Sermon #59 Hebrews Notes

Title: “These All Died in Faith.”

Text: Hebrews 11:13-16

Readings: Bob Poncer & Bob Duff

Subject: Perseverance in Faith

Date: Tuesday Evening – July 9, 2001

Tape # W-51a

Introduction:

Four times in Holy Scripture, we read, “The just shall live by faith.” Our faith in Christ is as is as essential to our salvation as his death for us. Our faith in God is as necessary to the salvation of our souls as God’s election of us unto salvation. Our believing by the Spirit is just as necessary to our everlasting salvation in Christ as our being born of the Spirit. Faith is not our Savior. Christ alone is our Savior; but we can no more be saved without faith in Christ than we could live without breathing. “The just shall live by faith.”

[Habakkuk 2:4] "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith."

[Romans 1:17] "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

[Galatians 3:11] "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."

[Hebrews 10:38] "Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him."

Be sure you understand the doctrine of Holy Scripture. – You must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. -- “He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son of God shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” But faith in Christ is much more than most people imagine. Most vainly imagine that since they decided to believe in Jesus, since they believed in him (yesterday, this morning, or 30 years ago) they are saved forever.

Illustration: “Teacher, Do you reckon Adolph Hitler might be in heaven?” – “We can only hope he was saved when he was a little boy!” – What utter nonsense!

The Scriptures never say, “The just shall live because he made a decision for Jesus when he was a little boy! The testimony of Holy Scripture is this: -- “The just shall live by faith!”

Proposition: All who live by faith shall die in faith.

[Job 17:9] "The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger."

[Psalms 138:8] "The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands."

[Isaiah 46:4] "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."

[Jeremiah 32:40] "And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me."

· The house built on the Rock shall not fall.

· Those to whom Christ gives eternal life shall never perish.

· The gifts and callings of God are without repentance.

· The sons of Jacob shall never die, because our God cannot and does not change.

· The seal of God’s Spirit cannot be broken

· The merit of Christ’s blood can never be made of non-effect.

· The power of God’s grace can never be broken.

· The purpose of God’s love can never be overturned.

I want you to hold your Bible open on your lap and follow me through these four verses of Holy Scripture (Heb. 11:13-16), as I show you the things herein revealed about all God’s elect in this world.

[Hebrews 11:13-16] "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. [14] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. [15] And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. [16] But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

I. Who are these of whom the Apostle says, “These all died in faith”?

Perhaps he is speaking only of those believers who lived after the flood and before the giving of the law, of those who lived in the patriarchal age (Abraham, Sarah, and their immediate descendants). But I think that places a limitation on the text that is unnecessary. The words “these all” refer to all who have been mentioned as examples of faith.[1]

A. The faith in which all these believers died is that faith defined in verses 1-3.

[Hebrews 11:1-3] "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [2] For by it the elders obtained a good report. [3] 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."

· That faith which is the substance of our hope. – The revelation of the Gospel!

· That faith which is the evidence of our salvation. – Faith in Christ, the evidence of election, redemption, and calling.

· That faith which gives an us understanding of all things spiritual.

[Proverbs 28:5] "Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things."

[1 Corinthians 2:12] "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."

[1 Corinthians 2:14-15] "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man."

B. Abel died in faith. – Though he was murdered by his own brother, he died believing God (v. 4).

It does not matter how I die, when I die, or where I die, so long as I die in Christ, so long as I die believing God. It is written, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

This faith in which Abel died is that faith by which he received witness that he was righteous. His faith did not make him righteous. Christ alone has made us righteous. By faith receive the witness of God the Holy Spirit that we are righteous (Rom. 4:25-5:2; 5:10-11).

[Romans 4:25] "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

[Romans 5:1-2] "Therefore being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: [2] By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

[Romans 5:10-11] "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. [11] And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."

C. Can Enoch be included among these all who died in faith? – I am sure that he can. Enoch died in the same sense that all believers do (v. 5). It is true, he did not see death; but none of God’s elect ever die. We simply depart from this life into glory (John 11:25-26).

[John 11:25-26] "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: [26] And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

· Like Enoch, we walk with God by faith.

· Like Enoch, we have testimony that we please God by faith.

[Hebrews 11:6] "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."

· Like Enoch, if we believe God, we shall soon be translated into heaven. – Being absent from the body, we shall be present with the Lord. -- Yes, our bodies shall die, unless the Lord Jesus comes again beforehand; but we shall not die.

D. Abraham and Sarah, and Isaac and Jacob, also died in faith. – They died as believers, expecting the fulfilment of God’s promises.

“These all died in faith.” Because they were born of God, they believed God. Because they believed God, they died as they lived, “in faith”. Now, look at what the Holy Spirit tells us about all who lived by faith and died in faith. That which is true of these is true of all who live by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

II. What did these people do of whom the Holy Spirit tells us, -- “These all died in faith”?

First, the apostle tells us what they did not do. They “died in faith, not having received the promises.” They had not yet received the promised blessings of their inheritance in Canaan. They had received and believed God’s word of promise; but they had not yet received the fulfilment of the promises God made to Abraham. In a word, they had not yet seen Christ and the accomplishment of redemption by him. They lived by faith, just like you and I do. They had the Word of God and promise of God just like we do. They had it in part. We have it in its fulness. But they had the same word we have; and they believed it just like we believe it. They received it by faith.

Without question, faith is the gift of God; but we must never look upon faith as a speculative thing. Faith is not an inactive fact, or a mere intellectual acquirement. True faith is always a living principle. It is an active grace, doing and experiencing the very things here declared.

A. They saw God’s promises afar off. – They saw, by divine revelation, that the Lord God would, at some point in the future, send Abraham’s Seed, the Lord Jesus Christ and all the blessings of grace and glory by him. The Lord God gave them a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and an understanding heart. The eyes of their understanding had been enlightened (Eph. 1:18). Like Abraham, these all saw Christ’s day and rejoiced.

B. They were persuaded of them. – They set to their seal that God is true (John 3:33). These chosen, redeemed, called sinners, believing God, had that confidence in their souls that only God given faith can give. The believer is persuaded, confident, assured of some things, the believer knows some things others can never know in this world, because we know that God is true.

· We know that Jesus is the Christ.

· We know the Shepherd’s voice.

· We know that we know him.

· We know that we have passed from death unto life.

· We know whom we have believed.

· We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are the called, according to his purpose.

· We know that when our earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

· We know that when we see him we shall be like him.

C. Seeing God’s promises afar off, being persuaded of them, they embraced them. – Faith received. The understanding was persuaded. And the heart loved the revelation of God in the Gospel.

[Psalms 119:14] "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches."

[2 Corinthians 4:17-18] "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

[2 Corinthians 5:1] "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

I really like the way John Trapp explained this. Trapp said, “They kissed Christ in the promises and were kissed by him in them, being drawn together by mutual dear affection.”

D. "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." – The blessings promised were the objects of their confident hope, joyful expectation, and invigorating affection. Therefore, they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on earth.

Abraham sought no inheritance here, but only a place to bury his wife and himself. Jacob made the same confession to Pharaoh (Gen. 47:9). But the confession went far beyond the earthly inheritance in Canaan. We know that because David made the same confession long after that earthly inheritance had been obtained.

[Psalms 39:12] "Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were."

[Psalms 119:19] "I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me."

[1 Chronicles 29:15] "For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding."

· We are strangers, because our home is in another country.

· We are pilgrims because we are simply passing through this strange land on our journey home.

[Philippians 3:20-21] "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: [21] Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."

[Colossians 3:1-3] "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

A.W. Pink wrote, “The figure of the ‘stranger’ applied to the child of God here on earth, is very pertinent and full. The analogies between one who is in a foreign country and the Christian in this world, are marked and numerous.

· In a strange land one is not appreciated for his birth, but is avoided: John 15:19.

· The habits, ways, language are strange to him: 1 Peter 4:4.

· He has to be content with a stranger’s fare: 1 Timothy 6:8.

· He needs to be careful not to give offense to the government: Colossians 4:5.

· He has to continually enquire his way: Psalm 5:8.

· Unless he conforms to the ways of that foreign country, he is easily identified: Matthew 26:73.

· He is often assailed with homesickness, for his heart is not where his body is: Philippians 1:23.”

Now read the next verse. Here the Holy Spirit draws his own conclusion to this confession. -- "For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country" (v. 14). The word translated “country” would be better translated “Fatherland.” Heaven is our Fatherland, the land where our Father dwells, the land he possesses as his own and for his children. The Fatherland is the land where the children want to live, have a right to live, and seek to live.

III. Because they were strangers and pilgrims in the earth, they chose not to go back to Chaldea (v. 15).

[Hebrews 11:15] "And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned."

Chaldea, the land from which they had come was never very far away. There were no obstacles to prevent them from returning. But they were never disposed to return. Abraham made his servant take an oath, swearing that he would do nothing to induce Isaac to return to that pagan land. Though Jacob did once sojourn there, he did not and could not stay. His God would not allow it. Why? Because they look for their happiness and satisfaction somewhere else.

[John 6:65-69] "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. [66] From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [67] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? [68] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. [69] And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

IV. What do these things tell us about God’s people in this world?

[Hebrews 11:16] "But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city."

A. All who know God, all who live by faith desire, yearn for, and pant after a better country, a heavenly country. – We long for a country where everything is better! A heavenly country!

B. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city. – Here is the inconceivable greatness and glory of our Fatherland.

· It is a land prepared specifically for us, the people of God’s peculiar love.

· In preparing this land for us and bringing us home to it, the Lord God fully answers all the hopes, expectations and desires that are aroused in our hearts and minds by him calling himself our God and us his people.

· When we are at last brought home to glory, we will, beholding that which we now only see afar off, say, “Now I understand what he meant when he said, ‘I will be their God, and they shall be my people!”

TRAVELING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY

Almost every year I travel to a foreign country preaching the gospel of Christ. I have crossed the borders of our nation north, south, east, and west. Whenever you leave this country and cross into another, three things are required.

(1) You must have a birth certificate to prove your citizenship.

(2) You must have a visa from the country receiving you.

(3) You must have a clean record, no criminal record.

Soon I will leave this land of sorrow and sin. I hope to enter into the bliss and glory of heaven. I hope to stand forever accepted as a citizen of the New Jerusalem. Here is the basis of my hope.

A BIRTH CERTIFICATE - The Lord God has given me a new nature (2 Cor. 5:17). There is in me a new man, created of God in righteousness and true holiness.

A VISA - I Have a right to enter into heaven itself by the blood of Christ, because I am robed in his righteousness. God says, "It must be perfect to be accepted," and in Christ I am perfect! He has made me perfectly righteous before God!

A CLEAR RECORD - Jesus Christ has purged away all my sins with his own precious blood. Therefore God will never charge me with any sin (Rom. 4:8). When I stand before God and he searches the books for iniquity and sin under my name, he will find none (Jer. 50:20). DO YOU HAVE WHAT GOD REQUIRES?

---

[1] In fact, I see no reason why we should not to apply this to all who are mentioned in the entire chapter. It is certainly true of them all and of all believers.