Hebrews 6:9-12

I invite you to take out your copy of God's Word and turn to Hebrews chapter 6.

Hebrews 6 · chapter mention

We're going to continue our verse-by-verse study of the book of Hebrews.

!

With today's text, which is Hebrews chapter 6, verses 9-12.

Hebrews 6:9–12

Before I read it, I remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.

It was written for His glory and our good.

And so we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Hebrews chapter 6, verse 9 and following.

Hebrews 6:9

Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things.

Things that belong to salvation.

For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do.

And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end.

So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

This morning, as we look at these verses, I want to first draw your attention to the word that the author of Hebrews uses in addressing the church that this letter is written to.

He gives them the title, beloved.

Beloved.

Which means loved ones or loved.

It sounds so very churchy to say beloved.

It's not a word I ever use, at least rarely outside of this room.

But it just simply means loved ones.

And He does this.

He gives them this title.

He addresses them in this way after saying in the beginning of verse 9, though we speak in this way.

So just prior to this, verses 4 through 8, He has issued to them a warning.

And it's a similar warning.

It's been carrying all throughout the text so far.

However, it is the large reason this letter was written that they would be careful to be sure that they are, in fact, in the faith.

Remember that this little church had suffered much and they were being tempted to go back to Judaism.

To forsake the following of Christ for the sake of avoiding discomfort.

Avoiding the trial that was coming their way.

And so just previously, by way of reminder, verses 4 through 8 of chapter 6, the author of Hebrews has written,

For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,

and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come,

and then have fallen away to restore them again to repentance.

Since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding Him up to contempt.

For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated,

receives a blessing from God.

But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed,

and its end is to be burned.

He has rebuked these Christians for being dull of hearing in chapter 5 and verse 11.

And has spoken of the need to go on to maturity in chapter 6 verse 1.

And then issued this very grave warning concerning land that has received the water of God's grace,

and then produced only thorns and thistles.

And what he says of it is that this land will be burned.

This pastor, out of concern for those who may leave the faith,

has warned them in chapter 2 and verse 1,

to pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

What is he referring to?

The gospel of Jesus Christ.

That we can only be justified before God by grace alone,

through faith alone,

in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone.

He is concerned that these he's writing to would be apostate.

That they would leave the faith and show themselves to have never been Christians at all.

He shares Paul's sentiment when Paul writes in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 18 and following,

1 Timothy 1:18

where Paul exhorts Timothy,

wage the good warfare,

holding faith and a good conscience.

By rejecting this,

referring to faith and a good conscience,

some have made shipwreck of their faith.

The author of Hebrews will go on in this chapter to say,

in verses 19 and the beginning of verse 20,

we have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul.

A hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain

where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf.

Jesus Christ is the anchor for the soul that is storm-tossed.

So he has spoken strongly about those who did not make Jesus the steadfast anchor of their souls.

Who have drifted and shipwrecked their faith.

And he is warning these Christians not to be deceived by false conversion.

To not put too much credit in their religious experience.

To not find themselves among the drifted and shipwrecked.

And it is with this in mind,

as he's completing that portion of his case,

that he calls them beloved.

It is significant.

I hope that if it doesn't already arrest on this word,

that after this morning, as you're reading your scripture,

when you see the word beloved,

it will cause you to pause and think about all that that term means for you in Christ.

I believe for the author of Hebrews that there are two senses to this address.

Reasons that he uses this term.

I think first, he is simply saying,

you are loved by me.

I am penning this letter for your sake.

I care deeply about you.

It's a familial term.

He is relating to them as their brother.

He is saying to them,

you are my brothers and you are my sisters.

You are my beloved.

Much like the apostle John does in 1 John 3,

1 John 3:1

verse 1 and following where he writes,

see what kind of love the Father has given to us,

that we should be called children of God.

And so we are.

The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

So the apostle John is saying to these Christians,

we are brothers and sisters.

And then at the beginning of verse 2,

he says, beloved, we are God's children now.

He is expressing to them a great affection for them.

Secondly, and more importantly,

he is saying you are loved by God.

You are loved by God.

In fact, the author's ability to call them beloved

has its beginning in God's adoption of them.

God's familial terminology.

His inclusion of these people into his family.

The author belongs to him and they to him

because they all belong to God.

Just after Jesus was baptized,

Matthew 3, verse 17 tells us,

Matthew 3:17

and behold, a voice from heaven said,

this is my beloved son

with whom I am well pleased.

And so if we are in Jesus,

if we have been adopted in him,

his righteousness given to us,

our sin given to him,

this term transfers to us.

No longer enemies,

but beloved children.

And I hope this word prompts that in you.

A contemplation about who you are in Christ.

Have you noticed my use of this same term

as I address you?

I also mean it in both sentences.

Have you noticed that I most regularly use it

when I'm about to say something particularly difficult

or when I'm trying to bring a particular comfort

or draw your attention?

I've already done it once this morning

and I do that every Sunday morning.

Beloved,

this is God's word to us.

I'm founding that in.

My great love for you

because of God's great love for us.

He's written us this good book

so we should pay attention to it

is what I'm saying to you.

God loves you

and he's written you a word.

Pay attention this morning.

I'm saying I love you

and more importantly,

God loves you.

And that is what the author of Hebrews

is doing here

for his original audience

and for us.

He has just said

a particularly difficult thing

and he is now bringing

a particular comfort.

He has warned them

not to neglect such a great salvation

by going on to maturity.

And now he gives to them

his confidence

that they are in fact Christians

and that they will persevere

to the end.

He is convinced

of the sincerity

of their love for Christ.

And had they

not separated by time

and been friends,

he would have agreed

with the Puritan theologian

William Pink.

This is on your bulletin

who said,

God presently gives

an everlasting assurance

of salvation

to all who love Christ

sincerely.

He is writing now

at this point in the text

as he has been warning

and warning

and warning

and rebuking

and warning

some comfort to them.

He is offering to them

his confidence

and he is hoping for

and wanting them

to have

this confidence.

And so that is a general outline

for today's study.

Number one,

the author has confidence

that they are Christians.

Christians.

And number two,

the author wants them

to have confidence

that they are Christians.

So first,

he expresses

this confidence.

He says,

yet in your case,

beloved,

he's just talked about

people who appeared

to be Christians

and showed themselves

not to be.

Those who had drifted.

Those who had make

shipwreck of their faith.

Those who did not

go on to maturity.

Those who rejected Jesus

as the Christ.

Yet in your case,

beloved,

we feel sure

of better things.

Things that belong

to salvation.

These were things

that he could see

and observe

and been told of

that existed

with this little church.

What are these things

that belong to salvation?

salvation.

The Christian life

will give evidence

to its faithfulness.

Good trees

will bear

good fruit.

Now,

there are certainly

external evidences

and we want to consider

and we want to talk

about those.

But before we do,

I want to talk

just briefly

this morning

about internal

evidences.

A thing that cannot

be measured

from the outside.

A thing that the author

of Hebrews

could not look

upon them

and know

with great confidence.

Because if you are

in fact in Christ,

if He has made you new,

He has made you new

by His Spirit.

He has given to you

the gift

of a Spirit

that indwells you,

makes you new,

causes you to walk

in His ways.

Right?

Replaces that heart of stone

with the heart of flesh.

Paul writes about this

in Romans 8,

Romans 8:15–16

verse 15-16,

where he writes,

For you did not receive

the spirit of slavery

to fall back into fear,

but you have received

the spirit of adoption

as sons

by whom we cry,

Abba,

Father,

Daddy,

Father.

And then verse 16 says,

The Spirit Himself

bears witness

with our spirit

that we are children

of God.

Right?

We have the spirit

that testifies to this,

is a seal of this,

that communicates to us

that we belong

to God.

No longer a spirit

of fear,

but a spirit of adoption

as sons.

Right?

An internal knowing

that we belong

to God.

This is a precious reality

that the spirit of God

speaks to us

in this way

if we have Him.

J.I. Packer

in his wonderful work

Knowing God,

which I commend to you,

wrote this,

If you want to judge

how well a person

understands Christianity,

find out how much

he makes

of the thought

of being God's child

and having God

as his Father.

If this is not

the thought

that prompts

and controls

his worship

and prayers

and his whole outlook

on life,

it means that

he does not

understand Christianity

very well at all.

For everything

that Christ taught,

everything that makes

the New Testament new

and better than the old,

everything that is

distinctively Christian

as opposed to

merely Jewish,

is summed up

in the knowledge

of the fatherhood

of God.

Father is the

Christian name

for God.

This internal testimony

works for our assurance.

Jesus said in John 14

in verse 27,

Peace I leave with you,

my peace I give to you,

not as the world gives

do I give to you.

Let not your hearts

be troubled,

neither let them

be afraid.

Now, beloved,

if you are in Christ,

there are times

in your life

you may doubt

your salvation.

I am not saying

that if you ever

doubt your salvation,

you are not in fact

in Christ.

But through prayer

and fellowship

and the study of the word,

if you have the spirit,

the spirit will

give you this

adoptive status,

this understanding,

right,

will not make you

in fear,

but will grant you

peace.

So there's this internal,

a bit subjective

evidencing,

but more specifically,

I think what our author

is writing about

is external evidencing,

right,

again,

things he could see

and hear about,

could report on.

In verse 10,

he expresses this,

for God is not unjust

so as to overlook

your work,

activity,

outward sign,

and the love

that you have shown

for his name

in serving the saints,

right,

you once did it,

and he goes on to say

at the end of verse 10,

as you still do.

Not just past work

and love,

but also present work

and love.

Later on in the book

of Hebrews,

he writes in chapter 10,

32 and following,

but recall the former days

when after you were enlightened,

you endured a hard struggle

with sufferings,

sometimes being publicly exposed

to reproach and affliction,

and sometimes being partners

with those so treated.

For you had compassion

on those in prison,

and you joyfully accepted

the plundering of your property,

since you knew

that you yourselves

had a better possession

and an abiding one.

There's one example

in our text,

in this book,

of what the author of Hebrews

here is talking about.

This work and the love

that you have shown

for his name

in serving the saints,

as you still do.

So, what's happening here

is that people are being

publicly mocked,

in some cases imprisoned,

and for the church,

right,

who's bearing the name

of Christ,

to identify

with those in prison,

to come to them

and bring aid to them,

because they weren't being

taken care of in prison,

they were just simply

locked up.

They were to be fed,

they were to be fed

by family.

They were also then

taking on

the name

of Christ.

Christ

had become

most precious

to them,

a better possession

and an abiding one,

verse 34

of chapter 10

says,

that they were willing

to bear up

under this reproach

and this affliction,

right,

to love

those

who were being

mistreated.

And this is because

they understood

the commands

of Christ.

John chapter 13,

John 13:34

verse 34,

and verse 35,

Jesus says,

a new commandment

I give to you

that you love

one another.

Just as I have loved you,

you also

are to love

one another.

By this,

all people will know

that you are my disciples

if you have love

for one another.

And as a mental exercise,

it is

helpful

to think about

John 13,

35

and replace

in there

all of the things

we tend

to think

will make us

known as Jesus'

disciples.

disciples

and there is

any measure

of them.

Going to church

on Sunday morning

does not necessarily

mean you're a disciple

of Jesus Christ.

Claiming to be

an evangelical

does not necessarily

make you a disciple

of Jesus Christ.

Voting for a particular

party does not

necessarily make you

a disciple

of Jesus Christ.

Going on a mission trip

every spring break

does not necessarily

make you

a disciple

of Jesus Christ.

Jesus brings it down

to this one thing.

By this

all people will know

that you are my disciples

if you have

love

for one another.

And this bears

itself out

in so many ways

which may include

going to church

on Sundays

and going on

mission trips.

All types of things

are

loving.

But just before that

he has said

just as I

have loved you

you also

are to love

one another.

And so something

we can be sure of

is that the type

of love

he's talking about

is a sacrificial

love.

It's a love

that gives

of yourself

for the sake

of

for the highest

good

of

another.

The author

of Hebrews

is doing

that very

thing here.

We live

in a culture

that defines

love

by the way

in which

the person

receives

the love.

So if we

say something

to someone

that they don't

particularly like

and it doesn't

feel loving

to them

then our culture

is very quick

to dismiss

the action

as unloving.

It's aimed

at how

the object

feels

about

what's done.

The author

of Hebrews

has just

called them

beloved.

He just

said you

are loved

ones.

I love

you.

And he's

been so

very hard

on them.

He has

just

finished

this

harsh

rebuke

to now

go on

to be

an

encouragement.

So love

takes on

all kinds

of forms.

But we

know

that the

Christian

life

is a

life

of

sacrificial

love.

And they

had

expressed

this.

And this

was giving

this

pastor

a

confidence

in their

salvation.

Secondly,

the author

wants them

to have

confidence

that they

are

Christians.

He doesn't

want it

to end

just with

his

confidence.

He also

wants

them

to be

confident.

Verse 11

he writes,

and we

desire

each

one of

you

to show

the same

earnestness

to have

the full

assurance

of hope

until the

end.

Not

some

assurance,

not a

little

measure

of

assurance,

but full

assurance,

the full

measure,

complete

assurance,

an unshakable

confidence is

what he's

talking about

here.

And not

just today,

but today

and tomorrow

and the

next until

the end.

He wants

them to

persevere.

He wants

them to

press on

in knowing

God and

doing so

to the

end.

And he

gives us

some ideas

about how

it is

that we

can have

this

assurance.

So how

is it

that we

can have

full

assurance?

Number

one,

don't

be

lazy.

Number

one,

don't

be

lazy.

The first

part of

verse 12,

he writes

so that

you may

not be

sluggish.

I think

that this

particular

challenge,

we would

not be

sluggish,

plagues

the American

church.

I think

many of

us would

find that

we are

far too

often,

far too

apathetic,

sitting

back,

seems

that so

often,

comfort

is our

very

worst

enemy.

We don't

see that

the stakes

are high.

We kind

of float

through

life.

And here

he's saying

the opposite.

Don't

be

sluggish.

Don't

be

lazy.

Put

yourself

to

the

task.

task.

This

word

here

translated

in the

ESV

sluggish

is the

very

same

word

translated

in

chapter

5

and

verse

11

as

dull.

When he

rebukes

them

that they're

being

dull

of hearing,

you could

also say

sluggish

of hearing,

lazy

of hearing.

The author

of Hebrews

has rebuked

them for

being sluggish

in their

hearing and

does not

also want

them to

become

sluggish

in their

acting.

And there's

a connection

between the

two,

between our

hearing and

our

obedience.

And I

would suggest

to you,

although not

in the

text today,

that there's

also a

connection

between our

obedience

and our

hearing.

That God

doesn't

entrust us

with more

until we're

obedient with

what he's

already

taught us.

That part

of the

growing up

process

is that when

God gives

you something

to obey,

you obey

that thing

and he

continues to

give you

more to

obey and

grows you

up into

Christ.

James,

in James

James 1:22–25

chapter 1

verse 22

through 25,

most of the

book of James

is about this

very issue.

He writes,

but be

doers of

the word

and not

hearers only

deceiving

yourselves.

Do not

deceive

yourself.

What he's

saying

essentially

is that

you're

not

hearing

it

if

you're

not

doing

it.

Verse 23,

for if

anyone is

a hearer

of the

word

and not

a doer,

he is

like a

man who

looks

intently

at his

natural

face

in a

mirror.

For

he looks

at himself

and goes

away

and at

once

forgets

what

he was

like.

He's

merely

saying

you're

not

using

the

mirror

for

the

purpose

of

the

mirror.

You

don't

get

what

it's

for

verse 25,

but the

one who

looks

into the

perfect

law,

the

law

of

liberty

and

perseveres,

presses

on to

the

end

in

his

doing,

being

no

hearer

who

forgets,

but a

doer

who

acts,

he

will be

blessed

in his

doing.

Be

doers

and not

hearers

only.

Do not

be

lazy

in your

pursuit

of God.

So that's

to say it

in the

negative,

but I

think it's

also very

important

that we

say it

in the

positive.

So

secondly,

how can

you have

assurance?

Work.

Work

to have

assurance.

The last

part of

verse 11,

he says,

show the

same

earnestness

to have

full

assurance

and

hope

until

the

end.

This

idea of

earnestness

means a

serious

devotion

to,

to pick

up the

task of

having

full

assurance

of hope

until

the

end.

Beloved,

we are

far too

informed

by our

feelings.

I think

way too

often,

we wait

to be

obedient

until it

feels

good

to be

obedient.

We are

waiting

for a

feeling

of

assurance

and we

want

to have

feelings

and we

are not

stoics.

Feelings

can be

good

and they

can be

helpful.

They can

be informative

for us.

We want

our feelings

to coincide

with.

We want

them to

catch up

to the

truth.

So,

here he's

not saying

feel

assured.

He's

saying

have

earnestness.

Show

devotion

to.

Right?

Work

to have

assurance

of hope

until the

end.

Be a

doer

and let

the feeling

of it

catch up.

No one

can be

saved

by their

works.

The

gospel of

Jesus Christ

says this

to us

again

and again

and again.

We needed

Jesus'

righteousness,

his perfect

law

keeping.

Right?

No one

can be

saved

by their

works.

But

saving

faith

does

work.

Evidences

the

faith.

Again,

James,

he's

helpful

to us

in this

chapter 2

and verse

14.

He says,

What good

is it,

my brothers,

if someone

says he

has faith

but does

not have

works?

Can that

faith

save him?

James is

making the

case that

he's merely

this person

he's referring

to,

just has

some

mental

assent.

says,

like my

children

say,

I believe

in Jesus

but they

don't know

him,

they have

not been

changed

by him,

they're not

being granted

the spirit

of Christ

and this

is the

great issue

of our

day.

I say it

over and

over again,

I feel like

a broken

record at

times.

The gospel

of Jesus

Christ

is that we

are saved

by grace

alone,

through faith

alone,

in Christ

alone.

God saves

those who

are his.

He moves

in them

to repentance

and faith.

He causes

them to turn

from sin

and to believe

in Christ.

To place

all of their

confidence

in who

Jesus

is.

And this

is a great

work of

God.

This is a

monergistic

work.

God saves,

God keeps.

It's in

that salvation

that we

now walk,

that we

evidence

it.

Just because

you have

raised your

hand or

walked down

an aisle

does not

necessarily

mean you're

a Christian.

What

evidences

your faith?

And remember

that he's

being encouraging

to this end.

Right?

He's being

encouraging to

this end.

I have a

confidence.

I want you

to have a

confidence.

Right?

I'm

observing.

You continue

to do

this work.

Be earnest

in your

working.

Paul writes

in Ephesians

Ephesians 2:4–10

chapter 2

verses 4

through 10.

Some of

this will

sound familiar

from our

time with

the children.

But God

being rich

in mercy

because of

the great

love with

which he

loved us

even when

we were

dead in

our

trespasses.

Dead.

Inactive.

Unable.

He made

us alive

together

with

Christ.

By grace

you have

been saved

and raises

up with

him and

seated us

with him

in the

heavenly

places

in

Christ

Jesus.

So that

in the

coming

ages

he might

show

the

immeasurable

riches

of his

grace

and kindness

toward us

in Christ

Jesus.

Right?

In order

to put

on display

his

greatness

he has

saved

a people.

Verse

8.

For by

grace you

have been

saved

through

faith.

And this

is not

your own

doing.

It is

the gift

of God

not a

result of

works

so that

no one

may boast.

And then

verse 10.

For we

are his

workmanship

created in

Christ

Jesus

for good

works.

He saved

us

for good

works

which

evidence

this saving

power in

our lives

which

God

prepared

beforehand

that we

should walk

in them.

So do

you want

to have

assurance?

Do you

want to

feel

assured?

Then get

to work.

Pick up

the scripture

and read

the commands.

How is it

that God

would have

me walk?

Learn

to love

righteousness.

Put off

old habits

by putting

on new

habits.

And you

will find

in doing

this if

you are

in Christ

your trajectory

will be

towards

holiness.

You will

find that

it gets

easier and

easier to

do these

things.

We never

become perfect

beside of

heaven but

we progress

toward it.

Always

making

progress

bit by

bit by

bit.

One

degree

of glory

to another

degree

of glory

as the

spirit of

Christ

powerfully

works

within us.

We are

meant to be

a people.

That is

why we are

left here.

We are

We still

carry the

baggage of

our flesh

around.

We have

a great

deal of

sympathy with

those who

are not

in Christ

because we

still feel

we still

experience

the effect

of a

fallen

nature.

But we have

been set

free from

sin.

We have

been delivered

from it.

We no

longer have

to sin

because we

have the

spirit of

Christ.

We can

be obedient

to him

and we're

meant to

be moving

ever

heavenward.

And this

is how we

exalt Christ

on the

earth.

This is

why as a

people,

as a church,

we're meant

to be drawn

together and

distinct in

that way.

That our

community would

look at us

and go,

what is it

with those

people?

They're

improving

people.

They're so

humble as

they walk

before their

God.

They're putting

off sin

and they're

putting on

righteousness.

What an

odd people.

And to

some that'll

be attractive

and to

some it'll

be repulsive.

So,

don't be

lazy.

Secondly,

work.

Third,

imitate.

Last part

of verse

12,

the author

says,

but imitators

of those

who through

faith and

patience

inherit the

promises.

This life

is not

long.

We are

here but

a moment,

right?

A vapor

in the

wind.

The older

I get,

the more

I feel

that.

The life

seems to

be accelerating.

I've asked

people older

than me,

does it ever

slow down?

And I say,

nope,

it keeps

right on.

I turned

39 at the

end of

January

and already

was dreading

40,

like,

approaching

it.

I was

already

dreading

it.

And we

are almost

halfway there

already.

It felt

like yesterday

I was

going,

oh,

39,

and I'm

going to

blink again,

and I'm

going to

be 40.

Life does

not last

that long,

but in

our struggle

with sin,

it feels

like forever.

God,

deliver me

from this

body of

death.

Every day

as I set

my face

towards him

just seems

like such

a struggle.

And to

walk in a

world that

is hostile

toward us,

as we're

following the

way of

God,

we are

bound to

get tired.

Just as

the Christians

of this

church that

this author

is writing

to were

getting

tired,

right?

They were

beleaguered,

right?

They were

worn out.

They had

suffered and

they would

suffer.

The author of

Hebrews was

writing to

them and

us to

tell us

and them

to imitate

those who

went before

us.

Look to

those who

finished well,

who already

finished and

who finished

well.

And the

author of

Hebrews is

likely setting

them and

us up for

the hall of

faith that

is chapter

Isaiah 11 · chapter mention

11.

If you're

familiar with

the book

of Hebrews,

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11

lays out a

series of

people who

by faith

and patience

inherited

the promises.

And so I

would like for

us to go

there together.

So turn over

a few pages

if you will

to Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11.

As we

think about

being

imitators,

now this

phrase,

through faith

and patience,

in extra

biblical Hebrew

writing,

was most

often attributed

to Abraham.

And it's

very possible

at this

point in

the Hebrew

listener's

mind,

that's where

the brain

goes immediately.

Oh,

Abraham,

faith and

patience.

And he

is talked

about most

extensively in

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

11.

But I think

the author of

Hebrews also

means to

gather others

into that

number.

So yes,

Abraham,

but also

to add to

that.

And we

now have,

as I'm

going to

add to

Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11,

not in

an inspired

sense,

but we

now have

many who

have gone

before us.

So I

commend

biography

to you

to read

about the

faith and

patience of

others as

well.

Verse 1 of

Hebrews 11

says,

now faith

is the

assurance

of things

hoped for,

the conviction

of things

not seen.

So as

we're tired,

as we're

beat down,

as we're

beleaguered,

as this

church was,

faith is

believing in

the promises

of God

that are out

there.

We're not

there yet,

right?

But we're

believing we

will get

there.

It's

believing

that.

And so

you can

see as

he goes

through this

text talking

about the

faith of

these people

that this

was a

patient

faith.

So faith

is the

assurance of

things hoped

for,

the conviction

of things

not seen.

For by it

the people

of old

received

their

commendation.

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.

By faith

Abel

offered to

God a

more acceptable

sacrifice

than Cain

through which

he was

commended as

righteous,

God commending