Christianity is Walking by Faith in a Promise

1. Christianity is Walking by Faith in a Promise Mark 16:16“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” 1 Peter 1:9“…receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” Acts 2:47b“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”

2. Hebrews 3:5 – 4:11 3:5And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, 3:6but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. . . . 3:12Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 3:13but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 3:14For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, . . .

3. Hebrews 3:5 – 4:11 3:18And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 3:19So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. 4:1Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 4:2For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. . . . 4:11Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

4. Can I know that I am saved?

5. What do I currently believe about assurance? • Is my assurance rooted in a subjective better-felt-than-told experience? • Do my ideas about assurance marginalize the roles of “hope” and “faith” in salvation? – cf. 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Rom. 8:23-25 • OR is my salvation truly and wholly rooted in FAITH IN GOD?

6. Two Keys to Having Assurance We must have faith in the CONDITIONAL PROMISES of God! We must have faith in the UNCHANGING CHARACTER of God!

7. God is faithful! • Hebrews 10:23- 23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. • Hebrews 11:11–12- 11By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. 12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. • 1 Corinthians 10:13- 13No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

8. God is faithful! • 1 Corinthians 1:4–9- 4I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. • 2 Corinthians 1:18–21- 18But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God… • 1 John 1:9- 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

9. God cannot lie! • Titus 1:2- 2 …in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began… • James 1:17- 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

10. God cannot lie! • Hebrews 6:17–18- 17Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. • John 17:17- 17Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

11. God is able! • Romans 4:20–21- 20He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. • Hebrews 11:19- 19 …concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

12. God is able! • Luke 1:37- 37For with God nothing will be impossible.” • 2 Timothy 1:12- 12For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

13. We must have faith, trust and confidence in God! • Like those who of old, we must be assured of God’s promises, embrace them, and confess that we are strangers and pilgrims on the earth – cf. Heb. 11:13 • Abraham’s life was lived with such faith – Heb. 11:17-19 • Trusting God is fundamental to our assurance – cf. Eph. 1:13-14

14. We must have faith, trust and confidence in God! • Such faith enables us to speak confidently of the fulfillment of God’s promises – 2 Tim. 4:6-8 • Paul’s confidence was tempered not only with humility, but in a heartfelt reverence for God – 1 Cor. 9:24-27; Phil. 3:13-14 (2 Cor. 5:10-11)

15. 1 Peter 1:20-21 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you 21 who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

16. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

17. Romans 8:23-25 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

18. 1 John 3:18-23 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

19. Hebrews 6:9-20 9 But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. 19This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, 20 where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

20. 2 Peter 1:5-11 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.