Our trust is in His holy name. Thy mercy, Lord, in faith we claim, as we have hoped in Thee. That's what we just sang together. That's the language of faith. How many of us sang it in truth? Thy mercy, Lord, in faith we claim, Will they hold on it as we have hoped in thee? A few weeks ago we began a series of sermon on the order of salvation. We entitled it, Saved by Grace. And as a foundation we looked at Ephesians 2 verse 8, For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. We've looked together at what is all involved in that order of salvation, and we saw that it begins with the effectual call, the call of the gospel brought home by the Holy Spirit in the heart of a sinner, by which word he regenerates that sinner, brings him to life from death, and gives him conversion. Last time we looked together at repentance and we said that's one side of the coin of conversion. The other side is faith. And that's the side we have to look at today. You think children of a coin, of a one dollar coin, a loonie. And if you look at it, not like this, but on its edge, look at it on its edge and then try to cut that coin in half. It would be possible to cut it in half, but once you've cut it in half, it's not worth anything anymore. So we should look at repentance and faith as two sides of one coin. You cannot have the one without the other. So when we spoke of repentance, I said you can't do that without faith. When we speak of faith today, that's impossible without repentance. Faith and repentance, two sides of the same coin. Today then, we look at And our text, among many others, is Hebrews 11, verse 1. Now, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. That person and others, as we have a topical sermon, and we will consider our theme, the faith that saves. Saving faith. First, we want to see what is it? And secondly, may I do it? And thirdly, can I be sure of it? The faith that saves, what is it? May I do faith? And can I be sure of it? The classic definition of faith is Hebrews 11 verse 1. But we have to realize that Hebrews 11 verse 1 follows the last verses of Hebrews 10. There I read in verse 38 an interesting little phrase, Now the just shall live by faith. The just, another name for those who have been justified, those who are believers in the Lord Jesus, they shall live by faith. And in verse 39, Paul says, We are of them that believe. to the saving of the soul, and the word believed there is simply the verb of that word faith. But Paul, what is faith? What is that faith whereby the just shall live, and what is that faith whereby souls are saved? And he says it, well, faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. The word substance there is not a word we use very often anymore, though we could. We could say, the substance of something is the reality of it. The reality of it. It's better translated here, it is the confidence. Confidence about things that we hope for. Children, if you're hoping for a certain present for your birthday, you are hoping for it. And sometimes you can even be confident that you will get it. But that doesn't mean you have it yet. But it's a confidence about something you're hoping for, and an evidence of things not seen. An evidence, a conviction of things that are not seen. That's what faith is. So you're hoping for this present, you haven't seen it yet, but you're confident about it? And now faith would be this, that you have a conviction that you're going to get it. That it's real and it's going to be yours. A conviction about things that are not seen. Even if you haven't seen it, you're still convinced. It's real and you're going to get it. Faith. Evidence. things not seen, the substance of things hoped for. By that faith, says the writer of Hebrews in verse 2, the elders obtained a good report. So the Old Testament saints They have been enabled to do things by faith, they have suffered things by faith, they have obtained blessings by faith, and their names and their experiences of faith are all recorded here in Hebrews 11, in God's book. And He has given them a good report. They obtained a good report by this faith. And then we have an illustration, by way of example, how this works. Think of how the world was created. that belongs to those things that are unseen. None of us here was there when the world was created. So we didn't see it. And we have questions. Was it made out of nothing? Was it made out of something that already existed? Was it really made in six 24-hour days? Or did it evolve over millions and billions of years, as the evolutionists would have us believe? Well, in Scripture we have this, through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. God gives a revelation. on creation. And our knowledge comes from that revelation. And it is because we believe what is written in Genesis 1 verse 1, in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It's because we believe that we know that. The universe is commanded to be by the word of God. And that's why we conclude by faith. I know God created the world out of nothing. And I know that even if I didn't see it. Even if I wasn't there. Because God told me so. Told me so in the Holy Bible. And I believe that Bible. And by believing, or by faith, I understand that the world was framed by the Word of God. That's one type of faith. You're not saved by believing that God created the world. But it's a type of faith. It's an example of how it works. Even if we can't see it, we weren't there when God did this. But we believe it because He said so. The faith that saves, you see, doesn't have as the object the creation of the world, but has as its object God's only begotten Son. And the faith that saves responds to what God's word says about that son. With an assured conviction that the gospel is true. And it trusts and relies on God in Christ Jesus for salvation. And all of this is the gift of God. That's what we've seen all along, isn't it? Regeneration is the gift of God. Calling is the gift of God. Repentance is the gift of God. Faith is too. Philippians 1 verse 29, For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ to believe on him. So when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that is a gift from God himself to you. So faith, evidence, and substance things that you hope for, and things that are not seen. Now that faith, children, has three parts to it. It's easy to remember. Knowledge, assent, and trust. K-A-T. Remember that. K-A-T. Knowledge, assent, and trust. You must have knowledge of something in order to have the faith that saves. You can't have faith in someone you don't know. And you can't have saving faith unless you know the right things about this person, Jesus Christ. If someone says to you, I believe in Jesus and have never heard anything about Him, and it's just a popular thing to say, then you know that can't be. You can't believe in someone you've never heard about. If a Jehovah's Witness says to you, I have faith in Jesus, that's not that faith that saves, because he doesn't have the faith in the Jesus of the Holy Scripture. He doesn't believe that this Jesus is the Son of God. No, we need true knowledge. True knowledge, scriptural knowledge, scriptural understanding. Without it, there can be no true faith. The Lord Jesus stresses that with his disciples after he is risen from the dead and he's speaking to those men on the way to Emmaus. He opened their understanding. that they might understand the scriptures. He wanted them to know. He wanted them to understand what was all happening. And he explained to them what all the prophets and the Psalms and was all explaining of him. The whole scripture, he explained it to them. And Paul stresses the importance of knowledge in the faith that saves. Think what he says in Romans 10 verse 13. Whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Wonderful news, Paul. Whoever calls in the name of the Lord shall be saved. But how shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they haven't heard? They need to know this person first. Someone has to tell them. How shall they hear without a preacher? Faith comes by hearing. And hearing by the Word of God, we need to know, we need knowledge. No, we can never understand God and Christ completely. We will never have perfect knowledge, yet it will always be scriptural knowledge, a knowledge of God's revelation, a knowledge of the Word of God, a certain knowledge whereby a hold for truth, all that God has revealed to us in His Word. The faith that saves embraces the truth of the gospel. So how much knowledge do you need? How much knowledge is necessary? How much gospel must you know in order to be saved? Some people say, I'm sure I don't know enough. I don't know my sins deep enough. I don't know enough about the Lord Jesus and how his death on the cross saves me. I don't know enough about how grace and salvation works. I don't know how repenting and faith goes together. I don't know enough. Well, how much do you need to know then? You need to know enough to realize you are a sinner who needs to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. That's what you need to know. You need to know enough to realize, I cannot save myself. You need to know enough that it is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can redeem you from sin and from the wrath of God. You need to know enough to realize that this Jesus suffered and died and rose again from the dead for sinners like you. We use one scriptural example. How much did the thief on the cross know? Truly, he knew enough to say, I am being punished justly. But this man, this Jesus Christ, has done nothing amiss. He knew enough to say to the Lord Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. That was enough knowledge for the thief on the cross. Do you know that much? By the grace of God, through the revelation of his Holy Spirit, bringing his word home to your very heart. Do you know this much? We indeed justly, that this man, this Jesus Christ, has done nothing amiss. Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. You need knowledge, but knowledge alone will not save you. There are children here who have very much Bible knowledge. If we would have a Bible quiz, there are some here who would have all the answers. But that doesn't save you. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 8 verse 1, knowledge puffeth up. Knowledge all by itself causes conceit or arrogance. I read a story as an illustration of how this works, this knowledge thing. Think about being in a strange high-rise building. In the middle of the night, the fire alarm goes off, and you start to smell the smoke. You stick your head out of the door, and you can't see because it's all smoky and hazy, and so you cry out, where's the exit? You realize at that moment, I have to get out of here, or I'm going to die. Where's the exit? And then you hear somebody's voice coming through the smoke, go down the hallway, turn left, down one flight of stairs, and the exit is on the right-hand side. And I'm sure that at that time you're paying very careful attention to know exactly where that exit is. And now you know where the exit is, remember? Down the hallway, turn left, down one flight of stairs, and the exit is on the right. And so now you can just stand there and say, good, I know where the exit is. we would think that person is foolish, wouldn't we? Knowing where the exit is doesn't save you. It's wonderful knowledge, but it will not save you. You still have to run down the hallway, and go to the left, and go down that flight of stairs and find the exit on the right, and you're not out, you're not saved until you do that. So, you are not saved by knowing the truth, But you can't be saved without knowing the truth. So knowledge is necessary, even though knowledge all by itself will not save you. Something more is needed. You need assent. You need to be convinced that this is indeed the truth. When that person yells, where the exit is, you need to be convinced that he's telling you the truth. That you can take him at his word. And that's what faith does. The faith that saves firmly accepts the doctrine of God's word as true. This book, everything it says is true. Whatever it says about me. If it says you are dead in trespasses and sins, that's true. You are a child of wrath, even as others. It's true. If it says Christ Jesus came and by faith in Him you can be saved, I say that's true. If salvation is through faith in Christ the Son, then it's true and I believe it and I acknowledge it. This is what I need. I know now what the truth is and I'm convinced that that's what I need. But even though I'm convinced that that's what I need, even though I'm convinced that if I if I would go down the stairs and the exit would be on the right side, that doesn't save me. Knowing it and being convinced of it still doesn't save me. There's one thing more I need to do. I need to trust this truth. I need to trust this person of whom the gospel speaks. The faith that saves doesn't trust me. It trusts a person, Christ Jesus, and it leans completely on Christ for salvation. It rests wholeheartedly on Christ's finished work. The object of the faith that saves is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And by faith, He is precious to a believer. And faith accepts what he has done as having been done for me. Then I trust that what scripture says is true. And I believe that he has done it for me. Faith is not only knowledge, but also an assured confidence that the Holy Spirit works in my heart by the gospel that not only to others, but to me also remission of sins, everlasting life, and salvation and righteousness are freely given of God for the sake of Christ's merits. Knowledge, assent and trust, you could say it this way, knowledge, conviction and commitment, you find it all in verse 2 Timothy 2 2 Timothy 1 verse 12, Paul says, I know whom I have believed. There is his knowledge. I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed. There is his conviction, his assent. I have committed unto him until that day. Knowledge, assent and trust. Knowledge, conviction, commitment. All three are faith. Truth-saving faith always ends in personal commitment to this Savior. Salespeople know how that works. If you're a salesperson and you have to make your sales pitch or your presentation to the people, you know that At some point, you'll want that person to sign his name on the dotted line. If they say to you, I know that that thing that you're selling is a very good product, then you still haven't made a sale, have you? If they say to you, I believe I need one of those in my house, then you still haven't made a sale. But when they say, where do I sign? Then you know you've made a sale. It's not enough for us to say, I believe salvation is very beautiful. I believe that the Lord Jesus died on a cross to save sinners. That's wonderful to say that and to believe that and to acknowledge that. And to say, I believe that anyone who comes to the Lord Jesus Christ on his knees repenting and asking for his forgiveness and believing in him will be saved. Anybody can do that. That's wonderful too, but then you're still not saved. You're not saved till you do that yourself. On your knees before Almighty God, confessing your sins, repenting, and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think of a young couple, a young man who's beginning a relationship with a beautiful young lady. And he says to himself, I sure love this person. I like this person. I want to know more about her. I want to learn more. Then he comes to a point where he says, I want to marry this girl. I want to get married to her. But he's still not married yet, is he? He's not married until he stands here in front of the minister in God, in the presence of the Christian witnesses, and says, I do. Then he's married. But not until then. And it's not until you say, I do, to Christ's I do, that you are saved. On the cross, Christ says, I do. And in faith, the believer says, I do trust. I do believe that he did it. for me. Faith. May I do this. May you do this. It's an important question, don't you think? We are all sinners. How do I know when I believe that I will be accepted? How do I know that the Lord Jesus Christ will save me if I do this. It's all fine and dandy for a minister to tell me these things, but how can I know that Christ Jesus is willing to save me? I may believe He was willing to save everybody, but right now I'm concerned about me. How may I know? I know something of the reality of God's wrath against sin. I heard it this morning poured out on Christ. But how may I know that I may believe this gospel? Another way of saying it is, what is the warrant for faith? How may I know? One way we may know is to look at Scripture. We find in scripture a universal free offer of the gospel. Universal says it comes to everybody, without exception. Anyone who hears the gospel has the free offer of the gospel. And you can see it as an invitation, which is what it is. You can see it as a command, which is what it is. You can see it as promises, which is all what it is. And that offer comes to all without distinction or without discrimination. In the Old Testament already it came. Saving grace revealed to the people of Israel. Psalm 76. In Judah is God known, His name is great in Israel. In Salem is His tabernacle, His dwelling place in Zion. But you say, but that's only for the Jews. And then the word Jesus comes along and He says to that lady, salvation is of the Jews. So the gospel call came to God's covenant people. But already in the Old Testament, that gospel offer was universal to the ends of the world. Isaiah 45 verse 21, There is no God else beside me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Look unto me and be ye saved. Who? all the ends of the earth. Now, all the ends of the earth includes Jordan Station, Ontario. All the ends of the earth includes every person here. It's an invitation from God himself who says, there's no other God besides me. Now look unto me and be saved. All the ends of the earth, my dear friend, that includes you. This gospel offer comes to you. There's no more distinction between Jews and Gentiles. In the Great Commission, the Lord Jesus says to his disciples, go therefore and teach or make disciples of all nations, all nations, including Canada. In Revelation 22, verse 17, whosoever will, let him take the water of life. John 6, verse 37, Him that comes to me, I will in no wise cast out. John 3, verse 16, whoever believes on the Lord Jesus Christ shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Anytime it says whoever, that's exactly what it means. Whoever. That's you, my friend. When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be saved. God not only invites, and promises, but he also commands in the gospel. God commands you to repent and believe. That was Jesus' first sermon. Repent, therefore, and believe the gospel. There can be no argument against God's command. Last time we heard that God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent. You can't repent without faith. You can't believe without repentance. Two sides of the same coin. And from God's command, no one is excluded. Everyone who hears the gospel is invited. Everyone who hears the gospel is commanded to believe. That's one answer to the question, may I believe? Yes, you may. And not only that, you must believe or perish. Think also of the all-sufficiency, think of the suitability of the Savior. Remember what it says in Hebrews 7 verse 25, He is able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. The sufficiency of the Savior, the sufficiency of Christ, rests on His work. As He dies on the cross, as He rises again from the dead, His sufficiency continues today. He is still living, still working at the right hand of God. He continues. He saves sinners today. He gives eternal life. When Christ is proclaimed in the Gospel, it is as the Savior, the only Savior, Not just the possibility to be saved is offered, but the Savior Himself. God offers you His Son. Perfect salvation. And there's no restriction to the offer. It's a full and a free offer. So we say again, to the answer to the question, may I believe the gospel? Yes. You may. God has said so. Jesus Christ has said so. He signed his promises in his blood. And not only may you, but you must believe the gospel. You must do faith. There is no other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved. So what is faith? Substance and evidence of things we hope for, things we haven't seen. Knowledge, assent and trust. May I do it? Oh yes, you may do it today. And you must do it today or perish everlastingly. Faith is not the belief that you are saved, but trusting in Christ in order to be saved. Christ is presented and offered to all without distinction, so that we may all and trust ourselves to Him for salvation. Some people make the mistake of saying the gospel offer is restricted to the elect only. But that's not so. The gospel offer is not only for those for whom Christ has died. The warrant for faith is not a conviction that we are elect And we're starting in the wrong place. But the fact that Christ Jesus is presented to us in his perfection, in the all sufficiency of his finished work, he is freely offered to us. We come to Christ. We commit ourselves to him for salvation as guilty sinners, not as people who are assured that we are elect. That comes later. It doesn't come up front. We entrust ourselves to Him not because we believe we have been saved, but we entrust ourselves to Him as sinners in order to be saved. In our lost condition, the warrant to faith is given without restrictions. The mercy of God in Christ Jesus is offered to the lost. The promise of grace is guaranteed by the truthfulness and the faithfulness of God Himself. And on that ground, you may commit yourself to Christ. full assurance, full confidence, that when you do so, you shall be saved. There is no sinner to whom the gospel comes who is excluded from that divine warrant, from that confidence, because it is based on the truthfulness and the faithfulness of God Himself. And it is signed with the blood of Christ Jesus the Lord. May I do faith? May you do faith? Yes, you may. And yes, you must. You must. Faith that says, can I be sure of this? Can I be sure of it? Seems to be a struggle for many people. To know of the reality of faith and how is that connected with assurance of faith? Some make the mistake of saying, unless you have a faith that is full of assurance, unless that's there, then it's not really faith. It's not true. That's not what Scripture says. Scripture teaches about assurance of faith. And first of all, Scripture teaches that faith should carry assurance with it. Think of Hebrews 11 verse 1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11 verse 6. He that comes to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. So already there in the definition of faith, there is this confidence and a conviction of these things. John writes in 1 John 5.13, These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life now, as a present reality. That speaks of assurance that is included in faith. It comes with knowledge that you may know that you have eternal life. So there are those kind of scriptures that teach that assurance is already there from the very beginning. There are also scriptures that indicate that believers at times lack assurance. If you just think of the way the Lord Jesus had to speak to His disciples so often. Matthew 6 verse 30, O ye of little faith, Matthew 8, verse 26, Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Matthew 14, verse 31, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? In Luke 17, the Apostle said to the Lord, Increase our faith. Another man says, I believe, help thou my unbelief. So you see, in Scripture are also these examples of believers possessing full assurance, not all the time. Sometimes they're deprived of that assurance even after they have enjoyed it for a while. But there's also scriptures that indicate the need for cultivating this, to seek after it, to make it your work, to have greater assurance of faith. 2 Peter 1 verse 10, Wherefore, the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Make it your diligent work to gain this assurance. He urges them to strengthen their assurance that they are called and chosen. So that proves that assurance is not only possible, but that it's desirable and that it's obtainable. Be diligent to make your calling and election sure. I read in 1 John 5 verse 10, he that believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself. So there's a witness inside a believer that tells him, I believe on the Son of God. And then I read in Romans 8, 16, that the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. So there is this Holy Spirit bearing witness, testifying together with our spirits. A continuing witness is the way it's written there. Continuous action, a joint witness with our spirit. When we believe on the Son of God, we have that witness in us. And the Holy Spirit confirms the witness of our own spirits that we are the children of God. And it's a confirming testimony. It's a continuing, growing assurance. The way it's written, it's not something that comes only once. It doesn't only come in some sudden, dramatic experience or some ecstatic moment that we have. No, it's a continuous action throughout the life of a believer. The Holy Spirit is at work. testifying with our spirits that we are the children of God. And he works it through the gospel, through the preaching of the word. He works it through various types of trials and experiences of our lives, whereby we are drawn more and more to the Lord once again. A lifelong, gradual process, little by little, becoming more and more assured of our salvation. Believers for themselves may and do obtain assurance, we confess in the canons of Dort, according to the measure of their faith, whereby they arrive at a certain persuasion that they ever will continue true and living members of the Church. that they experience the forgiveness of sins and will at last inherit eternal life. So there is this assurance. It is obtainable for God's people. It is a gift of the Spirit. And we are to give diligence to make our election and calling sure. And Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13 verse 5, examine yourselves. Whether you be in the faith. Prove your own selves. As we come to a close here now this afternoon, when we have considered the faith that saves, we are called to examine ourselves. Whether you be in the faith. Not whether you have any faith. That's not what it says. But whether you are living in the faith. Are you a believing person? It's not asking, did you have some kind of peculiar revelation outside of Scripture? Did you hear a voice sometime? No. Are you a believing person? Do you believe more and more God's promises? that He has so abundantly revealed in His Word for your comfort. Oh, I know, I know you have to struggle throughout this life with various doubts and fears. And I know that you must know something of this witness of the Holy Spirit witnessing with your spirit that you are a child. Are you in the faith? Oh, I know. I know we're not always sensible of that testimony of the Spirit. We don't always know exactly when it's going on. Sometimes we're not even sure of our faith. We often fear that we will not even persevere to the end. But in all of life's perplexities and trials and joys Are you directed to Christ Jesus? Do you look to Him again and again and find in Him all that you need? Is your experience the experience of true believers? How can you know? Read your Bible. It's in there. There can be times Maybe you have this too, I do, that you're so disgusted with yourself, so sick and tired of your own sins, that just will not knuckle under, that you say it's a wonder God would even look at me ever again. What a rebellious, proud, self-centered creature I am. And yet, I cannot let go of the Lord Jesus Christ. I cling to the mercies of the Almighty God. Paul speaks the same kind of language, doesn't he, in Romans 7. We're going to close with Romans 7, 24 and 25. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the first verse of chapter 8. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Let's pray. Lord, our God and merciful father, we thank you for that precious holy word. We thank you, Lord, for this word that instructs us not only about what faith is. But also answers the question for us, whether we may do this. And we have learned this afternoon, Lord, that not only may we. Not only are we invited, But we must, we are commanded to believe on the Son of God, to repent of our sins, to believe the Gospel. We also have learned, O Lord, that faith assurance is obtainable even by the weakest believer, by looking unto Christ Jesus, by believing more and more the Gospel promises, by heeding the voice of the Spirit, witnessing with our spirits that we are the children of God. Oh, Lord, help us in this week to focus on Christ and on Christ alone. Give us growth in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Lord, be with those who as of yet are still living. in disbelief and unbelief and rebellion against thee, who will not bow, who will not believe the gospel. O Lord, wilt thou overpower them even in this day? We know, O Lord, that thy Holy Spirit is the one who does this work, and we beseech thee, do it in this day, that none of our loved ones may be left behind, that no one in this congregation may dare stay away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord be with us this week. Bring us back again on Thursday evening and on Friday morning. We pray it in Jesus name. Amen.