NOW FAITH IS – THE CERTAINTY – Episode 1
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AND NOTHING SHALL BE IMPOSSIBLE
I am presenting a study series on faith. Faith is the bedrock of Spiritual Warfare. I will start with Hebrews chapter 11:1 through chapter 12:3. These verses speak clearly about the results of faith and mark out the path we must follow to have the same results in our own lives.
May God bless us as well travel this path and may we find and exercise the faith He has given us, to His credit and Glory!
Hebrews 11:2 “For by it the people of old gained approval.”
It is by the exercising of your faith, that you will be commended as dependable and honest, and your testimony is valued as true.
Verse 3. By faith, we understand that the world has been created by the word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.
It is by the exercising of your faith, that you will have attained the ability to understand that faith has substance and that substance is the evidence that the things not yet seen, will appear and come to pass.
Verse 4. By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
It is by the exercising of your faith, that you will be attested to be righteous.
(We can’t really know why “God had regard for Abel and his offering; but for Cain and his offering, He had no regard“. But we do know that Cain, because he lacked the faith to trust God, became angry and sinned by killing his brother, then lied to God; now the blood of his sin, “cries out from the ground”.)
Likewise, we cannot know some things about God, but, it is by the exercising of our faith, that we must “do well, and our face will be cheerful, and do not do sin, as it is lurking at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” (paraphrase Genesis 4:7)
Verse 5. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for before he was taken up, he was attested to have been pleasing to God.
Although our mortal bodies will see death, by God’s grace and by our faith we will be taken up, having been attested as pleasing to God, we will live eternally in the house of the Lord.
Verse 6. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.
Verse 7. By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
We have been warned about things not yet seen through God’s word, and He has given us and our entire household, Jesus, the ark of our salvation, by which He has offered the entire world salvation, so we can become heirs of righteousness, which is according to the exercising of our faith.
Verse 8. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he left, not knowing where he was going.
And, It is by the exercising of your faith, that when you are called, you go to a place which you are to receive for an inheritance; not knowing where you might be going.
Verse 9. By faith, he lived as a stranger in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; verse 10, for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
Verse 11. By faith even Sarah herself received the ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Verse 12. Therefore, even from one man, and one who was as good as dead at that, there were born descendants who were just as the stars of heaven in number, and as the innumerable grains of sand along the seashore.
Verse 13. All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. Verse 14. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. Verse 15. And indeed, if they had been thinking of that country which they left, they would have had opportunity to return. Verse 16. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.
There may be times when we feel as though we have not received the promises of God. But, we must press on in faith, and not lose our hope in Him. He as given us the One Main Promise of Christ, Who is our Hope, and He has prepared a city for us, a home for us.
Verse 17. By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and the one who had received the promises was offering up his only son; verse 18, it was he to whom it was said, “THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE NAMED.” Verse 19. He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.
Verse 20. By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.
Verse 21. By faith, Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
Verse 22. By faith, Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones.
Verse 23. By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
Verse 24. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, verse 25, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin, verse 26, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
Verse 27. By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he persevered, as though seeing Him who is unseen.
Verse 28. By faith, he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them.
Verse 29. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were
Verse 30. By faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days.
Verse 31. By faith, the prostitute Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.
Verse 32. And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,
verse 33, who by faith conquered kingdoms,
performed acts of righteousness,
obtained promises, s
hut the mouths of lions,
verse 34, quenched the power of fire,
escaped the edge of the sword,
from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war,
put foreign armies to flight.
Verse 35, Women received back their dead by resurrection;
and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
verse 36, and others experienced mocking and flogging, and further, chains and imprisonment.
Verse 37. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tested, they were put to death with the sword;
they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented,
Verse 38, (people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts, on mountains, and sheltering in caves and holes in the ground.
Verse 39. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, verse 40, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us, they would not be made perfect.
Hebrews 12:1, exhorts us, saying, “Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, verse 2, looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Verse 3. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Thus says the Lord. Amen and Amen!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
The following chapters in this series are Biblical teaching on the exercising of your faith and the outcomes. This is not just for reading, but, for you and me to learn to exercise our faith and to see these outcomes in our own lives.
Go to, Episode 2 – FAITH IS
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