Promise thru Paul 350: Substance and Evidence

350. Substance and Evidence

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

God promises that faith makes real what we can only hope for; He promises that faith makes visible what is invisible; He promises that faith makes present what is still future. Faith alone justifies, saves and gives life. But faith alone has no power in itself. Faith is not a force that makes things happen. Faith is not a virtue or a good work, although it is virtuous and good. Faith has no inherent ability to move mountains or trees. On the other hand, without faith it is impossible to please God; without faith nothing happens, and anything not done in faith is sin. Of course, it is whom the faith is in that has the power, the good, the virtue, and the ability to make things happen. God is “The Force,” and He is personal and alive. Faith does great things, but it is not the faith that does great things, but the God in whom that faith is trusting. Technically, faith does not save; faith receives salvation as a gift. Jesus saves; faith trusts Jesus.

Faith is a passive recipient; faith does not do things. This promise about faith does not say what faith does; it defines what faith is. It is substance and evidence. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Everything we could ever hope for or dream of as good and blessed is assured. Faith is the substance or reality. We all hope for a peaceful, loving, and prosperous life: and God gives it. Then God, the Holy Spirit, gives the faith to believe it, and when we believe it we have it. All the gifts and blessings of God are real and substantial in spite of appearances. It does not appear yet for it still in the future; it does not appear visibly for it is in the invisible spiritual world, and it is in the invisible center of the self.

Faith is the evidence of things not seen. It is the “things not seen” that are eternal, and they are the things that are substantial, stable and unmovable. It is exactly just because they are not seen that the promise of faith is vitally necessary. “Evidence” is not in itself final proof, but it is all I need to know. Proof cannot come until I see it for myself, but that is what faith does—it sees. We have, by faith, everything we need, and it is all real, not a dream or a fantasy.

Promise thru Paul 349: Saving of the Soul

349. Saving of the Soul

Hebrews 10:39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Believing in Christ is the saving of the soul. Drawing back from faith in Jesus is perdition, going into the eternal death from which we were saved. The encouragement of salvation motivates us to keep the faith. Some have never come to faith or have strayed from the faith, but we are of those who remain believers. The soul is saved and will be saved.

The soul is defined as the mind, will and emotions. The soul is the self. In this context the soul refers to the person, the whole person, body, soul, and spirit. Soul simply means me, myself, and I. I am saved. Salvation is such a basic promise that all the other thousand promises arise from it. I am saved to the uttermost, that is, saved completely with nothing lacking.

We are saved from sin, death, and the devil; we are saved for God, eternal life, and good works. Sin is the cause of all of our miseries, troubles, pains, and problems. But since our sins are forgiven we are saved from sin. We still live with the ill effects of sin in us and all around us, but we are saved from the evil of those effects. Sin still does, and in this life always will, cause trouble, but we know where to turn to be reminded of forgiveness and restored to life and wholeness. 

We are absolutely and eternally saved from the penalty and wages of sin, which is death. Sin is the cause of death: death is the cause of all infirmities, weaknesses, sickness, injuries, and pains of body, mind and emotions. We suffer “little deaths” every day; but we shall not suffer eternal death or die forever in torment.

We are saved from the devil. He still prowls around seeking to devour, he relentlessly attacks with lies and temptations, and he causes many problems. But lies have no power unless they are received as truth. The devil only has the power to lie and scare, but with the Truth of the Gospel we do not receive it, so he has no power.

We are saved for a wonderful life that never ends. We are saved for God, who becomes our God with all the care and protection that that entails. We are saved for good works: God has a design for our life and the saving of our souls means that He will arrange the affairs of daily life so that He can do good things through us for the good of others. When Jesus saves the soul all good things happen while we are delivered from all the bad things. Jesus saves every day.

Promise thru Paul 348: Live by Faith

348. Live by Faith

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

We are just by faith; we are justified by faith; we live by faith. This is the promise: faith makes us alive; faith justifies us; faith makes us just, right with God; faith receive the righteousness of God. Faith has reward and promise, but faith itself is a gift of God, not something we work up by ourselves. Faith is not something we do, but faith is something God does in us. 

He died for us; He shares that message through the Gospel; the Holy Spirit uses the Gospel to bring us to faith in Christ. It is all God’s doing from beginning to end. Salvation belongs to the Lord. Our humble response is thanks and praise, loving God and serving others. We are just; as just people we live by faith. Faith receives the promise of a just and righteous life: it is God’s very life that He shares with us. The promise is fulfilled while we live by faith, not by sight. We organize our lives, make plans, decide things, and do them by faith, for therein is our life. 

We also plan and organize our lives according to what I think is good for me, since my selfish nature is in rebellion to God’s life and will and way. But it takes a while to learn in the school of experience that that way is not life; there is always something missing, and often something destructive of real life. 

Both of these organizing principles guide and direct the Christian’s life. These opposing principles of living are in conflict with each other every day. This spiritual warfare is continually active, pulling us one way and another. The Gospel helps us focus on the life of God, the will of God, and the way of God. In this way the just live by faith. Faith trusts all the promises and life is rich and full. 

Drawing back from living by faith is living by self. The Lord has no pleasure in such a person. That goes without saying. God is not pleased with our own selfish flesh life, but he is pleased with His Son, Jesus Christ, and with those who believe in Him.

Promise thru Paul 347: Confidence has Reward

347. Confidence has Reward

Hebrews 10:35, 36 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

We have confidence as believers in Jesus Christ, confidence of life after death, confidence of life during this life, confidence of forgiveness of sins, confidence of acceptance with God, confidence of entrance into God’s Presence, confidence of having the ear of the Lord, confidence in the reception of all the promises of God. This confidence has a great reward, reward that is worth having the patience to wait for it.

We need patience because we do not yet see the reward still coming, and we do not experience the rewards that are already ours. Sometimes we need faith to see the impossible. It is there, but it is hard to believe. After you have done the will of God you will receive the promise. “Doing the will of God” = believing in Christ. Hang on to Christ by faith through a whole life long until the end of life, knowing with confidence that you will surely receive the reward.The promise is true; the reward is coming; it is worth waiting for; so be patient.

Therefore, do not throw away your confidence. Confidence and faith is a gift from God. Keep it, cherish it, nourish it, don’t throw it away or let go of it. Practically, this means for us that we must not take it for granted that we are saved, forgiven, and enjoy eternal life. Don’t put your confidence and faith on the shelf, ignore it, and just hope it will be there when you need it or on the day of crisis. This means we can and should pay attention to our confidence by thanking and praising God often with sincere gusto, by listening to the Word of God, by hearing the Gospel with faith every day, by being more aware of the love and presence of God during the day. “Not throwing it away” also means using it often. Remember that we have confidence when things are going well and especially when things are going ill. Keep your confidence active and alive, and use it.

Promise thru Paul 346: Better and Enduring Substance

346. A Better and an Enduring Substance

Hebrews 10:34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.

We have the promise of a better and an enduring substance in heaven. This promise of an enduring substance cannot be stolen, removed, diminished, or taken away. This means that we hold on loosely to the material things of this world, even willingly and joyfully giving them up. The Christian can suffer prison and plunder because he knows he has a substance (inheritance, home and possessions) in heaven that are securely waiting for him.

The truth is hard to believe, but we know it is true: heaven is “more real” than any material substance we can see on earth. It is more real because it endures, because it is forever, because it is untouchable to anyone else but me, because it is secure, because it cannot be taken away from me and I cannot lose it. This promise of a secure future life with God in His eternal realm makes every believer calm and secure in this world and in this time.

The additional piece of this promise is that we actually and really already have this better and enduring substance right now. Though we do not see it or feel it and it is hard to call it real, we have it by faith and can enjoy the present reality of the future promise. It is not so easy to break through the fog of sin and death and enter in behind the curtain, but we still know it is there, it is true, it is real, and it is ours. Faith sees the invisible and faith takes hold of the future. Faith comes by hearing. The more we hear the more we believe; the more we believe the more we see; the more we see the more we enjoy. It is better and enduring.

Promise thru Paul 345: Sprinkled from an Evil Conscience

345. Sprinkled from an Evil Conscience

Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Since we may approach God and enter into His Presence, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. The invitation to prayer is as clear as the message of salvation and acceptance. God dearly wants us to enter in before Him with our prayers and requests. When we do come before the Lord in prayer we can do so with full assurance and acceptance. God graciously invites us in and promises to hear us. 1 John 5:14-15: “If we ask anything according to his will be hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.” Because of Christ we may enter with boldness and draw near with faith.

We know we have the assurance of faith because our hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience. An evil conscience is a conscience that rightly accuses us of sin and guilt; it is not evil because it is wrong but because it is negative. If it is bad for us it is called evil. The conscience is always right, even if it is in error of God’s Law, and it must be listened to. If the conscience should be wrong it is better to correct the conscience according to the Word of God. But the conscience is usually not wrong, so we listen.

When the conscience accuses us of sin and guilt we immediately repent and believe the Gospel. Faith believes the blood of Jesus sprinkles the heart; therefore, it cannot rightly or successfully accuse me of sin and guilt: there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Receive accusations of condemnation and guilt as lies of the devil and not as truth from a purged conscience. Take hold of the promise: “my heart is sprinkled by the blood of Jesus.” Then pray.

Promise thru Paul 344: Boldness to Enter

344. Boldness to Enter

Hebrews 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.

God gave us boldness to enter into the very holiest place in heaven and earth. It is the place where the glory of God is brilliant in the beauty of holiness. Sin and anyone sinful cannot approach the holy presence of God or else he or she would be immediately consumed and destroyed. Consumption and destruction is the only possible outcome if God is really holy and if He will be just. That fact leaves us out, and we don’t want to be consumed by the consuming fire of God. And we don’t have a choice, as there is nothing we can do about it. The only honest thing we can do is deny the existence of God, and just hope He isn’t real. But that’s not a live option, for whether we believe it or not God is still real. And if there is a God, He is holy and just and must consume sin and sinners. He has no choice.

The only solution to the problem is the solution that God actually came up with: send the Son of God into the world to take the sin of the world upon Himself and bear the just judgment upon sin. Thank God for Jesus. He made a way where there is no way. And God will always do that for His created beings: He redeemed them, and He continues to rescue them from evil.

The outcome of God’s executed plan is that by the blood of Jesus we have boldness to enter into the holy presence of God. This boldness to enter involves two things: 1) God forgives and saves and invites us into His holy presence now and forever; 2) God allows us to come into His presence through prayer and faith in the blood of Jesus to have an audience with Almighty God. This means that we may have boldness to pray. Because of Christ God accepts us and listens to us. He may not answer our bold requests the way we want, but He receives the request and listens with a loving ear to His dear children. Therefore, we can be bold to enter, knowing that the Lord will be open and receptive to the needs we express. We may not get what we want, but we will get what God wants. So  be bold to enter.

Promise thru Paul 343: Perfected Forever

343. Perfected Forever

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

Jesus Christ, by His one sacrifice for sin has perfected forever those who are sanctified. This promise is stark and bold because it is in the past tense. This has already happened; it is finished. We can understand this promise if it were future tense: we will be perfected some day and the process of sanctification will be completed upon our own death and resurrection. But for the present we know the truth by which everyone excuses himself or herself: “Nobody’s perfect.”

So how can this be construed as a past event concluded in the past and the effects continue into the future, into our own day? By faith, we believe the promise as true in the present: “He has perfected believers, and these are already sanctified. By the Word of God we boldly contradict the common saying by confessing: “I am perfect forever.” I know this is true and real contrary to all appearances. Experience says, “Nobody’s perfect.” But the Word of Truth says, “I am perfect forever.” Jesus is sanctification and righteousness. In God’s eyes that work is complete, finished forever. It takes a long life and death and resurrection of the body to complete the process and make it real in experience. But that won’t happen until after the resurrection.

However, the future truth is a present hope. Faith makes it substance. By faith, before I die, I am perfect and sanctified, completely righteous. That is what God sees; that is what faith sees. The future invades the present and faith makes it substance. We need this promise because by sight we know it is not true, but by faith we believe it is true. Blessed are those who do not see their perfection but believe it, as God promises. You believe in Jesus; you are sanctified; you are perfected. Your perfection is in Christ: He has earned for you the righteousness of God.

Promise thru Paul 342: Enemies a Footstool

342. Enemies a Footstool

Hebrews 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.

God makes many promises to us about our enemies. This one says that the enemies of Christ, and our enemies, will be made His footstool. The metaphor simply says that our enemies will be completely under His absolute control, which means they will be taken away from harassing, tempting, tormenting, stealing from, destroying us, and generally messing up our lives.

We have many enemies, but all enemy attacks originate from one or more of these three: Sin, Death, and the Devil. These are presently defeated, but their activity continues. They have no real power, but they make us think they do. That’s what makes life hard, stressful, and under a curse. We are in the midst of this spiritual warfare and we do get hurt, but our Savior has won the victory through His violent death and glorious resurrection. We may feel defeated, but that’s not the truth. The Gospel is the true reality; and we need to be reminded often, for they are relentless.

The Bible peels back the veil separating the visible from the invisible world, so that we can see what’s really going on. The Bible also shows us the future, that is, all we need to know about the future. We have seen the end of the book. We wait expectantly until the end of the world, when His enemies are made a footstool under His feet. The Bible is the ultimate story with the ultimate happy ending. Jesus wins. God rules. We live. Absolute Good reigns absolutely over all evil. Our eternal lives will be lived in perfect peace, prosperity and bliss. We can’t even dream about that kind of life; we can’t stretch our imagination to grasp what life would be like without the presence or the threat of Enemies. After the Last Enemy, death, is destroyed, then the kingdoms of the world are turned over to the Kingdom of God, and then finally and forever God will be all in all. We can’t wait. We just pray for enough time for all our loved ones to be saved.

Promise thru Paul 341: One Sacrifice For Sins

341. One Sacrifice for Sins

Hebrews 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.

Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins forever. That includes all our future sins as well as past sins. The promise keeps us secure in the knowledge of God’s Love and faithfulness all of our days until the end of life. After death we will have no more worries, of course. The sacrifice of Christ avails before God on our behalf all the time. No sin, no fear, no doubt, no feeling, no lie can keep us away from that absolute security. There is no need for any further sacrifices on our part. It is done. 

We do, however, make sacrifices every day for the good of others. Even unbelieving parents sacrifice for their children. And how much more so this is true for believers. We give up our own rights to help another; we die to self so others may live better; we surrender our own precious time to give it to someone else; we give away our money and possessions because we love God and others. There are many daily sacrifices we make for other people, or for a greater good; but we never make a sacrifice to appease God or make up for sin. We may selfishly sacrifice something for the sake of more money, pleasure or power (idolatry), Even the world knows one has to give in order to get. But the genuine good works that Christians do are for the benefit of others without expecting anything in return.

But any hint of a Christian making a sacrifice to pay for sin and guilt is unbelief: we don’t believe Jesus’ sacrifice for sin forever, but that we have to add something to what Christ has already done. The debt is paid in full. The sacrifices we make are willing and living sacrifices because Jesus made the sacrifice for us already.

The session at the right hand of God seems to be a big deal to the New Testament writers. It is a big deal because it means that our God-man Savior is ruling things for the eternal good of His people. We need to see by faith this Ruling Lover, the One Who Sacrificed for us, on the throne; He is the one who is in charge of all my life, my family and loved ones, my community, my country, and the whole world. No matter what it looks like, our God and Savior is in charge. And His sacrifice made a safe place and a secure future for us.