to the thirsty, and food to the hungry. He then questions why anyone would work for, or spend their money on anything less.
In the message posted above, Pastor Leland Acker addresses God’s invitation, and discusses what it means to “come to the waters.”
The Christian faith is the fabric with which Western literature is woven. Great writers like Andrew Klavan and philosophers like Jordan B. Peterson clearly see it.
The classic, Pinocchio, is no different. The classic 1940 Disney animated movie, based on a classic novel, centered on Pinocchio, a wooden puppet who was given life at the request of his creator, Geppetto.
Geppetto loved Pinocchio, and Pinocchio loved Geppetto. At the very outset, you see a parallel with scripture, where God created Adam and gave him life. God loved Adam and Adam loved God.
Had Pinocchio been content to be loved by Geppetto, and to find his value there, Pinocchio’s story would have been one of endless bliss. Alas, Pinocchio wasn’t satisfied with Geppetto’s love.
Pinocchio had an intense desire to become a real boy. This desire, coupled with his desire to be like all the other boys, would lead Pinocchio down a path of misadventures which would separate him from Geppetto and create unnecessary suffering.
The first misadventure happened when Pinocchio was lured away from his walk to school by a character named Honest John, who persuaded Pinocchio to join his puppet show. Pinocchio’s decision to follow John’s temptation landed him in the show, but also a bird cage, and set up a chain of events that would see Pinocchio on a ship to Pleasure Island.
On Pleasure Island, Pinocchio befriends Lampwick and begins to indulge in bad behavior on the false promise that there would be no consequences for such behavior. When Jiminy Cricket tries to intervene, Pinocchio spurns him, prompting Jiminy Cricket to leave.
However, once Cricket discovers the horrible truth of what is going on at Pleasure Island, he returns to deliver Pinocchio right as the curse was beginning to turn him into a donkey.
At this point, Pinocchio realizes he had it good all along and sets out to reunite with Geppetto, a journey that takes him back home, and even into the belly of a whale. (Shadows of Jonah in that scene.)
What we learn from Pinocchio is that our downfall is often caused by unthankfulness, our desire to find meaning and pleasure apart from our creator, and our misplaced pride in ourselves.
Pinocchio loved Geppetto, but wanted more. Likewise, Adam and Eve loved God, but didn’t want to live under His authority. Their decision to seek their own divine nature by eating the forbidden fruit saw them expelled from the garden, and rendered as mere mortals who would have to face death.
We also say we love God, but all too often we seek pleasure and fulfillment everywhere but God, and often, we wish to cast His authority off from our lives. Our consequence is destruction in this life, and absent from repentance and faith, eternal condemnation before God.
As Pinocchio faced excruciating consequences as a result of seemingly harmless choices, we often find ourselves in bad situations caused by seemingly insignificant choices that took us further from God’s presence. Thus, scripture compares us to sheep, saying that “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his on way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
And finally, as Pinocchio found healing and reunification by turning his heart back to Geppetto, we find healing and reconciliation with God by turning from our sinful ways and trusting Him for salvation.
The Christian faith really shapes Western Literature, and why shouldn’t it? Both Christianity and literature contain the stories of who we are.
So, when you find yourself dissatisfied with life and wanting more, be careful. Seek healing and fulfillment with God, and not from the pleasures of this world. Otherwise, you may turn into a donkey and find yourself in the belly of a whale.
But seriously, we forfeit so much peace and endure so much unnecessary suffering simply because we don’t trust God enough. Have faith. Turn to the Lord. And find fulfillment in Him.
In this message, Pastor Leland Acker discusses how multiple, seemingly small decisions made to please ourselves lead us away from God. Scripture reference is Isaiah 53:6, which says, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
The Point... 