AOY 2014: Now Is the Time

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Army Of Youth

Righteousness By Faith

Benjamin Ng

1. Living by faith

Father in Heaven, as we begin our time together this morning, as we come to learn about the topic of faith and righteousness, I pray that you would please bless our time together.

I pray that you would Please send us your Holy Spirit to help us to understand what faith is and also how we can exercise faith as well.

And I pray that you'd help us to focus to concentrate and that we might also give us understanding and knowing how to apply these words to our lives for you pray in Jesus name amen welcome welcome while coming me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 1.

We're not going to be going through the whole book of Romans, but actually the book of Romans is pretty much a whole book on righteousness by faith.

If we had time, we only have 6 sessions unfortunately, but if we had time, we'll go through each chapter from chapter 1 to 8 to help us to go through this topic of righteousness by faith.

But I'm gonna be picking select things to help us to understand about this.

But Romans chapter 1, and we're gonna start reading in verse 17.

Normally I would get people to read but because we have a larger group here and it's being recorded I'm just going to read the text for us.

The Bible says, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from what?

Faith to faith, as it is written, the Just shall live by faith, right?

So the Bible here says that if we want to be just, we have to live by what?

Another word for just, if you look this up in the concordance, another meaning for the word just is righteous.

So when it says here that the just shall live by faith, it's really saying the righteous shall live by faith.

So as we're looking at this topic of faith, what we're really looking here at is righteousness and how we can live a righteous life.

But this verse really sums up what we have just read in the previous verse.

The Bible says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

So tell me, in verse 16, what is the power of God?

I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it, the gospel, is the power of God to salvation.

So, the gospel is the power of God but it's only powerful to them that what?

So the gospel is only the power of God to those that have faith.

And that's why in verse 17, if we read it again now, for therein, the gospel, this is where we find the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith.

Since the beginning of time, men and women have had to live by faith.

You know, sometimes you look at the Old Testament, right?

And you think that these people were disadvantaged because Jesus Christ had never come.

We look at that and go, well, we have an advantage today because we see Jesus on the cross.

They just had a lamb They had to kill, right?

But do you know that the faith of the Old Testament people is exactly the same type of faith that we need today?

Come with me to Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 4.

How do we know that the faith of the people in the Old Testament is the same sort of faith that we need today.

Abel, Cain, Adam and Eve, Seth, Noah, all these people, right?

So in fact, when you read the Old Testament and the things you learn there, it's no different to what we have today.

Hebrews 11 verse 4, Hebrews 11 Verse 4, By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was what?

Now, do you think Abel was less righteous than we are?

If you're righteous, can you be less righteous than another person?

By faith Abel, when he offered his sacrifice, he obtained witness that he was righteous.

And God testifying as his gifts, and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

So Abel in the Old Testament was righteous, and if he was righteous, that means his faith that made him righteous should be the same as ours today, right?

The just shall live by faith, the righteous shall live by faith.

As we're just doing a little introduction here, looking at this topic of what it means to live by faith.

Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, by which he condemned the world and became heir of what?

I want you to understand that as we're looking at the topic of righteousness by faith, what I want you to understand is, it is impossible to be righteous without faith.

It is impossible to be righteous without faith.

And so what we're going to try to look here at is how can we have faith?

Because if you have faith, you have what?

If you have faith you have righteousness.

The faith that Abel had, that Noah had in the Old Testament, the faith that they had in Christ, it had to be in him and nothing else.

Because the Bible says there's no other way that we are saved.

Come with me to Acts chapter 4 and verse 12.

So we're building a foundation because many people look at righteousness by me having to do something.

We have this, I believe even especially as Adventists, because we emphasize the law so much, we have this understanding in our mind that in order to be righteous, and I've taught this before in my era as I've been studying this out, honestly, The word righteousness means what?

Usually, you're right, because we've been looking at this, but usually when we think righteousness is right doing who has to do the right who who knows a more specifically me right but the bible does not say that and we're gonna go through this don't worry I'm setting up a foundation I want to come back to this what I want to show you at this point is the faith of the Old Testament people.

It was no different from the faith that we have to have today.

Hebrews 11, we saw that with Abel and who else?

The Bible there clearly says they were righteous.

But it was because they had a faith unto salvation through Jesus Christ.

2. What is Faith?

Alright, let's bow our heads for a prayer again, shall we?

Father in heaven, may you please continue to guide us and lead us with your spirit and as we dig further into your word and look at some illustrations from your word, I pray that you would please make it very plain and clear to us about faith and also our duty and our part of where we come in in relation to this topic of faith.

Thank you for your prayer in Jesus' name.

So recap, just looking at our definition here.

Faith is expecting the word of God to do what it says and depending upon that word to do or to accomplish what it says.

So, in order to understand this definition, I'm going to give you some examples and we need to go to the Word of God to find where it teaches about this.

And then we'll also read verse 9 as well.

The Bible says, By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Let's follow on from the centurion's illustration, right?

Only by the word of God and nothing else did God call into existence from nothing and turn it into something, okay?

The greater part of the first chapter of the whole Bible, Genesis 1, there are no fewer than 6 distinct statements of faith.

And of course, Genesis 1, verse 1, the Bible says what?

In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.

And I'm gonna show you some statements on faith.

And then you begin to understand, hey, this is the reason why God put creation at the very first chapter.

Do you know Genesis was not the first book written?

But yes, it made sense to put creation first because it's the first thing in the history of our earth right but actually it's almost as if God is trying to tell us if you can't believe creation you know what you won't believe anything else written in here This is the reason why creation and evolution do not go together.

And I'm gonna show you this in a minute, okay?

The Bible says, and God said, let there be light, and there was light.

Verse 6, and God said, let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters.

Every time through the first 6 days of creation, what we see is God speaking.

Faith is the expecting of the word of God to do what it says.

So when God says, let there be this, it created out of nothing.

If 1 second passed for light to be created after God spoke it, you know what we call that?

Because evolution is progression over a course of time.

Even if it just took 1 second for that to appear, that's evolution.

No, As soon as God spoke, bang, it appeared.

When God said, let there be the earth and the grass and the trees and the flowers, bang!

It's the power of the Word of God to expect the word of God to do what it says and then what?

Adam was the last thing, apart from Eve, Adam was the last thing that God created, right?

After Adam, did he still have to create the sun, the moon, the stars?

Did he still have to create trees, or flowers, or birds, or anything?

So when Adam woke up, God's like, I'm done.

Adam's walking with God and he's like, God, where did all this come from?

What would you think Adam's response would be?

No, he would be like, thank you, or, oh, okay.

Because, you know, even though Eve was created after him, he didn't see God create.

What was Adam doing while God created Eve?

And then, when Eve woke up, God took Eve to wake Adam up.

So, even then, Adam was like, when you woke up, there's Eve.

You know, do you think Adam would have said that?

He'd be like, wow, Eve, come here, right?

He even had to depend upon the Word of God and expect that what God said is really what happened.

He wasn't there for creation and neither were we.

The same faith Adam had to exercise in his innocence before sin, is the same thing we have to exercise when we read the Bible and it says, let there be light.

And why is believing in creation so essential as opposed to evolution?

3. Righteousness By Works

What we're going to be looking at is righteousness by faith versus righteousness by works.

Righteousness by faith versus righteousness by works.

So let's begin with a word of prayer, shall we?

Father in heaven, thank you for the good food that you've given to us.

Thank you for this time again that we can come to study your word once more.

I pray that you would please be with us and once again guide us with your spirit, oh Lord, and help us to understand this most important topic of faith.

Thank you for your praying, in Jesus' name, amen.

So I told you we're going to be studying about Abraham.

And before we get into it, I'm gonna be using the whiteboard a lot, so if you would like to move over to this side, I'm sorry, it's not, it's not on wheels, so I can't bring it to the center.

But I like to use the whiteboard when it comes to teaching.

So if you need to move, feel free to move over now so that we don't have to move over in the middle of it.

But for everyone else, let's move over, turn our pages to James chapter 2.

James chapter 2 and starting in verse 20.

And if you're familiar with James chapter 2 especially, you're going to know that it talks a lot about faith and works.

And so yes we are going to look at works for a little bit here, but it's really mainly faith that we are interested in.

But let's go to James chapter 2 and starting in verse 20.

The Bible says, but wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is what?

But then it jumps into this illustration of Abraham, okay?

Was not Abraham our father justified by what?

Okay, give me another word for justified.

So wasn't Abraham our father made righteous by...

I mean, we'll be expecting faith there, right?

But here it says, was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac, his son, upon the altar.

How Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, his son, and he was ready to plunge the knife down and kill his son, right?

Seest thou how faith wrought with works, and by works was faith made what?

Somehow works has a role in making faith perfect.

Which means, follow along with me for a minute, which means the time before Abraham was ready to offer his son Isaac, Abraham's faith was not what?

Abraham's faith was not perfect before God called him to offer his son Isaac on the altar.

But then, verse 23, and the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.

So look, Here is the perfect example of mingling together of faith and works.

In your Bibles, does anybody have a center column reference in your Bible?

You know, like my Bible has a middle column reference.

Because you look it up and the center column will tell you where this is from.

But does anybody know, In verse 23 of James 2, it says, Abraham believed God.

The scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God and it was imputed on him for righteousness.

James is quoting from the Old Testament here.

Ah, have you got a Southern Column reference there?

Okay, so Genesis chapter 15, let's all go there, and I want to start actually in verse 1, but we're going to make our way all the way to verse 6.

We're going to start in verse 1, but we're going to make our way all the way to verse 6.

Okay, Genesis 15, let's pick it up in verse 1.

After these things the word of the lord came unto abraham in a vision saying fear not abraham abraham sorry I am die shield and I exceeding great reward and abraham said lord god what will that give me seeing I go childless understood of my house is this aliaza of damascus So what is Abraham saying to God?

He's saying, look, I haven't got any seed, but look, my servant is really faithful, Eliezer.

In other words, he's like, please bless him, right?

Let him be the inheritor of this promise.

And Abraham said, behold, to me thou has given me no seed, and lo, 1 born in my house is mine heir.

Verse 4, And behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir.

So he said, Eliezer is not going to be that heir, okay?

Even though you think he's a good man and maybe he was born in your house and became your servant, that's not the 1.

But he that shall come forth out of Thine own bowels shall be thine heir.

It's going to be your biological son that will be the heir.

Then verse 5, And he brought him forth abroad and said, Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them.

And he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

And then verse 6 is where James quoted from, And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness.

That he would have an heir from his own bowels, right?

At that time did he have any heir from his own bowels?

But yet the Bible said he believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.

He hadn't done anything except, God, I believe you.

So, Could we say that Abraham had faith at this point in time?

But remember, we saw in James 2 that his faith was not perfect until when?

When he held, he was ready to sacrifice his son by plunging that knife down into his heart or wherever and kill him, right?

4. Saving Faith

Father in heaven, thank you for this day again that you've given to us for the gift of life.

Thank you for bringing us here again to study your word and I pray that you would please be with us.

Help us to continue to understand in a deeper way what it means to exercise faith.

And I pray Lord that you would guide us through this time.

Okay, today what I want to do is in this session look at saving faith.

And we already know that, but I'm gonna give you another few examples from the Bible, okay?

About how essential faith is to our salvation.

And it's interesting, as I was sitting there in the morning devotion, were you thinking about righteousness by faith?

And then he quoted again Hebrews 11 verse 7, right?

And We look at that righteousness but like I said many times we miss out faith which is so important which is so essential for us to be saved.

Let's go to Romans chapter 10 Romans chapter 10 starting in verse 6.

We're going to read all the way to verse 9.

And today, yes, we're going to put the finishing touches on the importance of the law of God for obedience and everything but in Romans chapter 10 verse 6 the Bible begins by saying this but the righteousness which is of what?

Faith speaketh on this wise say not in thine heart who shall ascend to heaven that is to bring Christ down from above or who shall descend into the deep that is to bring Christ again from the dead, but what saith it, the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that is the word of what?

Faith, which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

How are we saved according to those last 2 verses or even that last verse?

Look, The only way that we can be saved is once again through belief.

And you know, if we have that faith, the Bible says we will what?

But in verse 8 it says, What saith it, the word is nigh in thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart.

So Somehow faith has also got to do with the application of us confessing or speaking from our heart.

And that's why Noah was a preacher of righteousness.

Because when he had faith, the faith led him to do things that were already in his heart.

And that's something that really runs through many of these characters that we've talked about and even the character that was highlighted this morning in Noah.

You see, we looked at Abraham yesterday, right?

And we looked at a few things about Abraham.

Did Abraham know God's command in Genesis 12, verse 1 and 2?

Okay, what was the command of God in Genesis 12, 1 and 2?

Leave your house, leave your kindred, everybody, right?

But then when it came to Genesis 22 and he wanted him to offer his son Isaac on a mountain, right?

He had no idea why God wanted him to do this, except the command was clear.

He didn't understand the reason, yet he still obeyed.

Series

Righteousness By Faith

2. What is Faith?

Transcript

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