Hebrews 11:1 True Faith.

1. Faith as commonly understood in the modern world.

   1. Faith (religion) is the opiate of the masses.

   2. Faith is a self-generated antidepressant.

   3. Faith is unhinged speculation.

   4. Faith is primarily a psychological construct.

2. Faith as biblically understood and lived.

   1. Hebrews 11 comes after Hebrews 1-10; faith is explained in an historical and theological context.

• Heb 2:1; Heb 3:12, 19

  1. Biblical faith is reasonable and based on facts.

• Heb 2:4, Heb 6:18, Heb 8:6-7

  1. Faith is foundational to living now and in eternity: without it there is destruction.

• Heb 10:35, 39, Heb 11:6.

  1. Saving faith is the vehicle by which we receive Christ and by which Christ and his righteousness are applied to us.

• Heb 10:14, Westminster Shorter Catechism Q. 86; Ephesians 1:17-19

• Faith makes our biblical hopes real to us.

  1. Heb 11:1, faith is substance to our souls.

• Heb 1:3 and 11:1, John 14:9, Heb 11:13

  1. Heb 11:1 faith is evidence to our souls.

  2. Heb 11:6, faith demonstrates we have peace with God.

• Eph 2:8, John 1:51, 1Peter 1:3-5

• Living by faith in a faithless world.

  1. God's people live by faith: this is what our witness is about.

• Heb 10:38.

  1. Faith allows us to grasp and to live out our essential humanness.

• Heb 11:3, 4, 5, 6.

  1. Faith conducts in two directions: it displays sure hopes to your soul and displays your hopeful love for the world to see.

• Heb 10:23-25,