Good morning!  Fortunately for all of us, I once again have a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon!  Here it is:

(cartoon)

Do you ever wish that getting clean was that easy?  Don’t you sometimes wish that God could just toss you in a cosmic washing machine and the job would be done?

Last week we talked about the reality that the wages of sin is death.  We talked about how destructive sin is, and how wonderful our savior is.

Are you convinced that sin destroys you?  Have you given God permission to clean you?  Have you decided that you want to invest the rest of your life in becoming pure and holy?

Sin kills us.  The only way to live is to die to sin.  Remember 1 Peter 2:24?  “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”

Jesus died so that we can live.  And living means dying to sin.

And this is the question for us today:  How do we die to sin?  How can we be clean?  How do we experience this salvation from sin?

The answer is this: by faith.

We experience salvation from sin by living a life of faith.

Please turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11.  As we look at some heroes in the faith, we are going to see five clear principles for living a life of faith.

The first thing we can do to live lives of faith is this:  Firmly believe in the reward.

In Hebrews 11:6, we read:  “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Do you firmly believe in the reward of seeking God?  Are you totally convinced that you will have the best life you could possibly have only by seeking God?

Living a life of faith means being confident that God rewards those who seek him.  Let’s remind ourselves of the rewards that God promises us when we seek Him:

According to Galatians 5:22-23, if you live with God your life will be one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  How is that for a reward?  Do you want that to characterize your life?

How about John 10:10; Jesus says that he came to give “life and life to the full.”

How about the reward promised throughout scripture of eternal life?  Do you want to live forever?

How about the promise in Jeremiah 29:11; God promises to prosper us and to give us hope and a future.

How about freedom?  Do you want to be free?  Jesus says, “If the son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Is there any question about the desirability of the rewards that God promises us?  Pour over scripture and honestly ask yourself: “do I want the life that God offers me?”

It is a no-brainer!  The rewards are beyond comprehension!  As we read in Ephesians 3:20, God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!

So the first thing to living a life of faith is firmly believing in the rewards of living for God.

And the second thing that we can do to live lives of faith is this:  Accept the reality of judgment.

In Hebrews 11:7, we read:  "By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."

Isn’t it cool how Noah was so pragmatic?  God said, “Noah, I am going to send a big flood.  Build an ark and save yourself and your family.”

What did Noah do?  He built an ark and saved himself and his family.  That is living a life of faith.

And God has given us the same warning.  Though God is not going to flood the world again, we have the promise from God that we will all one day stand before Him and give an account of our lives.

God told Noah to build a big boat to float through the storm.  God tells us to build lives founded on the rock, Jesus Christ… and that only then will we survive the storm.

We read in Matthew 7:24-27:  "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

What is the key?  Obedience to God.  Living by faith means seeking out God’s commands and obeying them.  Why?  Because we recognize that judgment is coming.  The flood is coming.  The storms are coming.  Find out how to please God so that your life will stand through the storm.

Are you seeking out God’s commands?  Are you reading God’s Word daily searching for ways that you can obey Him?  Are you talking with God throughout your days, asking God how you can please Him?

Noah lived a life of faith.  How?  By obeying God.  God said, “Build an Ark.”  And Noah built an ark.  And the result?  He saved himself and his family.

Let us do the same thing!  Let us listen and obey.

And the third thing we can do to live lives of faith is:  Interest yourself in the Kingdom of God.

Have you seen recently articles online and in the newspapers about people struggling in these tough economic times?  I just read about a 46-year-old man who had a high-salary job in the banking industry.  Just a year ago he was living in lavish luxury, driving fancy cars and going on expensive vacations.  Well, he recently lost his job and had to move in with his mother… and now he is trying to find a job – any job.

There are so many people today who have invested their lives in this world, and now they are realizing that this world is not the best place to invest in!

Where does your interest lie?

Consider the example of Abraham:

In Hebrews 11:8-16, we read:  "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.  By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.  For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.  By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised.  Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.  These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.  If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city."

Notice from this passage why Abraham is commended:

•    In verse 8 we read that he left his home in obedience to God.
•    In verse 10 we read that he was ‘looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.’
•    In verse 13 we read that he acknowledged he was a stranger and exile on earth.
•    In verse 16 we read that he ‘desired a better country… a heavenly one.’

What are all of these verses highlighting?  That Abraham was not interested in this world.  He cared more for the Kingdom of God than he did for the things of this world.

Do we see ourselves as strangers and exiles on earth?  Are we dreaming of a better country… a heavenly one?

What do you dream of?  What is the default thing you think about?  What is the default thing we do with our time?  With our money?  Are we people who pour over missionary magazines because we can’t wait to see the world know Christ?  Do we read books that build us up in the faith?  Do we long for intimate Christian fellowship?

Are we primarily interested in worldly success?  Or are we more interested in the Kingdom of God?

And the fourth thing that we can do to live lives of faith is:  Turn it all over.

In Hebrews 11:17-19, we read:  "By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.'  He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back."

Abraham was completely turned over to God.  Abraham loved his son Isaac.  And in Isaac was held the promise of God, for God had promised that he would multiply Abraham’s descendants through Isaac.  So when God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, what does Abraham do?

He just does it.  Right away.  When he hears the voice of God, he obeys, no matter what the cost.  Abraham turned everything in his life over to God, including his own beloved son.  Abraham was a man set on one thing: obeying God.

Are you set on one thing?  Obeying God?

Listen to this description of a zealous Christian from Bishop Ryle (quoted in the book True Discipleship, by William MacDonald.)

A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies—whether he has health, or whether he has sickness—whether he is rich, or whether he is poor—whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offence—whether he is wise, or whether he is thought foolish—whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise—whether he gets honor, or whether he gets shame—for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it—he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray… if he cannot fight in the valley of Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of “zeal” in religion.”

Abraham lived a life of faith because he turned it all over to God.  Let us turn our lives over to God… let us turn our lives completely over to God; that is what it means to live by faith.

And the fifth thing that we can do to live a life of faith is this:  Have a willingness to suffer.

Do you ever wonder why Moses was used by God in such great ways?  Listen to Hebrews 11:24-26:  "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward."

Moses was willing to suffer.  Notice, though, that suffering for the sake of suffering is nowhere praised.  Moses is here praised because he chose suffering instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.

And listen to verses 32-40:  "And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.  Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.  Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - of whom the world was not worthy- wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.  And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."

All of these men and women of God lived by faith.  And what was the result?  They suffered in this world.

We read in Philippians 1:29:  "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake."

And in Acts 14:22 we read:  "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."

Why should we suffer?  Because our Lord and Master, Jesus, suffered.  By suffering with Christ, we grow closer to Him.  Consider Philippians 3:10:  "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death"

And consider what Peter says in 1 Peter 4:1:  "Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin."

How is that for motivation to suffer!  When we go through suffering for Christ, we break the power of sin in our lives!

And remember what Jesus said of Paul in Acts 9:16?  "For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

And what caused Paul such suffering?  His love for people that drove him to share the gospel with them.  Do we love people enough to go through suffering in order to bring them the gospel?

I recently finished reading a biography about Hudson Taylor, a pioneering missionary to China.  He amazes me because he was so determined to reach the Chinese with the gospel that he went through countless trials and immense suffering.  His newborn son died of malnutrition due to the fact that his wife Maria was unable to nurse him, having Cholera.  She died shortly thereafter.  He had already lost another child earlier that year.  He was so committed to bringing the gospel to the Chinese that he said, “If I had a thousand pounds China should have it- if I had a thousand lives, China should have them. No! Not China, but Christ. Can we do too much for Him? Can we do enough for such a precious Saviour.”

Hudson Taylor’s passion for the lost is reminiscent of Jesus’ words in Matthew 23:37:  "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not!"

Do you share that passion?  God may even be calling you to another country to share his love?  Or maybe God is calling you to be more active in sending someone to another country to share his love.  What sacrifices will we make?  Will we go ourselves?  Will we pray?  Will we give?

If we want to be close to Jesus.  If we want to be done with sin.  If we want to live by faith, we must be people who have a willingness to suffer.

Holiness.
Freedom from sin.
Love, peace, joy…
Life.
Abundant life.

Do we want it?

We must be a people who live by faith.  We see in Hebrews 11 how our heroes of the faith lived lives of faith:

Firmly believing in the reward.
Accepting the reality of judgment.
Interesting ourselves in the Kingdom.
Turning it all over.
Having a willingness to suffer.

Will we do the same?

There is only one way to really live:

By Faith.

Let’s pray….