Do You Have Faith?

Speaker: Dennis Gruening
Date: May 9th, 2004, Sunday Morning Worship Service
Main Scripture References: Hebrews 11:1-6; 2 Peter 1:2-11; Hebrews 11:1-6

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things

which are seen were not made of things which are visible.  4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.  5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

To begin our lesson, I’d like to ask you a question: Do You Have Faith?

Upon the foundation of faith is based all of the spiritual growth which God requires of us as Christians. In writing about the things that we must add to our Christian character, the apostle Peter said in 2 Peter 1, verses 5 through 11, that the reason for this growth is the goal of obtaining grace and peace in the knowledge of God, and Jesus our Lord.

He also said that is through divinely imparted knowledge that we have all things that pertain to life and godliness, and that it’s through this knowledge—which is gained, by the way, through Bible study—that we might obtain those precious promises of God, 2 Peter 1, verses 2 through 4.

[“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord , 3 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises : that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence , add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:2-11.]

In verse 5, Peter begins a list of the qualities we must add to our Christian character. And the first thing that he mentions is “diligence.” This word, “diligence,” as it’s translated in the King James Version, comes from a Greek word which is the primary meaning of “making haste.” When one is diligent, it’s because there is a purpose, a reason for haste, a goal in which time is of the essence, and we realize that there is indeed a reason for haste, a reason for diligence. God will not wait forever to judge the world, and since we don’t know when that Day of Judgment might be, we must hasten to come to that quality of Christian faith so that we might be found in peace, without spot, and blameless in His sight, 2 Peter 3, verse 14 [“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent [make haste; hasten] that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.”].

Diligence , then, is that quality of action which ensures that the Christian will be found righteous in God’s sight. The way to achieve that righteousness is through sincere, daily study of God’s Word. With the sure knowledge in our minds and in our hearts of our limited time upon the earth, we don’t have all the time in the world to grow as God’s children. So, we must hasten. We must study His Word diligently.

In the passage of Scripture that was read to us this morning [Hebrews 11:1-6], the Hebrew writer has supplied us with an eloquent definition of Christian faith. First of all, let’s look at the result of both proper and improper faith described in chapter 11, verses 4 and 5 [“ 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” ].

First mentioned here is Abel. Because he had the proper faith, he “offered to God a more excellent sacrifice” than that which was offered by his brother, Cain. His offering of that better sacrifice to God was a result of his faith, which demonstrated his obedience to God. In this story of the offerings of Cain and Abel found in Genesis 4, verses 3 through 7, there’s no directly stated explanation or reason as to why Cain’s offering was not acceptable to God, but we can assume that God had commanded them to make their offerings in a certain way, containing specifics in terms of what was to be offered and how it was to be offered. Abel demonstrated a proper godly faith by doing exactly what God had commanded him to do. But, apparently, Cain did not demonstrate a like faith in God, because he was not obedient to what God had commanded.