Sermon Notes 8/17: By Faith: Creation and The life of Able
- David Campbell Jr.
- Aug 18
- 6 min read
By Faith: Creation and The Life of Able
Hebrews 11:3
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.[1]
1. By Faith we Understand
a. “By faith we understand”
b. Without faith in Jesus Christ we don’t have The Holy Spirit
c. It is The Holy Spirit who leads and guides us into all truth
d. John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
e. “by faith,” meaning trust, reliance, or confident belief in God’s character and promises.
f. “we understand,” meaning to perceive with the mind, grasp intellectually, or comprehend through divine illumination.
g. We see that there is a connection between faith and understanding
h. There are many who reject God because in their rational human minds they can’t understand Him
i. But it is God who grants us faith as a gift
j. It is God who opens our eyes
2. By faith we understand God has Created all things
a. “The universe was formed at God’s command”
b. All things are created by His command
c. He said let there be light
d. He spoke all things into existence
e. “was formed/made ready,” meaning perfectly fitted or arranged.
i. Everything God does is by design
ii. He is sovereign over all creation
f. by the word of God,” meaning His spoken decree or utterance, powerful and effective.
i. This truly shows us how awesome God is
ii. All things created by His decree
iii. His word will not return void
iv. Why this is so important to understand is what we have that we build our faith on is His word
v. The writer of Hebrews is showing us the power of His word
vi. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.[2]
vii. He has already shown us that the word of God is Living and Active
viii. By His word all things were created and all things are accomplished
3. God who is unseen, is the source of all that is seen
a. “What is seen was not made out of what was visible”
b. “what is seen,” referring to the physical, observable creation.
c. “from visible things,” stressing that creation’s origin is not from pre-existing matter.
d. This is where we get the concept of ex nihilo (“out of nothing”),
i. Everything we see with our physical eye was created by the one we cannot see with our physical eye
ii. Romans 1:19-20 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.[3]
e. All that is physical is under God’s control
f. But the only way we can understand this is by faith
g. Many have created many theories regarding the how life began
h. But without a living relationship with the Living God every conclusion will fall flat
i. God created all things in 6 days and did so by His spoken word
ii. Each time God created, He said
iii. What is seen was not made out of what was visible
Hebrews 11:4
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.[4]
1. Able’s sacrifice was received by faith
a. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain
b. Both Cain and Able brought a sacrifice
c. Genesis 4:3-5 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell[5]
d. The writer of Hebrews shows us that the reason Able’s sacrifice was received was because of his faith
e. God always examines the heart
f. The difference we see in these two men is one was a man who walked by faith and one was he who was led by his sinful nature
2. Able was declared righteous by faith
a. through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts
b. Able’s commendation is because of His faith
c. Matthew 23:35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.[6]
d. Faith is the only thing that makes any of us righteous before God
3. By faith Able has a lasting testimony
a. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.[7]
b. Able because of his faithfulness to the Lord, leaves a legacy
c. Though he was murdered by his brother, we today still read about his faithfulness to God
d. What type of legacy do we desire to leave upon this earth?
i. One of faithfulness or unbelief?
4. By Faith Able had victory over death
a. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.[8]
b. Death cannot silence the legacy and life lived by the faithful
i. Every single one of us overcomes death and its power by faith in Jesus Christ
ii. The devil may try to freighten us with persecution and suffering
iii. But it is God who sustains us and the things done on this earth in the name of Christ will echo in the halls of eternity
c. Revelation 12:11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death[9]
d. Our citizenship is heaven and our eyes must be fixed upon our Lord and Savior
e. Able’s life is marked by faith in the Living God
Conclusion
What creation and Able’s life shows us is
Our ability to rightly understand God comes by faith
Our ability to overcome death and be declared righteous by God only comes by faith
Jesus said He is the door
He said I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me
Man cannot understand God on His own
Man cannot find God on His own
It is God who must draw and it is God who must invite
He cannot scientifically prove that God exist
Many will doubt the existence of God because they cannot prove His existence
But what God has shown us today is that it is only by faith that we understand
It is only by faith that our worship is accepted and we are accepted
We must hold fast to the faith we have in Jesus Christ
Today the invitation goes forth to approach the Living God by faith in Jesus Christ
[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:3.
[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 4:12.
[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 1:19–20.
[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:4.
[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ge 4:3–5.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 23:35.
[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:4.
[8] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Heb 11:4.
[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 12:11.
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