FAITH OF ABRAHAM
(Transcribed Message)

Sunday Morning:  January 27, 2002

Text: Hebrews 11:8  "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

FAITH DEFINED

Hebrews 11:1  "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for (the promise), the evidence of things not seen (that the promise is real)."

BY IT WE PLEASE GOD

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."

STOP PLEASING GOD

1 Timothy 4:1  "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;"

NOT UNDER LAW BUT GRACE

Romans 6:14  "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace."

WHEN ARE WE UNDER GRACE?

Galatians 5:18  "But if ye be led of the Spirit [of sonship, Abba, Father], ye are not under the law."

BEFORE FAITH, LAW

Galatians 3:23  "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed."

EMPTY

1 Corinthians 15:14  "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."

USELESS

1 Corinthians 15:17  "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins."

DEED OF THE LAW ALONE

Romans 3:20  "Therefore by the deeds of the law (alone) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

IN ADDITION TO MORAL LAW

Romans 3:21  "But now the righteousness of God without [in addition to] the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;"

JUST LIVE BY FAITH

Romans 3:28  "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without [in addition to] the deeds of the law."

IN ADDITION TO WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Matthew 14:21  "And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside [in addition to] women and children."

IN ADDITION TO EXTERNALS

2 Corinthians 11:28  "Beside [in addition to] those things that are without [external], that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

THE JUST LIVE BY FAITH

Hebrews 10:38  "Now the just shall live by faith:. . . ."

THE JUST

Luke 1:6  "And they were both righteous [just] before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless."

NOT THE ORDINANCES

Ephesians 2:15  "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; . . ."

ABRAHAM, BE JUST

Genesis 17:1  ". . . the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect [without blemish, ceremonially clean]."

 

WITHOUT BLEMISH

Exodus 12:5  "Your lamb shall be without blemish (just), a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:"

MORAL LAW

1 Timothy 1:9  "Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous [just] man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners,. . ."

CIRCUMCISION

Genesis 17:10  "This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised."

THE SIGN AND THE SEAL

Romans 4:11  "And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe [present active participle], though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:" (they may stop believing)

ABRAHAM HATH FOUND

Romans 4:1-5  "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

NOT WORKS ALONE

2. For if Abraham were justified by works (without faith), he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

NOT FAITH ALONE

James 2:17  "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD

3. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it (faith) was counted [reckoned] unto him for righteousness.

FAITH RECKONED

Romans 4:9  ". . . for we say that faith was reckoned [counted] to Abraham for righteousness."

UNDER MELCHIZEDEK

Genesis 14:18-19  "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:"

GOD RAISED UP JESUS

Acts 13:32-33  "And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33. God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." (Hebrews 5:5,6)

REWARD

Genesis 15:1  "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward."

THE PROMISE

Genesis 15:5  "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be."

REWARD AND HIS SEED

Genesis 15:6  "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

REWARD

4. Now to him that worketh (present middle participle, worketh for himself) is the reward not reckoned [imputed] of grace, but of debt.

GRACE BY FAITH

Romans 5:2  "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

 

FAITH IS RECKONED

5. But to him that worketh [present middle participle, worketh for himself] not, but believeth [present active participle] on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith (faith = believe in the present tense) is counted [faith is reckoned not righteousness here] for righteousness."

THE WORK OF GOD

John 6:29  "Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe [present active] on him whom he hath sent."

THE PURPOSE OF FAITH THE PROMISE

Hebrews 11:39-40  "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise (hoped for): 40. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect."

THE PROMISE DEFINED

1 John 2:25  "And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal [agelasting] life [in the kingdom of heaven]."

ABRAHAM

Hebrews 6:15  "And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise."

AGELASTING INHERITANCE

Hebrews 9:15  "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal [agelasting] inheritance."

UNJUST SHALL NOT INHERIT

1 Corinthians 6:9  "Know ye not that the unrighteous [unjust] shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"

THE PROMISE

Romans 4:13-14  "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:"

THE PROMISE BY FAITH

Galatians 3:14  "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

NOT UNDER THE LAW

Galatians 3:17-18  "And this I say, that the covenant , that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise (agelasting life) of none effect. 18. For if the inheritance (agelasting life) be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it (agelasting life) to Abraham by promise."

TO THEM THAT BELIEVE

Galatians 3:22  "But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might (because they may stop believing) be given to them that believe [present active participle]."