WHAT FAITH BRINGS (PART 1)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Hebrews 11:3

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If 1 Corinthians, chapter 13 is the love chapter in the Bible, the eleventh chapter of Hebrews is the one centered on the matter of faith.

We were given an introduction to this in yesterday’s opening message as we looked at how the Bible defines faith. This set us up well for what’s to follow, a nineteen message series titled, “What Faith Brings”, as we cover the rest of the chapter in micro-fashion while unlocking a lot of great truths within.

We begin today with verse 3 and these words from the author of this letter.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

No one was alive when God spoke creation into reality for as we read in Genesis 1, mankind wasn’t brought to be until the sixth day after everything else was. God then gave mankind dominion over things already made.

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Genesis 1:26-30

No one was an eyewitness to creation and so it’s simply by faith that Adam, Eve, and every other person after them, including you and me, “understand that the universe was formed at God’s command”. It wasn’t made from anything visible, like someone used something that was made to manufacture or produce something else. That’s not what happened. God brought everything into being through His command and so “what is seen was not made out of what was visible”.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth before speaking parts into them.V. 1

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Vv. 3-5

God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. Vv. 6-8

God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good. Vv-9-10

God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. Vv. 11-13

God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. Vv. 14-19

God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. Vv. 20-23

God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Vv. 24-25

And then, as we already have covered, God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Vv. 26

God said that things would be created and so it was. Such is the almighty, incredible power He possesses, a power without equal or rival.

There is no need to question whether or not God did as the scriptures say He did for our faith brings us to where we simply believe it because when we read the rest of the Bible after Genesis 1, we come to know a God through which all things are possible, to include speaking things into being.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.