First Principles

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First Principles
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Lesson 4
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Lesson TextHebrews 111-4
Hebrews 111-21 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.
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Lesson TextHebrews 111-4
Hebrews 1133 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.
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Lesson TextHebrews 111-4
Hebrews 1144 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.
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Lesson TextHebrews 115-6
Hebrews 1155 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.
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Lesson TextHebrews 115-6
Hebrews 1166 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 re-warder of
them that diligently seek him.
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Focus VerseHebrews 116
Hebrews 116 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.
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Focus Thought
Giants of the Lords church are recognized not by
physical size or intellectual superiority, but by
their unwavering faith in God.
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Culture Connection
Culture Connection
Is It All In Your Head?
Has anyone ever said to you, Its all in your
head? They were suggesting that you were
imagining things or conjuring up an idea in your
mind.
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Culture Connection
One thing is certain about imagination salvation
is not all in your head. In other words, faith,
which is necessary for salvation, is not mere
mental assent. There are people who believe
salvation is by faith alone. By this they mean
there is absolutely nothing we can do or need to
do in the process of salvation and that salvation
is completely action-free on our part.
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Culture Connection
But Peter said, Save yourselves from this
untoward generation (Acts 240). There are no
actions or works we can do to earn or merit
salvation, and only the redemptive work of Jesus
Christ on the cross can save us. However, His
redemptive work requires action on our part that
action is faith.
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Culture Connection
Without faith it is impossible to please God.
Faith in the work of Christ on the cross is the
only thing that can open the door to receiving
His redemptive work in our lives.
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Culture Connection
Many people have compared faith in God to faith
in electricity. I know electricity is available
in my home, and I know that all I need to do to
have light is to flip a switch. I can mentally
assert those principles to be true all night and
never have a glimpse of light if I do not
exercise my faith. Its not all in my head I
have to act on what I know to be true.
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Contemplating The Topic
Contemplating The Topic
There is nothing more basic to salvation than
faith. Because it is so basic to salvation, many
mistakenly feel that all a person has to do to be
saved is to believe. It is true that no one can
be saved without faith, but faith alone cannot
save anyone. James asked in his epistle Can
faith save him? (James 214). The answer is no,
for James continued, Faith without works is
dead (James 220). James understood that faith
without works was no faith at all.
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Contemplating The Topic
In this lesson we will consider the importance of
faith. We will see that it is impossible to
please God without faith. Studying the nature of
faith, we will define faith at its various
levels. On the practical side we will discuss how
obedience and worship demonstrate faith. In
studying what faith does, we will focus on five
verbs pleases, saves, sanctifies, overcomes, and
defeats.
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Contemplating The Topic
Last of all, we will consider who has faith and
how an individual obtains faith. Why do some
people have faith, even a lot of faith, and
others have little or no faith? These are some of
the questions we will consider in this lesson.
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I. Nature of Faith
Searching The Scriptures
I. Nature of Faith
A Faith Defined
Hebrews 111 provides a commonly referenced
scriptural definition of faith. However, some
Christians have found it difficult to fully
understand the ideas of that definition. Perhaps
the following would provide a simpler definition
faith is accepting as true what God has said in
His Word is true.
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I. Nature of Faith
If faith were a concrete entity, it would be much
easier to isolate and define. Being abstract
makes faith more challenging to define. For
example, if faith were a feather, we could not
only see it, but we also could touch it, take a
picture of it, and do the many other things that
one can do with something concrete. But faith is
something that one cannot see or touch.
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I. Nature of Faith
In an age of doubt when some people are
questioning and rejecting even the absolutes of
yesterday, it is vital to our spiritual existence
not only to be aware of the viability of faith,
but also to possess it. Many people do not have
faith and cannot even understand its reality.
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Transparency 1
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I. Nature of Faith
Faith is not a positive mental attitude that so
many self-help gurus talk about. It may involve a
positive mental attitude, but faith is much more
than that. It is the evidence of things not
seen (Hebrews 111).
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I. Nature of Faith
Since evidence and substance are similar, we can
explain the phrase the evidence of things not
seen in a way similar to the phrase the
substance of things hoped for. When a person
believes, the substance, or what he sees with the
eyes of faith, becomes the evidence, or proof of
the object of faith.
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I. Nature of Faith
When a person has faith, he not only envisions
his answer, he begins to rejoice over his answer.
This rejoicing is similar to what Jesus commanded
in Matthew 512 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad
for great is your reward in heaven. Jesus told
the disciples to rejoice over something they had
not yet experiencedsomething still in the
future. Yet when faith is authentic, there can be
rejoicing over the outcome as though it had
already happened. The rejoicing is the
evidence of things not seen.
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I. Nature of Faith
Faith means not only complete trust, confidence,
and strong belief, but also a system of
religious belief. Faith as a system of religious
belief is singular in number, for there is only
one God (I Timothy 25), one church, and one
faith. Paul wrote, One Lord, one faith, one
baptism (Ephesians 45).
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I. Nature of Faith
Referring to this one faith, Jude said in verse
3, Earnestly contend for the faith which was
once delivered unto the saints. He referred to a
single faith, not multiple faiths. We are to
earnestly contend for the faith the early church
embraced.
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Ephesians 616
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of
the wicked (Ephesians 616).
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I. Nature of Faith
A shield is a protective barrier or screen.
When we hear the word shield, we often think of a
piece of metal held by an ancient warrior in
battle to protect him from his enemies. A shield,
simply, is what a person places for protection
between him and danger.
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I. Nature of Faith
We no longer have to avoid physical arrows and
darts, so a physical shield would offer us little
or no protection. But we are subject to the
attacks of Satan who uses fiery darts
(Ephesians 616). Thankfully, the shield of faith
is impenetrable as protection from the attacks of
the enemy of the soul. Satan has no weaponry that
is able to compromise the shield of faith.
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I. Nature of Faith
God had a shield of protection around Job, which
the Bible referred to as a hedge. When reporting
to God, Satan said of Job, Hast not thou made an
hedge about him, and about his house, and about
all that he hath on every side? (Job 110).
Whether one uses the term shield or hedge,
Gods people enjoy protection when they put their
faith in Him.
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Romans 814
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God (Romans 814).
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I. Nature of Faith
Israel enjoyed having a divine escort through
the wilderness from the Red Sea to the Jordan
River. This escort was in the form of a cloud by
day and a pillar of fire by night. Although
Israel had no map of the wilderness and were
following no roads, God guided them physically
through the wilderness all the way to the
Promised Land. We do not have a visible pillar of
cloud or pillar of fire, but we have an unseen
guide that directs our spiritual course as
we traverse this world.
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B. Demonstrations of Faith

1. Demonstrations of Faith

Faith does not cause anyone to be passive.
Conversely, when we believe, faith precipitates
action. This action causes us to obey God. Romans
1626 refers to the obedience of faith. As it
is impossible to love without manifesting that
love, it is impossible to have faith in God
without manifesting that faith through obedience
to Him and His Word.
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
King Saul had to learn the value of obedience the
hard way. Returning from defeating the
Amalekites, the prophet Samuel rebuked him
harshly. Contrary to what God had ordered, Saul
had spared King Agag and the best of the
Amalekites flocks. In Samuels rebuke he said,
To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams (I Samuel 1522).
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
Faith and works, or faith and obedience, are a
tandem. Attempting to separate them is like
trying to separate night and day. As night and
day are necessary parts of a whole, faith and
obedience are Siamese twins of spiritual service.
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
Many are fearful of their works being interpreted
as that to which Paul referred in Ephesians 28-9
and Titus 35. The first reference makes mention
that we are saved by faith, carefully
underscoring that it is not of works. The
second reference states clearly that we are saved
according to His mercy and not by works of
righteousness which we have done.
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
We need to understand that the works referred to
in these two verses refer to works that are prior
to salvation, not works performed by the
redeemed. There is a vast difference. The former
involves individuals attempting to earn or merit
salvation on the basis of their good deeds or
behavior, which is impossible. The latter,
however, refers to believers performing works on
behalf of God that demonstrate their salvation,
or faith.
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Titus 314
And let ours also learn to maintain good works
for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful
(Titus 314).
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Ephesians 210
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians
210).
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
If we do not believe in God, it is obvious that
we will not worship Him. We worship Him because
we have faith in Him, and that faith causes us to
obey Him. As faith and obedience are intricately
connected, so worship also joins together with
faith and obedience.
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
Worship is another natural response to faith. A
person cannot have any measure of faith without
responding to God both in obedience and in
worship. If there is genuine faith, there also
will be worship.
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B. Demonstrations of Faith
Worship is not only a normal response to faith,
but one that God commands. Many Scriptures
command us to worship God. We have no other
choice if we are going to believe Him.
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A. Pleases God
II What Faith Does

1. Pleases God

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 (Hebrews 116).
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A. Pleases God
God wants us to believe Him. We can have no
relationship with Him if we do not believe He
exists. For this reason, faith pleases God. What
pleases God is so different from what pleases
mankind. We often feel pressure to please our
peers. Pleasing peers may mean personal
advancement, but pleasing God means personal
acceptance. To be accepted of God is essential to
salvation.
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Galatians 110
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek
to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should
not be the servant of Christ (Galatians 110).
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A. Pleases God
A person who wants something from God may say,
Please, God. But the way to receive from God is
not through begging, but rather to please God.
Anyone who is a parent can understand this idea.
When a child pleases his parent, that parent is
more inclined to reward the child with the things
he desires.
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A. Pleases God
Faith pleases God, for He wants us to believe the
things He has promised in His Word. Nothing
irritates individuals more than not to be
believed. It makes them feel others view them as
untruthful and untrustworthy. On the other hand,
when we believe God, we are saying, I believe
that You are truthful and trustworthy. Such
faith pleases God.
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B. Saves Individuals

1. Saves Individuals

For by grace are ye saved through faith and
that not of yourselves it is the gift of God
(Ephesians 28).
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B. Saves Individuals
Although John 316 is not the only verse in the
Bible that we must obey to be saved, it is a
wonderful verse that generalizes the basic
requirement of salvation, which is faith. Another
verse that emphasizes the basic requirement of
salvation is Romans 109. This verse adds another
aspect to the basic requirement of salvation. It
reveals we are to confess and believe.
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B. Saves Individuals
Salvation is a process, for Matthew 2413 says,
He that shall endure unto the end, the same
shall be saved. It is not a single act of faith,
but a relationship that begins with faith, which
initiates obedience to the gospel and redemption.
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B. Saves Individuals
Faith is so basic to the salvation process that
one can liken it to the door of salvation. Some
individuals would make the door the equivalent of
the whole house. Rather, faith is the door
through which one must enter the house of
salvation. Otherwise, without faith a person
cannot even get through the door and into the
house.
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C. Sanctifies Believers

1. Sanctifies Believers

And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that
which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith
(Philippians 39).
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C. Sanctifies Believers
Faith accomplishes much more than many people
think. When someone mentions faith, many people
often think of its involvement in divine healing
or miracles. But faith also works in believers to
effect sanctification.
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C. Sanctifies Believers
To sanctify means to make holy, or to set
aside as holy. Philippians 39 reveals we are
sanctified or made righteous by faith. We could
have nothing from God related to salvation apart
from faith. Sanctification is a necessary work of
the grace of God. It is necessary, for we are not
able, with all of our disciplines, to make
ourselves holy.
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C. Sanctifies Believers
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah
646). We must have the righteousness of the Lord
to be a sanctified believer, and this only comes
about by faith.
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D. Overcomes the World

1. Overcomes the World

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith (I John 54).
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D. Overcomes the World
Since the weapons of our warfare are not carnal
(II Corinthians 104), we must fight the wicked
one with spiritual weapons. One of these
spiritual weapons is faith. Let us not feel we
are outmanned and outgunned by the enemy. Our
weapons are mighty through God.
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D. Overcomes the World
Faith overcomes the world because it is the key
that opens Gods arsenal. His arsenal is stocked
with weapons that are far superior to anything
the enemy has. With the Almighty and His arsenal
on our side, there is no reason we should not
overcome the world. Faith not only opens Gods
arsenal, but faith also calls upon the Almighty
to fight for us.
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E. Defeats the Devil

1. Defeats the Devil

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now
is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom
of our God, and the power of his Christ for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which
accused them before our God day and night. And
they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and
by the word of their testimony and they loved
not their lives unto the death (Revelation
1210-11).
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E. Defeats the Devil
From the beginning the devil has been the enemy
of righteousness and everything good. Lucifer,
who became known as Satan and the devil, rebelled
against God, and the Lord expelled him from
Heaven. Satan is the enemy of the soul who
tempted Adam and Eve to sin, which created the
sin problem for the human race.
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E. Defeats the Devil
As promised in Revelation 1210-11, we will
defeat Satan by the blood of the Lamb of God. Our
faith will play a significant role in defeating
Satan. Believers place their faith in the shed
blood of Jesus Christ, and by that blood we will
overcome the wicked one.
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III. How We Get Faith
III How We Get Faith
Since we cannot please God without faith, it is
imperative we know how to obtain faith. In that
we cannot be saved without faith, it must be the
object of our greatest quest. Therefore it is
necessary to know how to get faith.
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A. Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of God

1. Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of God

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by
the word of God(Romans 1017).
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A. Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of God
A primary source of faith is the Word of God.
Hearing the Word of God inspires faith. When we
hear the promises God has made to all who
believe, faith is born in our hearts. When we
hear an account of how God supplied the needs of
His people and fought for them, it generates
faith in us.
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A. Faith Comes By Hearing the Word of God
Gods Word is a past record that becomes our
promise of a future reward. Because it is Gods
Word, it is a true record therefore we can have
faith in its promises.  
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B. Faith Is the Gift of God

1. Faith Is the Gift of God

For by grace are ye saved through faith and
that not of yourselves it is the gift of God
(Ephesians 28).
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Romans 123
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to
every man that is among you, not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to think but
to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to
every man the measure of faith (Romans 123).
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B. Faith Is the Gift of God
Faith is not a natural attribute. It is not a
personality trait. Faith is a gift directly from
God therefore it is a spiritual attribute with
which everyone is born.
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B. Faith Is the Gift of God
So that no one would have an excuse in judgment,
God gives to every person a little bit of faith.
It is not a lot, but it is enough. How could God
have required faith for salvation without first
giving mankind an initial amount of faith?
Simply, God does not require something that is
beyond the reach of mankind.
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B. Faith Is the Gift of God
Salvation depends on what we do with the measure
of faith He has given us. If we do nothing with
it, it will stand to testify against us in
judgment. For with faith we have an entity that
will activate the next step in the process of
establishing a redemptive relationship with the
Lord.
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A. Not All Have Faith
Who Has Faith

1. Not All Have Faith

I tell you that he will avenge them speedily.
Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he
find faith on the earth? (Luke 188).
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II Thessalonians 32
And that we may be delivered from unreasonable
and wicked men for all men have not faith (II
Thessalonians 32).
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A. Not All Have Faith
Although God has dealt to every person the
capacity for faith, not all individuals have
active faith. The reason is that their doubt
cancels their faith. Faith is wonderful and
powerful, but doubt neutralizes faiths
effectiveness. It is possible to have faith and
doubt at the same time. The unnamed father in
Mark 9 who brought his diseased son to Jesus
said, Lord, I believe help thou mine unbelief
(Mark 924).
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A. Not All Have Faith
We should do everything we can to rid our mind of
negative thoughts. These kinds of thoughts
engender doubt. Jesus said in Luke 1229,
Neither be ye of doubtful mind. A doubtful mind
neuters faith and will not let it produce results.
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B. People of God Have Faith

1. People of God Have Faith

The people of God are believers in God, which
reveals they have faith. His people believe His
promises are true. (See II Corinthians 120.)
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B. People of God Have Faith
In Hebrews 112, the writer stated, For by it
faith the elders obtained a good report. This
same chapter records a brief summary of the
exploits of people of God who had faith. We read
of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac
and Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and Israel, and
Rahab. Further, Hebrews 1132 mentions six more
heroes of faith including David. People of God
have faith.
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B. People of God Have Faith
Because faith is necessary to obtain salvation,
it also is vital to the maintenance of ones
salvation. The believers walk with Jesus Christ
is by faith. (See II Corinthians 57.) Everything
we do in our service to Him is of faith. If we
are to become and continue to be the people of
God, we must have faith.
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C. All Are Called to Have Faith

1. All Are Called to Have Faith

Although we all have been given a measure of
faith, God is calling all to do something with
their faith. God did not give faith to everyone
so it could witness against them in judgment. He
gave faith so individuals would have the
opportunity to turn to God, embrace Him and His
Word, and begin a life of relationship with Him.
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C. All Are Called to Have Faith
God has called everyone in the world to respond
to Him. He has given every individual a measure
of faith and a conscience, but He requires the
appropriate response from each one. An individual
can respond to God with the faith he has received
and begin to take the initial steps of faith
toward relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Romans 212-14
For as many as have sinned without law shall
also perish without law and as many as have
sinned in the law shall be judged by the law
(For not the hearers of the law are just before
God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do
by nature the things contained in the law, these,
having not the law, are a law unto themselves
(Romans 212-14).
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Romans 215
Which shew the work of the law written in their
hearts, their conscience also bearing witness,
and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else
excusing one another) (Romans 215).
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C. All Are Called to Have Faith
As a person in faith begins to respond to Gods
call, God begins to work within the individuals
heart. He begins to draw the person into a place
of relationship with Him. This is the basis and
beginning of redemption in the persons life.
(See John 644.)
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C. All Are Called to Have Faith
Through faith he will continue to respond to the
drawing of the Spirit through repentance, water
baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Ghost.
All these are only the beginning of a wonderful
life of faitha life to which God is calling
every individual on earth!
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Internalizing The Message
Internalizing The Message
We have studied faith, beginning with its
scriptural definition in Hebrews 111. We have
seen how a person obtains it. We have studied the
nature of faith and what it accomplishes in our
lives. All of this has reminded us that faith is
still an abstract entity, which is more difficult
to understand than something that is concrete.
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Internalizing The Message
We also have studied both the necessity of faith
to the salvation process and the necessity of
obedience to that faith. James reminds us that
Faith without works is dead (James 220). The
works to which James referred are not those
whereby we obtain salvation, but works that
follow a persons genuine faith in Jesus Christ
whereby we exercise obedience to Him and His
commands.
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Internalizing The Message
Sadly, not every person responds to the measure
of faith God has given him. However, every
individual has the opportunity to respond to the
measure of faith he has been given. May we all
respond to the challenge to be faithful unto
death. The Lord Jesus has promised those who are
faithful, I will give thee a crown of life
(Revelation 210).