“Faith” In Scripture

Introduction

For most of us, our lives are ruled by routine. And that routine may change, but is locked in depending upon what day of the week it is. What’s your Saturday routine? Let me tell you about my Saturday routine but years ago. When I was a kid, this is what my Saturdays consisted of. Getting up early and eating cereal. It was the only day mom would let me eat in the living room. As I watched Saturday morning cartoons. That was the high point of my week. And usually, if memory serves right, about 11 a.m., around noon somewhere, all the cartoons had run out. And there was nothing good on TV. We only had three channels. And so we went outside on what we called adventures. My parents would not have liked to have known what some of those adventures consisted of.

As I’ve told you before, I grew up in the country, and so those adventures meant running through the hills and the trees and going into some abandoned old house or an old barn and jumping out of the attic or chasing cows through a pasture and those kind of things. But one of my best friends was a preacher’s kid, and they had moved from the country into the city. And so one Saturday, we were at Steve’s house. And the routine was much the same. We watched the Saturday morning cartoons. But then around 11 or noon, we went out on adventure. But this was a different, this was a city adventure. I was used to country adventures. And we began roaming through his neighborhood and then the neighboring neighborhood and then the neighborhood next to that.

And at some point we found ourselves in a dark culvert that ran under the road. And so we were walking through this long, dark tunnel. I can still picture it. It was square-shaped culvert and it was long, and although it was in the middle of the day, it was very dark in this culvert. And it had recently rained. And so at the end, the other end of this culvert was a large puddle of water. But in the darkness of that culvert, to our juvenile minds, that puddle, which was really just a thin layer of water, looked like forevermore that that culvert just dropped off into a huge chasm. The song that Sean just led talked about that chasm wide and the faith that we need. And I can remember us looking at that and wanting to go through that culvert, but we were scared.

And so we turned around and went out of the culvert the same way we came in. And we went and we found a couple long sticks. And we went back into that culvert. And we approached that deep chasm lake water where that culvert dropped off into an abyss of about two inches of water. And I can remember Steve and I taking little steps and poking the ground with that stick. And then we take another step and poke the ground to make sure that it was solid. And we walked across that chasm of two inches of water one step at a time, poking that stick into the ground to make sure that although it looked like there wasn’t sure footing there, there actually was.

And they’re filled with doubt and uncertainty. And we want to either turn around and leave, or we want that stick as some kind of crutch, as some kind of help to get us through those dark and uncertain times of life. And each step we take, if God is with us, if we’re walking by faith, we can get through those uncertain and dark times of life. And so that faith becomes that stick that we can rely upon, that we can lean on in those dark and uncertain times. And so I want to talk to you this morning on the very important subject of faith. And we’re going to do this really in line with our theme. You know that our annual theme this year is how firm a foundation.

We want to make sure that we do what Jesus called upon us to do there in the Sermon on the Mount to build our lives upon the rock, to build our lives upon that firm and sure foundation, and then to grow and to expand beyond that. In the first quarter, we talked about Jesus Christ as that foundation, or in other places, He’s called that chief cornerstone. And so in the first three months of this year, we highlighted Jesus Christ and not just our relationship to Him, but our lives, our hope and our faith being built upon Him. But as we transition now into quarter two, the sub-theme for this quarter is the foundation of our faith. We’re going to talk about some foundational facts, some foundational basis for our faith.

And so we’ll make no apologies, but many of our lessons this quarter are going to be very basic. We’re going to go back to the basics, back to the elementary principles of the gospel. And again, we don’t apologize for that because it needs to be done. There are new Christians who need to hear these principles that maybe you’ve heard over and over again. And even for seasoned Christians, you need to be reminded of that foundation. Because a foundation is not just important that it be built upon initially, but we need to maintain that foundation. And we need to make sure that we’re still building upon that good and that sure foundation. And there is nothing more foundational to our relationship to God, to our response to God, than faith.

1. The Faith: That in Which We Have Faith

Faith is the very foundation, the bedrock of our response and our relationship to God. And as you traverse those dark and uncertain and maybe fearful times and passages in life, it’ll be faith that will get you safely through. And so let’s talk about faith this morning in that very foundational way. Let’s talk first of all about how faith is used in Scripture. The word faith is used at least in three different senses that are all interconnected in Scripture. One way that the word faith is used is usually with the word the in front of it. The faith is the basis, it’s the object of our faith. Turn with me, if you will, in the New Testament to Jude. There’s only one chapter or maybe another way of saying it, no chapters in Jude.

And so let’s just look at that short book, Jude. And notice in verse 3, Jude 3. He says, Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you to exhort you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. If we read that too fast, we might think Jude was saying, you need to contend for your faith. And that would be something worth fighting for. But that’s not really what he says. He says, contend for the faith which was once for all. He’s talking about the Word of God, that in which we have faith in. The word faith is used in that almost secondary objective sense rather than the faith that we have, that in which we have faith.

We use language like that sometimes. We normally speak of love as a verb of something that we do towards someone else. But you might sometimes refer to the object and say, My love.

She is my love. She’s the object of my love. Look with me also at that usage in the book of Galatians, Galatians chapter 3. And in verse 23, Galatians 3, verse 23, the contrast between the old and the new is revealed in this verse when it says, but before faith came.

2. Our Belief and Trust in God

The contrast between the law, that old system, and the faith, the system of faith, which is this new system. And so sometimes in Scripture, the word faith is used to refer to that in which we have faith, the word of God, and particularly in these contexts, into that new system, the new covenant, the new testament. But the most common usage of the word faith has to do with not the object in which we have our trust, our faith, but our response to it, our belief and trust in something. And in this context, it’s our belief and our trust in God. This is the way that we normally use and think of this word. Look with me in the book of Romans, chapter 3. Romans chapter 3.

In verses 27 and 28, the contrast is still there. Where is the boasting then? Romans 3, 27. It’s excluded. By what law? Of works? No, by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. The contrast between the old system, you were justified under that old system by the deeds of the law, by keeping that law, by perfect obedience. You’re justified under this new system by your faith, your belief and your trust in God. Again, that’s the most common usage of that word in the New Testament and the way that we most often use that word. But then there’s a third sense in which the word is used in the New Testament. Go with me to Romans chapter 14.

3. Our Belief and Trust in Just Something

Because sometimes the word faith isn’t talking about necessarily our belief and trust in God, but our belief and trust in just something.

And that’s how it’s used in this unusual usage in Romans chapter 14. Let’s look at a couple verses there. Romans chapter 14, verse 5 says, first of all, one person esteems one day above another. Another esteems every day alike. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. And so what the writer, the Apostle Paul here is speaking of, is something that’s not revealed in the faith. Something’s not necessarily talking about our belief in God or even what God has said, but in those things that really haven’t been revealed. And so one person esteems one day, another esteems another day. But he says, be fully convinced in your own mind. So we’re talking about the idea of your conscience, your personal belief. Skip down the same chapter, Romans 14, now in verse 21.

You’re going to talk about the eating of meats. Verse 21 says, it is good neither to eat meat or drink wine or do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Now let’s pause here. Taken out of context, that’s a very strange and even contradictory statement. Do you have faith? Keep it to yourself before God. Where else in Scripture does it say we’re supposed to keep our faith private? That we’re not supposed to share. We’re not supposed to evangelize. Well, here he’s not using the word faith in that truest sense, in the second sense that we talked about, is our confidence, our belief in God. He’s talking about your own personal beliefs.

You believe, let’s say, that you shouldn’t eat meat. Here’s another fellow on the other side of the auditorium who believes it’s okay to eat meat. That’s the faith that he’s talking about here. Keep reading. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith. For whatever is not from faith is sin. Now he’s established in this whole chapter that the eating of meats, the not eating of meats, observing a day, not observing a day is not from the faith. God has not said, here’s the way you need to do it, because if he did, then that would have settled the matter.

And he’s not even talking about that in the sense of our response to the word of God. But he’s talking about your own personal conviction, your own personal conscience, that that’s you believe that you shouldn’t eat meats. You believe you should eat meat. Now, where’s that in scripture? It’s not. So it’s not that classic faith that we might talk about, but it’s still a belief that you have. And so those are the three senses in which the word faith is used in the New Testament. We’re talking primarily of that second sense of our response to God. And so when we come to understanding faith, we need to start here. Scripture is clear that faith is the bedrock of our response to God. Even a casual reading of Scripture leads us to that conclusion.

4. Faith Is the Acceptance of Certain Facts

Just the repetition of the word faith. How many times? I don’t know that. I haven’t taken the time to count it. How many times is the word faith or believe or trust in both Old and New Testament? It’s on every page. Faith. In fact, what does the Hebrew writer say in that chapter of faith in Hebrews chapter 11 in verse 6? Without faith, without faith, it’s impossible to be well pleasing unto God. If there’s not a statement that says how important faith is, I don’t know what does. Without it, it’s impossible. You cannot please God. You cannot even approach God without faith. That’s how essential and fundamental it is. And so let’s talk about what faith is, that true faith or trust that we have in God.

The first thing it is, it’s just the acceptance of certain facts. It’s just believing. We know the passage. In fact, I want to ask you to turn to James 2 and maybe put your finger or a bookmark there because we’ll be coming back to it. But you remember in James chapter 2, what James is talking about is contrasting acceptable and unacceptable faith. At first glance we might think, now, wait a minute, faith is so important. How can faith be unacceptable? Well, James is going to tell us that faith can be unacceptable when it’s not enough. When it doesn’t take it to its normal and natural conclusion. And we’ll talk about that more on our third point about understanding faith. But notice what he says in James chapter 2 about somebody who says, I believe, but just stops there.

They’re all talk and no action. He says this in James 2, verse 19. You believe that there is one God. Let’s pause there. You believe there is one. You accept the fact that there is a God in heaven. You accept the fact that he is the only God, that these others, particularly in the first century, these other so-called gods aren’t real, don’t exist, and are not worthy of our attention. You believe that there is one God. You accept that fact. Notice what he says about that. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. We could go back to numerous accounts in the gospel stories of those being demon possessed and the demons’ response. Many times their response was of faith. What have we to do with you, Lord?

They understood that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. The demons and their leader, Satan, believes that there is one God in heaven. According to the book of Job and other passages, he’s been there. He’s been in the very presence of God. He believes.

Doesn’t mean, and that’s what he goes on to say, doesn’t mean that we necessarily like those facts, that we agree with those facts. I don’t know if you’re a sports fan, but last night, University of Alabama was in the final four basketball tournament. First time in school history. That’s the good news. The bad news is last night they had to play Yukon. And I watched that game. And I believe that Yukon beat us. Do I like that? No. Is that the way I wanted it? No. Is that the way I wished it would work out? If I had control over the back. No, but I accept that fact. That’s the idea of just accepting the fact the demons believe and shudder. So that’s that really the most basic elementary part of faith.

5. Faith Becomes Trust in the Person

But then we recognize that Scripture in that very passage tells us, but that’s that’s good. But there needs to be a step beyond that. And the step beyond that is this is that it is becomes trust. Trust not in the promise itself, but trust in the person. And it’s key that we understand that this is the foundational aspect of this foundational response to God is that true faith involves trust. Absolute and complete trust. Again, if you would hold your finger there in James 2 and go back, it’s just a couple pages to Hebrews 11. Back to that chapter of faith that we referenced earlier in our discussions this morning. And notice how it says this. Notice the examples of faith. We have in James an example of unacceptable faith.

The demons believe and shudder. Here in Hebrews chapter 11, we have numerous examples of acceptable faith. One being, of course, Abraham. Notice what it says. Hebrews 11, verse 8, by faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called out to go to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise, as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Faith means trust. God appeared to Abraham, and Abraham said, Abraham was told, go where we go in God. I’ll tell you that later. That was trust.

A level of trust in that particular scenario that maybe we’re not familiar with. I’ll tell you a story about when we were living in the Birmingham area. One of our elders was Brother Albert Howe. I love Brother Hal. Brother and Sister Hal were so sweet and good to us. But every once in a while, Brother Howe was retired, and every once in a while the phone would ring, usually on a Friday, and Brother Howe would say, Ken, he says, We’re getting in the car and we’re going somewhere. We won’t be there Sunday.

In fact, I’ve questioned him in great doubt. Now, Brother Hal, you know. And you get to the end of the driveway, you know you’re going left or right. No, I don’t. When you get out on the highway, you know whether you’re going north or south. No, we really don’t. God said, Abraham, go. Didn’t know where he was going. I’m going to tell you if I go somewhere, I may enjoy seeing where I go in person, but I’ve already seen it. Because I’ve Googled images of that place. Everywhere. I know what the parking lot at the Motel 6 is going to look like where I’m staying. Because I pulled that up on Google Map images, and I’ve seen. But Abraham had no concept of these places to where he was.

Talk about trust. Read a little bit later in that chapter. You think that journey was a journey of trust. Look in chapter 11, Hebrews 11 verse 17. And the trust that was involved here. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 17, by faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. And he had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, in Isaac, your seed shall be called. Concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. This time he said, Abraham, go, but take your son with you and offer him up. That’s trust. And what God is telling us in these stories is that that’s what he wants in us.

Does he want us to believe that he exists? Absolutely. Does he want us to believe that these are his words? Yes. Does he want us to believe that Jesus is his son and shed his blood for the he wants us to accept all of those facts. But he wants us to have so much trust in him, that even when he tells us to do the unthinkable, and even when I cannot understand why and where and how, that I’ll still go. You know, there’s one thing interesting in the stories of Abraham, particularly there when he told Abraham to go and offer his son. I don’t know if this is just coincidence or just the personality of Abraham, but I like to think it’s more. That it says after God gave him command, it then says Abraham arose early in the morning and took Isaac.

6. If We Really Trust, Then We’re Going to Obey

That’s trust. No delay, not putting it off first thing in the morning. I’m going to do what God said. That’s faith. But then Scripture would have us to know that to understand faith, that if we truly, and this just follows naturally, doesn’t it, or it should, that if we really trust, then we’re going to obey. That we’re going to act upon that trust and do what we’ve been told. Go back with me to James chapter 2. And let’s start in verse 14. What does it profit, my brethren? If someone says he has faith but does not have works, can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

Let’s pause again. That’s not a passage really telling us to take care of the poor. There’s a lot of passages in the scriptures that tell us that. That’s an illustration. And what he’s saying is, you imagine you go to somebody, and this is maybe a hard concept for us to wrap our minds around because in our affluent time in society, we’ve probably never in our country at least, met somebody who was truly destitute. Truly hunger. I know I’ve never been there. But imagine being to somebody who’s really, really they haven’t eaten for days and have no prospect of any future food.

And you tell that person, be warmed and filled. You say good things, but then you leave, and you didn’t give him money for dinner, you didn’t bring any of that food from home that he could eat. Did you really do him any good? With those sweet words. You said the right thing. That’s better than saying, I hope you starved to death. Be warmed and filled, but you didn’t really do anything, did you? That’s his point. If you say you have faith, and you don’t actually act upon that, did you really trust God, first of all? If you weren’t willing to do what he said? And then that didn’t do any, didn’t do God any more good than you saying, be warmed and filled, to that hungry person did.

And so that’s not the way faith works, James says. Verse 17, thus faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I’ll show you by faith by my works. You believe there is one God. You do well, even the demons believe and tremble. But do you know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works? And by works faith was made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled which says Abraham believed God. It was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.

Conclusion

You see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only. There is no contradiction between the statements of James and the statements of Paul that says we are justified by faith, not by works. Abraham was not justified by the actions that he performed. They did not earn his trophy. They did not earn his place into heaven. But what they did is that they demonstrated his faith, his trust in God. Do you believe in God? That means you’ll put your whole life in his hands. And whatever he says, that’s faith. Whatever he says, you’ll get up first thing in the morning and do that. The bedrock of faith. There are going to be times in which life will take you into that dark culvert.

And you won’t be sure of what’s ahead. But faith in a person, not a thing, not a promise, but faith in God will be the only thing that gets you through. Do you have that faith? Will you act upon that faith this morning? The first thing this morning. Act upon that faith and be obedient to the gospel. And if we can help you as you put and demonstrate your faith in God, then let it be known right now, as together we stand and as we sing.