Author: Bible Community Church

Is Your Faith Living and Active? Part 4 – Hebrews 11:10

..for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Heb 11:10

The first Westminster Shorter Catechism states that man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. As Christians we are quick to focus on the first part. We labor for the Lord, aiming to glorify Him because of the grace we have received in Jesus Christ. But do we enjoy God Himself? When you feel spent and weary from works and striving, where do you find your rest and solace?

Our Lord Jesus enjoyed God to the fullest. After a long day of ministering to great crowds of lost and needy people, Jesus went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. There, He found all His comfort, rest, and delight in His Father. (Matt 14:23)

Only those who have faith are able to enjoy God, because faith rests in Jesus and treasures Him above all else.  If we have indeed died and have been raised with Christ, we seek the things above, where Christ is. The world no longer captivates us, but like Abraham, we live separated from the world, journeying to reach the better country that the Lord has promised to us. (Matt 6:21; Col 3:1-2) By faith, Abraham looked forward to the city of God- the New Jerusalem. (Rev 21:2) He considered himself a foreigner in the world, living in tents and temporary dwellings, going from place to place as he followed God’s call. As Christians we must examine whether we are living this way. If we have the same faith in the same God as Abraham, God has called us out to walk by faith towards our heavenly home. As we continue to look at the aspects of Abraham’s living and active faith, let the condition of our faith be tested by the Word of God.

Abraham saw a city that has foundations. Everything in life is built upon foundations. Whether it be buildings, churches, or marriages, the strength and integrity of all that we build depends on its foundations. Throughout Abraham’s life, as he trekked from city to city, Abraham must have seen the rise and fall of many structures, governments, and men of power. Abraham sought what was beyond the temporary kingdoms of the world, because unlike these, Abraham knew that the city of God was indestructible.

What kind of foundation did Abraham see?

Abraham saw that God is the foundation. No one can overcome what is built upon God- He is unshakeable and unassailable. He is our mighty Fortress, who has even withstood the power of death. (Matt 16:18)

Jesus Christ is the foundation. Jesus is the foundation of the heavenly city. No one can enter it but through Him. Although Abraham lived hundreds of years before Jesus came down to earth, Abraham looked to Christ by faith. (Jn 8:56; Rom 5:1)

The promise of God is the foundation. The New Jerusalem is built upon the promise of God. Our faith is in the promise of God that finds its Yes in Jesus Christ. We can rejoice in all circumstances, because God’s promises are sure.

As Abraham understood this unshakeable foundation of the heavenly city, he became steadfast in faith, hope, and love. This is true for all believers. As we look to our heavenly home founded upon God and His Word, we will become steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, because no toil for the eternal Kingdom of God will be in vain. (1Cor 15:58; Rom 8:18, 24-25)

Abraham saw a city whose architect and builder is God. Everything that God does is good. He created the heavens and the earth, He designed and accomplished our salvation through the gospel. (Gen 1:3-4; Rom 8:29-30) God is the designer and builder of the heavenly city. By faith, we can see this city. Therefore, we must always be wary of the things that hinder our faith- anger and disappointment, fear, and an ignorance of God. When we distrust God and are ignorant of who He is, we become self-reliant, and fall into fear of man, circumstances, or of God as Judge. God is our good and merciful Father, who has given up His only Son to meet our most pressing need- salvation. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? We must therefore trust our Father and be steadfast in faith, so that we can live on earth as those who by grace have received a better country that is to come.

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Is Your Faith Living and Active? Part 3 – Hebrews 11:10

…for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. Heb 11:10

Abraham was a faithful and obedient man who lived out the will of God in his life. He was by no means perfect- at times he faltered, hesitated, and trusted in his own ways- but his overall direction in life was heavenwards. How did Abraham come to have such great faith? Verse 10 tells us the answer- while Abraham lived in tents, moving from one place to another, his hope and faith remained fixed on heaven. He continually sought the things above, living in a reality that was unseen by sight, yet was grasped and experienced by his living and active faith. (Heb 11:1; Col 3:1-2)

What were the unseen realities of Abraham’s faith?

The city. Abraham looked for the new heaven and earth- a better country that God has prepared for those who love Him. (Rev 21:1; Heb 11:16) In this city there is a full satisfaction that is not found anywhere on earth- where death, pain, and sadness are no more. (Rev 21:4) It is a secured city, which no enemy could ever approach or penetrate, because it is fortified by the Almighty God. (Rev 20:9,15) For all pilgrims, this is the final city. They enter by faith alone, and they never need to move again, for they are finally home.

Abraham did not perceive this city by an extensive knowledge on theology. He simply clung to God’s Word with living and active faith. No matter what was before him, he humbled himself before God and submitted to His Will by obeying His Word. (1Jn 2:16-17) As we continue to examine ourselves and whether our faith is living and active, we must ask ourselves, Where is my city? In heaven, or on earth?

To be continued…

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Is Your Faith Living and Active?, Part 2 – Hebrews 11:8-9

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise… Heb 11:8-9

Faith enables us to obey, trust, and walk with the Lord through all circumstances. As we continue to consider what Abraham accomplished by faith, let us carefully examine our lives to find the same evidence of having a living and active faith.

By faith, Abraham saw what he previously could not see. 

By faith, Abraham- whose family was once in the business of selling idols- saw the ultimate reality of God’s kingdom. (Jsh 24:2) Though he was a prosperous man, he considered himself a pilgrim in the world, moving from one foreign place to another, until God would call him to his eternal home. He directed himself towards heaven as he walked with God and followed wherever God led him.

If you have living and active faith, you see the world as a temporary place. Christians are heaven bound people, living on God’s borrowed time. Every believer was once blind, but now by faith, he sees and looks forward to a treasure worth more than all the world. (Matt 13:44) While unbelievers desire to settle here forever without God, believers lose joy when they forget the hope of heaven and concentrate only on this present life.

By faith, Abraham knew he had a heavenly home. 

The hope of heaven sustained and strengthened Abraham’s faith as he sojourned through the world. We live with the same hope as Abraham, because Jesus has made us citizens of heaven. (Phil 3:20) Therefore, we must seek the things above and live a simple life on earth by getting rid of the unnecessary things that distract us from living for God and for others. (Col 3:1-2) A simple life aims to be God-centered, putting all things under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Those who live simply are generous, and they do not worry about the things of the world, but seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Living a simple life is not asceticism, nor is it about being rich or poor; it is a matter of the heart- if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. (Matt 6:30-32; Phil 4:11-13; Matt 6:24)

By faith, Abraham lived wisely.

Abraham was able to rightly count the cost of losing the world in order to gain heaven. By faith, he knew to avoid the judgment that was to come, and lived in self-denial to gain a heavenly reward. (Heb 9:27; 2Tim 4:7-8) This is a true test of faith. Abraham received the same promise that we have received from God- the promise of salvation in Jesus Christ. (Gen 12:7; Gal 3:16) If you believe in the same living God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and share the same faith, then you will live in the same way as they did.

Throughout Scripture, all believers suffered under the name of Jesus. They refused to live like the world, but rather went against the world and embraced Jesus’s suffering. (1Pet 1:1-2) Those who suffer for Christ in the world are the ones who treasure God’s promise to heal and restore all things in heaven. (Rev 21:4) They count the worth of their heavenly inheritance far more valuable than anything in this world, even their very lives. Therefore, examine yourself. What kind of life have I lived so far? The life that seeks and treasures the kingdom of God reveals a faith that is truly living and active.

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Is Your Faith Living and Active? – Hebrews 11:8

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.  Heb 11:8

If a church is made up of nominal Christians- that is, people who profess to be Christians but do not have living and active faith- Jesus will consider that church to be dead. (Rev 3:1-2) Genuine faith is more than a profession. Though we are justified by faith apart from works, true faith will sanctify unto works. In this account of Abraham’s life, we see how living and active faith is practical, useful, and manifested in our lives by good works.

Abraham’s faith was living and active because he always lived in the presence of God. (By faith Abraham, when he was called…) 

Like Enoch and Noah, Abraham walked with God, and was therefore able to hear His call to react in obedience. Faith bring us to live in God’s presence. As we first understand God’s holiness through His law, we are able to sense our utter sinfulness and separation from Him. Through the gospel, God convinces us of His forgiveness by His grace in Jesus Christ, and we are drawn to walk with God as His children, forgiven and beloved. God is always speaking through His Word, but we are unable to hear until we have been brought near through the blood of His Son. Without a conviction of the gospel, there can be no affect in you when it comes to the things of God. Abraham heard God’s call because he was forgiven through the gospel to live in the presence of God by his living and active faith.

Abraham obeyed in his living and active faith. (…Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance…)

Obedience is the spiritual fruit of living and active faith. You can not have one with the other- without obedience, your faith is dead; without faith, your obedience is legalism. Obedience puts our faith into practice, by seeking what God requires of us and aligning our lives to it the best we can. Abraham obeyed immediately– as soon as he heard the voice of God, he followed and obeyed. Like Abraham, we must practice obeying God without delay. We must watch out for things that will hinder our obedience. A spirit of ingratitude causes us to complain, preventing us from hearing and obeying God. As prayer is directly connected to obedience, if we fail to obey, we have probably failed to pray. Lastly, a divided heart will hinder obedience, because it always leads to compromise, or to a reluctant and joyless obedience which counts for nothing. God blesses us when we obey, and it is the true Christian’s delight to obey the Lord Whom he loves.

Abraham’s obedience was according to what God commanded- when God said, “Go,” Abraham went. Abraham followed Jesus’s call to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. What has God commanded you to do today? We must do exactly what the Lord tells us to do in His Word. God is gracious- He knows our frame and weaknesses, and what He commands, He enables to us to do by His power. Our Father motivates us, as He motivated Abraham, by promising an inheritance. As Abraham had to go out and walk towards Canaan, we must walk by obedience to receive the crown of righteousness- the inheritance that has been promised to us in Jesus Christ. This is our ultimate goal, the only aim worth striving for. Everything else in this world are lesser things, but if we get swayed and distracted by them, we lose the motivation to obey. We must treasure our imperishable inheritance, so that it motivates us every day to strive towards a life of sanctification.

Abraham trust God in His living and active faith. (…and he went out, not knowing where he was going.)

God is sovereign over every detail of our lives, but He doesn’t disclose how everything works together for our good. Abraham didn’t know where he was going, but he trusted that God was in charge of his life. Like Abraham, we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we trust God by faith. Abraham was able to trust God because he knew God loved Him, and considered him a friend. (Gen 18:17-18) In Christ, we are God’s children. God is our Heavenly Father, who delights to give us what is best. He didn’t spare His beloved Son in order to forgive us and adopt us as His own. We can trust Him. His Word is truth and unshakeable, so when all our circumstances seem troubling and hopeless, we can cling to His Word and trust Him.

Abraham was a significant figure in Jewish history and heritage. The Pharisees erroneously clung to their ancestral ties to Abraham as the foundation of their salvation, but Abraham’s true descendants are those with living and active faith, who live in God’s presence, and obey and trust Him in all circumstances. By faith, we look towards the heavenly inheritance that is promised to us in Jesus Christ. (Gal 3:16, 29)

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The Hallmarks of Authentic Faith, Part 2 – Hebrews 11:7

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.  Heb 11:7

What are the hallmarks of authentic faith? It’s somber and terrifying to think that many who believe they are saved will one day hear from Jesus, “I never knew you.” (Matt 7:22-23) Thankfully, we don’t have to worry or live in constant doubt of our salvation because Scripture describes characteristics of true faith. In this account of Noah’s life, we consider three hallmarks of authentic faith. The first is obedience. Noah took God’s Word seriously and took immediate heed of God’s warning by building the ark. (Gen 6:22) He was full of conviction even when he didn’t yet see the things God had promised or warned him of, because Noah had faith. (Heb 11:1) He trusted God in reverence and love, and knew Him intimately- he knew God was good, and he was assured that whatever God did was out of His goodness. Obedience is of utmost importance, because it is a matter of life and death. By Noah’s obedience, Noah and his family were saved from the flood. All believers are saved because of Jesus’s obedience to the Father. We can not neglect obedience, not because we are saved by our obedience, but because we are saved for obedience to Jesus Christ. Lordship salvation is biblical- it is the only way God describes the nature of true salvation. (1Jn 2:3)

The second sign of authentic faith is that it is not silent or hidden. Noah’s act of obedience in faith condemned the world of its widespread sin. (Gen 6:5) As God’s elect, He considered the building of the ark as his calling, because he knew of God’s imminent judgment and His gracious provision of salvation. The ark- being the only means for man’s salvation- represented Jesus Christ. Like Noah, we are God’s elect who know of His coming judgment and His way of salvation. We must condemn the world by delivering the gospel of Jesus Christ to all men. (Jn 3:16,18-20) Not only must we merely speak of God’s salvation, but we must show it by being salt and light of the world. We must be set apart in holiness, and walk in such a way that reflects Christ and His gospel to this condemned world. (Matt 5:13-16)

Finally, if you have authentic faith, you must be aware of what you have, and what you are. Every Christian is a fellow heir with Christ. (Heb 1:2) He is a child of God, which is an honor that surpasses any worldly position. We were once dead and alienated from God in our sin, but God raised us up with Christ through faith and imputed His perfect righteousness to us. Now that we are in Christ, there is absolutely no separation between us and God, and there is no more guilt. We are no longer defined by worldly circumstances, but by faith, we are heirs of God’s righteousness.

By Noah’s example, let us examine our lives for these hallmarks of authentic faith. By faith, Noah obeyed God’s Word, proclaimed and lived by the gospel, and became an heir of God’s righteousness.

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The Hallmarks of Authentic Faith – Hebrews 11:7

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.  Heb 11:7
 
What is fake can often times seem deceptively real. Take fake news for instance- media outlets create bogus, sensational stories for the sake of drawing readership, and they deceive readers into believing them to be factual. The consequences of being fooled by fake news, however, is nothing compares to the eternal consequences of being self-deceived by fake faith. In the end times, many individuals who have believed their faith to be sincere will be turned away by Jesus. Therefore, God urges us to examine our faith through the light of His Word. What are the marks of authentic faith? We can highlight three key aspects of faith in this account of Noah’s life- obedience, true righteousness, and God’s righteousness. Here, we will consider the first hallmark of obedience in the life of a genuine believer.

Noah was a man who walked with God. (Gen 6:8-9) When God spoke, Noah reacted in obedience. To obey is to comply with everything God has commanded. Although we know that true faith is evidenced by obedience, we may often find ourselves struggling to obey the Lord. What hinders obedience? What is needed to obey?

You need to prepare. (By faith Noah, being warned by God…)

Obedience begins with how you view God’s Word. Being warned by God, Noah was sober-minded to take God’s Word seriously and obey. (Gen 6:11-13) Throughout Scripture, God continually provides warnings and instructions to His people, but how one regards God’s Word determines whether or not he will obey. What is your attitude to God’s Word? God’s Word must have the ultimate authority over your life, but we fail to obey when we prefer to turn to ourselves or to the world rather than to God. We live in a fallen reality of self-sufficiency, rather than submitting to the ultimate reality of God that is revealed in His Word. We must be prepared by God’s Word with a readiness to obey.

You must be convinced by the Word. (…about things not yet seen…)

Though Noah didn’t yet see the things that God warned him of, he trusted God and believed in His Word. He was able to trust and obey before he saw anything with his eyes. This is something we must truly wrestle to attain. In God’s dispensation, the Old Testament prophets did not understand the things revealed to them, but nevertheless, they relentlessly struggled and sought to understand them, because it was God’s Word. Without this kind of attitude, you can not obey. Mere knowledge has no power to compel our wills to obey- like Jacob’s tenacious struggle with the angel, we must wrestle with the Word of God until we are absolutely convinced in our hearts. Daniel was able to risk his life to live obediently in faith because he trusted in God’s Word. (Dan 6:10, 9:1-2) We must not give up on God’s Word. Faith is bold only when it is rooted in the Word of God.

You need holy fear. (…in reverence…)

Noah had a reverential attitude to God’s Word. Mere knowledge of God’s Word can not help us obey. Our hearts must be affected by holy fear and godly emotions to be moved to obedience. Noah was affected by God’s Word, and it resulted in his reverence and love. Scripture is filled with accounts of godly emotions- Jesus’s life was full of love and aching compassion, bearing in full the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He teaches us that without love, all works are disqualified. Holy fear and love can only come from loving Jesus above all else. Unless you love Christ distinctly, you will not love His Word. Like the church of Ephesus, we could have robust programs and activities within the church, but without a passionate love for Christ, all would be in vain. (Rev 2:2-5) By the Holy Spirit, we have understood how desperate, miserable, and poor we were. He brought us to the cross, where the death and resurrection of Jesus prevailed over all to cover us with His love and forgiveness. Jesus can not be forgotten in our hearts- He is our first love. How do you know you love Jesus distinctively? Those who love Christ are ready to immediately abandon all for Him. This is Jesus’s call to all Christians, and the ultimate test of your love for Him- will you deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Him?

Through Noah’s example, examine why you fail to obey. When Noah was warned by God, he trusted, feared, and loved the Lord. He therefore prepared an ark.

 

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Do You Please God? Part 2 – Hebrews 11:5-6

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Heb11:6

When we look at Hebrews 11:5-6, the faith of Enoch is important because Enoch exemplifies saving faith, but he also challenges us to a living faith. Our faith in the modern day is passive and inactive, lifeless and without power. This sort of faith usually kicks in late as a delayed reaction when all our own efforts have failed with little to no effect. Ironically, we know more clearly then ancient men that the solution to all our problems is found in Christ and His resurrection. If our faith is living, it is to be quick and proactive to approach every moment with Jesus Christ the risen Lord.

Christians never die but instead are alive (1 John 5:12, John 11:26). Even though sin leads to death (Romans 6:23), for the believer, though we sin, our sin does not result in death (1 John 5:16-17). This is because, Jesus is with the believer, and wherever Jesus is there is life (Matthew 11:19, Mark 5:35-42, Luke 24:5). Therefore a faith in Jesus results in life, instead of death. By faith, a sinner is transferred from under the power of death, into the power of the living God. Therefore a believer is to display signs of life because they are indeed truly made alive.

There are two kinds of faith, a false faith and a true faith, a dead faith and living faith. God is not pleased by false faith of which there are a few examples. The first is an acknowledging faith. Acknowledging faith only has a knowledge of God, but no inward response (Luke 4:34, Matthew 15:8). Faith that is only composed of intellect but not a change in the heart is a superficial faith. Next we see a faith composed of knowledge and fear. Even the demons know who God is and tremble. This faith fails to see God’s love which leads to repentance and a restored relationship. True faith is compelled by love, not by fear (2 Corinthians 5:14). Lastly, we see a disobedient faith. Obedience and faith are inseparable. Even Jesus learned obedience (Hebrews 5:8), and only by an obedient faith can a believer experience Christ in their lives. A disobedient faith cannot claim to be true and pleasing to God.

Looking in Genesis 5:22-24, the descriptions of Enoch’s faith is described as “Enoch walked with God”. True faith is not by oneself, but with God. A closeness and relationship with God is central to a living faith. This relationship is characterized by walking. In Scripture, walking denotes behavior. To walk with God means to behave in accordance to His divine will (Eph 5:8, Colossians 2:6). Walking is a constant desire in the heart for God’s will in His word and striving to obey (Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 17:26, John 10:30).

To start walking with God, we must go back to the gospel of Jesus Christ. First, we must crucify our old self. The old is gone, but we have new life with a living faith. Then the gospel must be applied daily in our lives. We must not limit the gospel, but the death and resurrection of Jesus is the greatest glory in all the universe, and therefore must be great in our lives and hearts. Only when the full extent of the gospel is believed, is there true victory over sin and death, to the glory and pleasure of God.

Hebrews 11:6 says we “must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Must means it is absolutely necessary. Believing God as He is revealed in the Holy Scriptures is critical for true faith. So we must seek Him and the reward He offers, which is Himself. There is no greater reward.

This is the challenge to you. Do you have a living faith which pleases God? Is your faith passive and inactive; proving to be false and resulting in death? Do you seek God’s will and obey His word? Do you walk with God by faith like Enoch did? Examine yourself! For those whose faith pleases God will never die but have eternal life.

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Do You Please God? – Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. Heb 11:5

Enoch was a man who never died. Unbelievers may write off the biblical account of his life as fairy tale, but ironically, we live in a world that desperately strives to attain immortality through science and technology. Man seeks to live forever, because regardless of whether he is a Christian or a non-Christian, the reality of death is utterly devastating. How did Enoch avoid death? Just like us, he was a man born in sin, destined to die under its curse. (Rom 5:12; 6:23) But God took him up so that he would not see death. Enoch had saving faith in Jesus Christ, and his deathless life was the proof of the power of saving faith that overcomes the power of death.

If saving faith delivers you from the power of death, it is crucial to be assured that your faith is genuine. The world is filled with easy believism– many people believe Jesus to be their Savior, but they are unwilling to embrace Him as Lord. They are deceived, and Jesus has declared that they will be shut out from the kingdom of God. What is true saving faith? Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb 11:1) It possesses the promises of God, and beholds the proof of what natural man can not see. True faith is in Jesus Christ- it depends on nothing but Jesus, and completely surrenders the heart, will, emotions, and intellect to Him. Those who have faith love Christ distinctively, and turn away from sin and trust only in the redeeming work of Jesus for their salvation. (Rom 10:9-10)

After trusting in Christ for salvation, many stumble because they then try to earn the kingdom of God by their own works. Jesus described the kingdom of heaven to be like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and sold all he had to buy the field. (Matt 13:44) This man joyfully gave everything up to Christ, because nothing could compare to Him. This is the mark of saving faith- it sees everything as dung in comparison to the worth of Jesus Christ. To deny self and to deny the world is a joyful way of life for those who follow Christ. They trust in their eternal union with Christ, and they know that apart from Him, they are nothing. (Jn 15:4-5)

Pleasing God begins with saving faith- faith in Christ alone as Savior and Lord. Examine your faith, for not all faiths in this world can save. Like Enoch, only those who receive Jesus as the object of their saving faith pass out of death into life. (Jn 5:24, 11:25-26)

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The Real Successful Life, Part 2 – Hebrews 11:4

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. Heb 11:4

There is nothing about Abel that would cause the world to consider him successful. His life was tragically cut short when he was murdered by his own brother for worshipping God properly. But Scripture says that God remembered him, and that though he died, he still speaks. Abel, like every other Christian, is truly successful, because God considered him so.

What are the marks of those whom God considers successful?

As we have learned from the example of Abel’s faith, those who are successful are true worshippers. Worship begins by recognizing Jesus as the one true God, and it results from faithful obedience to His Word. (Jn 4:23-24)

Secondly, those who are successful are accepted by God as righteous. Every religion apart from Christianity is a failed attempt to satisfy God by human effort. No matter how righteous man tries to be, he falls short of God’s righteousness. However, God testified that Abel was righteous. Did Abel keep the whole law? No, Abel’s righteousness did not come from himself, because he was a sinner just like every man and woman born after the Fall. (Rom 5:12) No one can be righteous on his own. The Bible says that none is righteous. (Rom 3:10) Sin is most clearly revealed by how man has dealt with Jesus. We crucified the Lord Jesus Christ because we hated God and His holiness. (Jn 19:15) The Bible says our hearts are deceitful, rendering us incapable on our own to judge true righteousness. (Jer 17:9-10) And that even in our sin, we prefer self-righteousness over God’s righteousness. We create our own standards and ways to approach God based on our experiences and emotions. Deceived by self-righteousness, we decide for ourselves what would please God. (Rom 10:2-3) Jesus warns us against this sort of legalism- those who trust in themselves for salvation will be shut out of the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 7:21-23)

Then how can one be righteous before God? God considers a man righteous by an imputed righteousness- the imputed righteousness of Christ alone. (Rom 5:1, 10:4) The righteousness of Jesus is the only acceptable righteousness we can have before God because apart from Christ, no one is righteous. Only Christ satisfied God completely. Those who trust in Christ alone for salvation will be considered righteous by God, because they have been washed by the blood of Jesus and given His robes of righteousness. (2Cor 5:21)

How do you know you’re righteous? Those who are righteous live by faith. (Heb 10:38) They trust and depend on God to work in their lives and guide them, and they find rest as God hears and answers their prayers. (James 5:16) The righteous hate sin, and are constantly engaged in spiritual warfare, having been freed from its dominion. They are compassionate. They are gospel-centered, and they love, serve, and give generously to fellow believers. (Matt 25:37, 40) Lastly, the righteous are humble, seeing themselves truly in the light of God’s greatness and glory.

In addition to being true worshippers who are righteous before God, those who are successful live forever. True success is eternal life. Abel still speaks today, because though he died, he is still alive. He obtained eternal life through his faith. Eternal life begins here and now, and like Abel, those who live, speak. (2Cor 4:13) They speak of Jesus’s death and resurrection, and in their love and compassion, they readily share the gospel with the lost. All things pass away, and when our lives are over, all our worldly accomplishments and possessions will soon be forgotten. But to be remembered as one whose words led others to eternal life in Jesus Christ is real success, and that legacy will survive to the glory of Christ forever.

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The Real Successful Life – Hebrews 11:4

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.  Heb 11:4

Everyone hopes to be successful in life. To most, that means possessing great wealth, while to others, success may mean having joy, being altruistic, or leaving behind a lasting legacy. But when all is said and done, success will be determined by God on the day of Judgment, and it will not be based on money, good repute, or any other worldly gain. The truly successful man will be able to enter heaven and hear from Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In this portion of Hebrews, we see a comparison between Abel and Cain- both were sinners offering sacrifices to God, but one was commended over the other for offering the better sacrifice. In other words, Abel was successful before God, and Cain was not. What are the marks of those who are considered successful by God? By this example of Abel’s faith through which he still speaks today, we will study the marks of a truly successful life.

You must be a true worshipper. For true success, you must give true worship like Abel. Every man is a worshipper whether he admits it or not. Even atheists, who claim there is no God, worship at the feet of science. We worship Jesus, the true, loving, and living God. Cain and Abel offered worship to God through their sacrifices, but only Abel’s worship was acceptable to God because he offered it by faith. Faith comes from the hearing of God’s Word. Cain and Abel most likely would have received God’s Word from Adam and Eve, which must have included clear instructions on what God required of them to offer as a sacrifice. Abel heard the Word, believed, and acted upon it, by bringing the firstborn of his flock. But Cain did something different, offering what he thought might be better by bringing the produce he worked from the ground. Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God because Abel had faith and obeyed God’s Word.

Worship is meaningless without obedience, because sin causes God to turn away from the sinner. When Jesus called out to the Father while bearing our sins on the cross, God had to turn His face away from His eternally beloved Son. (Mk 15:34) God had no regard for Cain’s sacrifice because of his disobedience. (Gen 4:5) Cain made up his own way, while Abel worshipped according to God’s Word. Our obedience to God’s Word is the evidence of our faith, and God accepts only those who worship by faith.  To fail to obey is to offer dead worship- it is a devastating sin. In 1 Samuel 15, God commanded Saul to utterly destroy all the Amalekites and all they possessed. But Saul disobeyed God by sparing the king and their choice flocks, thinking he would sacrifice them to God. Saul’s disobedience stripped away his kingdom and God’s favor. Samuel the prophet told him, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1Sam 15:22) God does not value the sacrifice itself- for all things created are His- but God looks into your heart. Your worship comes from your relationship with God, and the only way to draw near to God is through His way written in His Word.

If your spiritual life seems shallow and lacking joy as you come to worship God this Sunday, think about the kind of sacrifice of obedience you bring to God every day. Worship is the start of everything you do, and if you fail to worship, you will fail at everything in life. Where there is faith, obedience will follow. And just as faith without obedience is dead, obedience without faith is sin. We must first trust in the Lord and believe in His promises, then, out of the love and gratitude in our hearts for Jesus, we will obey. (Jn 14:15) As we come together as a church to worship our great God, the true worshippers who offer the sacrifice of obedience like Abel are those who are truly successful.

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