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Subject 23 : The Epistle to the HEBREWS

[Chapter 11-1] The Person Who Truly Believes in God Is The Most Beautiful (Hebrews 11:1-5)

(Hebrews 11:1-5)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 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. 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. 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.”

Autumn is now upon us and the crickets have begun singing, cicadas are chirping, and this season has come inside our doorsteps. Once we have finished our summer training conference the weather will have become cooler and refreshing. It would have been difficult if we only had one hot and humid summer season all year round; but it is nice that we have autumn, and also winter and spring and that is wonderful. Our faith also has its seasons and it’s great that we experience such variations. God, through this, gives us much wisdom, intelligence, and blessings. When we lack things or have worries, I believe the Lord will give us what we need and resolve these situations for us when we pray and seek the Lord who is on the side of the righteous.

The righteous live with many blessings by believing in the righteousness of God. If we attain the faith of knowing and believing in the righteousness of God, we will receive many blessings from God, become successful, because we can do many righteous things, and also by doing this we can benefit many people. And we hereby give glory to God for this truth. Therefore, it is very important for us to live by the faith of believing in the righteousness of God. It is absolutely necessary for us to have such a heart of faith. We must do all things by faith for the rest of our lives while preaching the gospel of the water and the Spirit and serving it.

Now Faith Is the Substance of Things Hoped for

We have read from the Book of Hebrews chapter 11 verses 1 to 5. It says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony” (Hebrews 11:1-2). These words, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,” means that the things we hope from God actually manifest its reality in our lives. We come to receive profitable things when we believe in the righteousness of God and seek Him by faith. This passage of Scripture says that all our predecessors received evidence from God by believing in Him, His righteousness, and His guidance. It says that the predecessors of faith believed that God created the worlds by the Words God spoke. Therefore, it is written in Hebrews 11:3, “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.”

This means, the world we are able to see in its reality with our fleshly eyes now, was already in God’s mind according to His plan of creation before it was actually made. Therefore, the people who have come to believe in God, who created the heavens and earth, have come to know and believe that all things have come into existence because He said, “Let there be” with His spoken Word. This is the true faith. It said that, knowing the entire world was created by God’s Word is faith.

You and I have no alternative but to believe in the righteousness of God. Therefore, we must praise the power of God by knowing and believing that “All things of the Universe, the Milky Way, including the earth, its trees, mountains, and the soil that we can see with our naked eyes were made by the Word of God.” All things have become the way they are because God has created the universe in such a way. All things of the universe exist now because God has created them by His Word. And it came into existence according to God’s Word when He said, “Let there be.” This is believing God and also believing in His Word explicitly. There are four seasons which God has spoken into being, and there is also a firmament in the sky, stars in the sky, birds in the sky, and fish in the waters. Even a human being has come into existence by God forming him from the dust of the ground and breathed life into his nostrils.

The people who truly believe in God believe explicitly like this, but those who do not believe in the existence of God believe in the theory of evolution, and claim many absurd things. But we are able to clearly see that these claims made by these evolutionists are totally incorrect, even though they appear to be correct. When circumstances change, the things God has created change so that they can live in that changing environment. It is a fact beyond fact that God has created each and every kind of thing in this world by His spoken Word.

There has never been a case where a person has changed back into a monkey. Has there ever been a case where a woman has given birth to an animal? Can such a thing ever be possible? We have seen unfortunate cases of a woman giving birth to deformed children, but never giving birth to an animal. One may give birth to a child, whose character is evil like that of a beast, but even such a child has the outward appearance of a human. Some women give birth to twins, triplets, and also give birth to deformed children in certain cases, but a human never gives birth to a monkey or a chimpanzee. Have you ever seen a chimpanzee give birth to a child? There will never be such a thing. Therefore, the evolutionists can only imagine these things because they do not believe in God.

The evolutionists claim that organisms have evolved by changing itself to adjust to the environment. Based on this faulty theory they say, a monkey evolved itself and became a human. How can a monkey ever become a human? Actually, there has never been an instance where a monkey has become a human ever. If a monkey has gradually changed to become a human, then based on this theory, a human can also change into another kind of organism. Evolutionists are speaking of a mere hypothesis based on their faulty thoughts. They are speaking about a change that has come about due to the environment.

The fundamental truth is that God created all organisms according to each and every kind. Is this true or not? No matter how intelligent people may be, they are proved to be the opposite in regard to these matters. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” When people embark in trying to make a certain product perfectly they try to do this with few problems as possible; but the faith of believing in God is simply knowing and believing in the Word God has spoken. Having faith of believing God is the same as believing that He is God who gives the most wonderful things. We can fulfill all the wishes in our hearts depending on whether we believe in God or not.

What is there that God cannot do for us if He really wants to do it? When I speak of the works God has done, people think this is not possible. But what is impossible to God? Everything is possible if God allows or does it. What is there that cannot be done? If God wants to make us sinless, He can do this perfectly. Hence, we are the people who were made into the likeness of God. We become the righteous when God worked in us by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We may think that it is impossible for us to become righteous, but it is possible if we believe in the righteousness of God before His awesome presence. Many Christians live in a sinner like state even after believing in Jesus rather than believing the gospel of the water and the Spirit which is the righteousness of God. If they continually refuse to believe in God correctly like this then they can continue living like that and suffer the consequence. But we must not be like them, for we must receive the righteousness of God and live as the righteous by the faith by believing in the righteousness of God.

Do You Know the Difference between the West and the Eastern Countries?

Science has become very advanced in the Western countries because they believed in God’s Word. Many of these countries have been in existence only for a short period. So we can say technology and science has become very advanced in the West compared to the Eastern countries. Why is this? Is it because they are more intelligent than other countries? Not at all, the sciences have advanced in these countries because of the fact that they believed in God’s Word. Then, what about the Eastern countries? Instead of believing in God and His Word, they have believed in humans and its superstitions. They have believed in nature, the creation itself. This is called pantheism. They say, “All things are a god” and believe in this manner. Therefore, because of this, science has not advanced as much. Is this true or not? Think about it. The people of West say, “God exists. God created this universe.” They read the Bible and say, “God created the universe by His Word. Then, there is power in God’s Word.” Therefore, they have advanced when they believed exactly according to God’s Word.

But, the people in the East bow down to “the moon” and “the sun.” They are uncivilized as they look at the water and cry out to it as the “god of waters” and “the Sea King.” This is absolutely wrong. People in the East must be awakened. The Eastern countries have a long history, but surely lack the faith of believing in God and in His righteousness. Therefore, the faith of believing God and the righteousness of God is the substance of things hoped for. If we really want to receive the remission of sins, as we so desire in our hearts, we must believe in the righteousness of God, which was fulfilled. God fulfills our hopes like this. We must also believe that God made even this universe like that. We must believe that God made all things by His spoken Word. We must know without doubt that God made all things by His power, by faith, while believing in His Word.

We Know That the Universe Was Created by the Spoken Word of God

This world did not just come into existence by some coincidence. God created it by the power of His Word. Therefore, the Scriptures say that Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice by faith while believing in God. Consequently, it was by him having faith of believing in God and His Word that he slaughtered his sacrificial lamb or a goat and put it on a flattish rock and offered it up to God as a sacrifice to Him. But unlike him, Cain gathered the things which he harvested from the ground, namely, vegetables and such like, and put these on a flattish rock, and offered them up as a sacrifice to God.

However, between these two brothers, who offered up the correct sacrifice by faith, while believing in God and having faith of believing the righteousness of God? The Scriptures tell us that Abel offered up the more excellent sacrifice to God. But, Cain also offered up a sacrifice to God, saying, “God, receive this sacrifice. These are the things, You God, have given me. Please receive this sacrifice.” But, God only accepted the sacrifice Abel offered up to Him. Why was this?

As Abel grew up, he heard of the experiences of his parents, and buried them in his heart. We can visualize Adam and Eve sitting their two sons down, and telling them, “We were cast out from the Garden of Eden because we did not believe in God’s Word. You were born after that. Therefore, we deserved to die before the presence of God, but God loved and clothed us with the garments of animal’s skins, and made us live, by killing sacrificial animals in our place for our sins. Therefore, when you go before the presence of God, you must bring your sacrificial animals without fail.” At that time, among the children of Adam and Eve, it was Abel who believed and said, “What my parents said is true. I should also die, because I really have done so many wrong things before the presence of God, and I have also caused wrong against my parents. I should die because I have sin before the presence of God, but He, instead, saved me, and saved my parents through the price of an animal by having that animal killed in our place in order to save us.”

And so it was, Abel offered up a more excellent sacrifice than his brother Cain. One had to offer up a sacrifice by faith, not just with sincerity like Cain. We are lacking before the presence of God, and before the presence of the people. We are indeed lacking people. Our deeds are similar before the presence of God, but our hearts are always lacking. We are lacking in all the areas of our lives. And on top of this God has given us the Law, and we become even more lacking when we look at our deeds, specifically with detail according to the Law. God cannot just pass over these shortcomings. According to God’s righteousness, a person who has sin must definitely die without remedy, that is, we deserve to die before the presence of God. We are the very people who will receive the judgment for sins. Because of this situation, God sent His Son to this world for us, transferred all our sins to His Son’s body by the baptism that He received from John the Baptist, made His Son die on the Cross by being crucified, resurrected Him from death, and through this, saved us eternally.

All the people of the world also offer up their sacrifices of faith in their own way. Some people offer up a head of a pig as a sacrifice, and some offer up rice as a sacrifice. Some people offer up a sacrifice to the ancestral god, some offer up a sacrifice to the Sea King, and some offer up a sacrifice to the god of the waters or the god of land. However, between the sacrifices offered up by believing in God and the sacrifices offered up by not believing in God, which is the better sacrifice? Thinking, “Because I have sin before the presence of God, I deserve to go to hell. I cannot but die and go to hell, because of my sin." However, because God so loved us, He sent His Son to this world, transferred all our sins over to His Son by baptism, and saved us perfectly by making His Son die on the cross, thus paying the ultimate price in our stead. God saved perfectly those who believe through the righteousness of His Son because “God so loved us”; and offering up the sacrifice of faith is a more excellent sacrifice.

We receive the remission of sins by faith of believing in the righteousness of God. The sacrifice of faith, which receives blessings from God, is the sacrifice of faith of believing in the righteousness of God. This faith is the sacrifice that cleanses all sins away, the sacrifice that makes a believer a true child of God, the sacrifice that makes a person sinless, and the sacrifice that receives blessings from God. Therefore, we must offer up a more excellent sacrifice than Cain by faith of believing in the righteousness of God. We must offer up the sacrifice of the righteousness to God by faith while believing in both the baptism Jesus received and the blood He shed on the Cross, instead of just believing in the blood of the Cross alone.

If we do this, then God sees and receives our faith, and blesses us. We either receive blessings or curses depending on how we believe before the presence of God. We receive many blessings spiritually and physically if we believe in the righteousness of God wholeheartedly, and we receive few blessings, if any, if we do not believe in the righteousness of God.

A person named Enoch had faith that he would go to Heaven without tasting death by believing in God. Therefore, Enoch did the things that really pleased God while he was living in this world. Why was this so? It’s because he had the correct faith of believing in God in his heart. People lived for a long time during that time. However, he had heard during that time that his ancestors of faith had already said that God would judge this world by water. He had heard this continuously. While he was hearing this, he had a conviction of faith that said, “I can go to God without seeing death.” Therefore, he continuously did the works that pleased God. Hence, before he was taken up, he had the testimony in his heart that pleased God. What testimony? He obtained this witness by faith of believing in the Word of God. Enoch lived such a life, and he was such a person.

Therefore, the faith of believing in God is of paramount importance. Although we are weak, we receive the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, becoming a worker of God, believing in the righteousness of God, becoming a person who pleases God, by faith. Also, by shaking away all the worries and concerns of our lives, by faith, and instead, turning from these situations to receive the blessings from God. Faith is very important. And living by faith is also very important.

The Book of Hebrews Chapter 11 Is the Chapter of Faith

We believe this universe was really created by God’s Word. Such faith must manifest from the moment we start believing in Jesus. We must have faith of knowing that this universe was created by God’s Word. Do you believe that this universe was created by God’s Word? There is nothing else to do but to testify, “God said this and I believe Him because He is God.” There is nothing else. Can we believe it by spinning our head and understanding with our intelligence? If we could understand this by spinning our head, then, we would be God, not humans. Is this not so?

I also ponder upon these things. The Bible says that God said, “Let there be” when He created the universe and all kinds of plants as well. When God said, “Let the earth bring forth plants and trees,” plants and trees came into existence. It was done with just His Word. How can we understand this with our brains? Faith is depending on God. Believing, “It is possible all because of You” is true faith. While depending on God and believing, “It becomes possible because You are God” is the correct faith. Faith is not believing just because we understand something.

Although we cannot understand it initially, we come to believe in it when we start thinking within that faith. And it becomes understandable. It becomes understood like that. Even in believing God’s Word, faith is, “I believe it because this is the Word that was recorded as God has spoken, because it is God’s Word, because this Word says it’s like this, and I believe it because it says that God did such a thing.” This is faith. Do you think faith is thinking with the Scriptures closed, something that manifests itself while meditating? That is not faith.

Not believing in the righteousness of God before His presence is the most evil thing, and such an unbeliever is the most evil person. Someone who believes in God and His righteousness is the most lovable person. Would you feel good if someone doubted you, or did not believe you, or anything you said? Not at all! Would you feel good if someone believed in you? Of course you would feel good if they believed in you. You feel good when someone believes you, don’t you? God exists at this present time. God is also alive at this present time. Would God be pleased if we believed in His Word He has spoken? Yes, He would be pleased. But, how would He feel if we did not believe Him or His spoken Word? God would not feel good at all. He would then say, “How smart are you by trying to believe only after understanding it with your fleshly minds? You will never be able to believe like that.”

First, we must become the people who believe that “God created the universe.” Second, we must believe, “God created the plants. God created the sun and the moon. God created the heavens, and He formed you and me out of dust from the ground.” In Genesis, it is written that God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and only then did man became a living being. A human, thus, became a being that never dies. Our physical body dies, but the soul never dies. That is why the Eastern people say, someone has “returned” to Korea when he dies. Traditionally, the Korean people, throw the shirt of the deceased up in the air, while calling out his name, and say that he has “returned.” It means that the person received life from God, and that life has returned to God.

Our soul never dies. A person’s soul lives forever and is never destroyed. We must understand this. We also must understand that God created all things. We must also understand that God created all things in the whole universe by His Word. This is our first step in faith. We must first believe, “God exists at this present time. God is also alive at this present time. God indeed exists.” After getting this truth established in our hearts then everything else can proceed from there. Without believing in this truth, we cannot believe everything else, and we can believe everything else if we believe in this. In some ways, faith is a very simple thing.

I believe in the righteousness of God that has come to us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. You also believe the righteousness of God, don’t you? I believe God blesses us; we, who truly believe in His righteousness. Actually, I just serve God with my mouth, and the other ministers do the rest of the work. Even so, I believe in God fully. I believe that God will make us wealthy also. I do not like poverty. Our saints do not like poverty, and the servants of God do not like poverty either. No one does. Is this true or not? We might as well live prosperously since we have been born to this world.

Why should a person go to hell after being born when he can go to Heaven by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? One just has to know Jesus, who came by water and blood, as his Savior, and believe in this true gospel. We must know and learn the very thing Jesus did when He came to this world. We must believe in God and His Word. It’s better not to know about the evil things around us if we can help it, but, rather, we must learn and know the good things, and believe in them. I want God to bless us. I want to live prosperously. I want to serve the gospel of the water and the Spirit much more, and I want all the workers of God to live prosperously too. We set such a goal and we run towards such a goal by faith. Then, we can live well spiritually. Let’s praise, and spend time in prayer before the presence of our God.

This sermon is also available in ebook format. Click on the book cover below.

Sermons on Hebrews (II) - DO YOU KNOW THE INTENTION OF THE AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS?

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