What Is f.a.i.t.h. — Ian Paisley

The Romans 10 Reading: Faith Comes by Hearing

You'll find an authorized version of Holy Scriptures in front of you in the pew. Pick it up and turn with me to the New Testament, to the 10th chapter of Paul's epistle to the Romans, Romans chapter 12.

The New Testament starts with the Gospels and then comes to the book of Acts and then to the epistle to the Romans, the 10th chapter. We're reading from verse 13 of this chapter down to the end of the chapter.

The Lord's Day morning, we read together, taking your time from the Romans 10 and 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be seized. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be set? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.

But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For as they have said, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, have they not heard? Yes, verily their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

But I say, did not Israel know? First Moses said, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Isaiah is very bold and said, I am fond of them that sought me not.

I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he said all day long, I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and insane people. God shall stamp with his own divine blessing this reading from his infallible word.

Amen. I take the promised Holy Ghost, the blessed power of Pentecost, to fill me to the uttermost. I take. Thank God he undertakes for me. And the people of God said, Amen. Boys and girls this morning, I want to speak to you upon the great foundation stone of Gospel truth.

Faith as the Foundation of Gospel Truth

And the great foundation stone of Gospel truth is the distinguishing characteristic of Christianity is faith. We read in this tenth chapter of Romans that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith of Christianity and the faith that saves our souls, boys and girls, is a faith that rests upon the word of God. But the word of God may not have any effect on our lives, on our minds, or on our conscience.

So faith is grounded in the scriptures, but grace is only imparted when it is heard. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. That's why as Protestants in our churches the pulpit takes the center.

Because the foundation of our heritage is faith that cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. I am often asked the question, and I'm sure every child here asks the question, well what is it to believe?

What is it to have faith? How can I know I really have it? And how can I know and be sure? I want to take that word and I want to spell out its meaning simply to you today. What is it to believe? What is it to have faith?

I want to take it as an acrostic. That is, I want to take every letter in it and spell out the meaning from every letter that's in the text. Faith starts with the letter F. It stands for forsaking. True faith comes to the heart through an act of forsaking.

F: Forsaking Religion and Self-Reliance

Something has to be said farewell to. Something has to be said goodbye to. Something has got to be forsaken. So if we're going to have real faith, we start by an act of forsaking. Religious people who haven't got the truth of the gospel but have religion and have churchianity rather than Christianity put their emphasis upon various things.

Many people think their religion will take them to heaven. And by more and more religion, heaven's doors will be opened to them. There's no word in the Bible that tells me that heaven's doors are opened because of religion.

You can have all the religion that is possible for a person to be involved in. But God is saying to you today, you've got to forsake your religion. You've got to forsake your dependence upon your religion.

You've got to forsake your faith in religion to save you. God's church, there's a great Presbyterian minister in the United States of America called Billy Sunday. And he used to say when you go into a garage, you don't expect to come out a motor car.

But he says foolish people think if they go into church, they'll come out Christians. But they're just as foolish as a man thinks he'll be a motor car because he goes to a garage. Religion has to be forsaken.

Religion has to be forsaken. Trust in the ordinances of religion, whether it be baptism or the Lord's Supper or the offering up of prayer, has to be forsaken. These things cannot see it. Forsake, forsake your religion.

Forsake your trust in religion. Forsake your faith in religion. But the second letter of this word faith is the letter A. A for all. Forsaking all. Now that includes more than a trust in religion. You have to forsake your sins.

A: Forsaking All Sin

John Bunyan who said, Christ and sin never walk the same road. You can't have your sins and have Christ. What is sin? Sin is any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God. It comes from a Greek word which means missing the mark.

And that comes from the old arrow of the soldier. And here is a man and he has his bow and he has his arrow. And there's a target ahead of him. One of three things can happen when he fires the arrow. It can go beyond.

It can not reach. You can miss the mark by going into territory that you shouldn't be in. You've gone beyond the mark. That is transgression in the Bible. Or you can fail to reach the mark. And that of course is a failure to come up to the standard.

Both ways you miss the mark. Or you can be on the target. Sin is missing the mark. And young people, sin is missing the mark not by our standards but by God's standards. And God has written down those standards in His book.

They're not dated. They remain fresh. They are the Ten Commandments. And any want of conformity unto those Ten Commandments is sin. And all sin has got to be forsaken. You cannot have sin and have Christ.

You cannot have sin or have peace. You can only have peace and Christ when you forsake your sin. You are saying, well preacher that is difficult. Of course it is. But you see God gives grace when He draws men to Himself.

The grace of forsaking all. You can't by your own strength forsake all your sin. But you can by God's grace forsaking all. He comes next in the verse in the Word. And of course that stands for you yourself.

I: A Personal Decision of Faith

Forsaking all us. This is a personal relationship between you and God. It's nothing to do between you and the preacher. It's nothing to do between you and the church. Or you and someone else. It can shift in your heart as far as faith is concerned.

It's a personal relationship. It's something that you know about. It's something that you have to experience. It's something that is personal and practical in your heart, in your conscience, in your mind and in your soul.

It is given to a privilege of decision. Doing something about it. The preacher said, ask for me and my house. We will serve the Lord. He made a decision. All through the Old Testament and New Testament there were men and women, boys and girls who made decisions.

And God wants you, young person, to make that great decision. As a little boy, six years of age, I made that decision. My mother who was teaching a school class in the church that my father was a preacher in.

She spoke on that great verse, I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. And she pointed out that we have to respond to the gift of God. A gift is held out to you that you might receive it.

And God wants you to receive His gift. You have a decision to make. You either say yes or no. You either bow and say, oh God, I thank you for your gift, the gift of your son. Save me and make me your child.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved for eternity. We are not going to be here forever. Young people die as well as older people. Everyone must face death and judgment and the great eternity that lies beyond the river of time.

So you have an urgent decision to make. You should make it now. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day. Forsaking all I and this T is very important. I trust. T is for trust. Now what is trusting? Trusting is to put all that you have, everything that you have.

T: Trusting in Jesus Christ Alone

And you have to give yourself entirely, totally, without reservation, without question. You have to put your trust in Jesus Christ, your Lord. On nothing else, on no one else, just in Christ alone. His name is Jesus.

Jesus means Savior. And the day of Pentecost, when the New Testament church was born, the apostle Peter said, Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is none other name under heaven given among men.

For by ye must be saved. You can only be saved by putting your trust. Casting away, forsaking everything. When you are locked up and shut up to one thing, Jesus only. But when you are shut up to Him, He will save you.

Hallelujah. He will save you now. Sign off and let Christ sign off. To come down from the throne and let Christ take. To let Him be the King of my life. The King of my soul. I'm the King. And then the last letter is H.

H: Knowing Christ as Friend, Savior, and Peace

Forsaking all, I trust Him. I would present to your young person today this wonderful. I don't know how people live without Christ. We need a friend in a friendless world. He is the friend of sinners.

We need love in a loveless world. He is the lover of our souls. We need peace in a warring world. But Jesus Christ brings peace to the soul. Everything you need. Everything you require. Everything that life demands.

Is met fully and faithfully and eternally in Christ. Him. Oh that you might know Him. There's one thing knowing about. There's a different thing in knowing the person. When I was elected to the British House of Commons.

Over 35 years ago. I can't help looking like 25. But that is a fact. I was walking along a corridor one day and the Prime Minister. Harold Wilson came out of his office. And he let a gulder out of him.

He says pay attention. He says I want a word with you. I had known a lot about Harold Wilson. I knew about his political career. I knew what particular stable in politics he came out of. I knew many things about him.

But I never got to know him until that day. I had to meet him. You can know many things about Christ. You can know where Christ was born and when he was born. You know the facts of his life. The facts of his miracles.

The facts of his death. The facts of his resurrection. And the facts of what is recorded of him in the scriptures. But do you know him personally? Do you? Have you been introduced to him? Can you say I know him because I have had a personal encounter with him?

I know him because he has spoke to me personally. I know because I have received him into my heart. And I can say he is mine. And I am his. A young person never rests. For the best knowledge and the supreme knowledge that you need to have is not the knowledge taught of man.

But the knowledge taught of God when you know Christ. Whom to know is life for us today. And our young people will forsake all and say I trust him. Now if you are an older person and you have never had the experience of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, through Christ alone.

The Gospel Invitation and Closing Prayer

That today you will say in that seat where you are sitting. Then oh my Lord prepare my soul for that great day. Oh wash me in the precious blood and take my sin. And he will do it. And all things will pass away.

And all things will become new. May God bless his word to our hearts. Let's bow our heads. Father we thank thee for the simplicity of thy gospel. We thank thee that thou didst so love the world. That thou didst give thine only begotten son.

That whosoever believeth in thee should not perish but have everlasting. May not one pass through the door of this church without Christ. But may every one young and old leave this house knowing that Christ is in them.

Because forsaken all I have trusted him. May it be so for Jesus' sake. Amen.