The Lord’s Work – Part 35
Because… it was ONLY a PATTERN. A shadow. A shadow OF TRUE FAITH.
It was THE pattern of how to work righteousness. The pattern of FAITH. And that is why it is said here, and nowhere else. They were not credited with having “wrought righteousness” in the OT. But now that the true is revealed, the shadow can be clearly described. Only here, one time, in the chapter of Faith.
The OT saints, by faith, displayed a shadow of true righteous men. They were the pattern of working the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ.
ONLY BY FAITH men can work true righteousness. Faith was the pattern, although perhaps it was hidden at the time. The only way to work righteousness is by faith.
1st mention of “righteousness” in the Bible.
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Abraham was not truly righteous. But by faith, he was COUNTED righteous. Abraham IS the pattern of true righteousness, of a true righteous man, the very first one given in the Bible. How so? By faith.
The next example chronologically would be Abel, who is mentioned here in Heb 11, with his “more excellent sacrifice”. Abel offered a figure of the true sacrifice. The same sacrifice we must offer to be saved: Jesus Christ. The only work that we have to do, a single offering: the confession of our lips. BY FAITH!
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
“he was righteous” – 2 times in the Bible.
Job (in his own eyes) and Abel. And Abel was not called righteous in the OT. But here he is. In the Chapter of Faith.
Abel was a figure of a true righteous man.
The OT saints did not do true righteousness. But by faith, they were counted to have worked righteousness.
Past, present and future, after the figure in the Old Testament and after the true in the New, the only way to work righteousness, is to do so through faith.
We who are of the faith of Christ, work true righteousness. The righteousness of God, which is of faith. Not our own righteousness, which is of the law. (Php 3:9)
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Naturally, they could do every work that we can do. But spiritually, we can do something that they could ONLY do in a figure: they could only do naturally.
Romans 10:8-10 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This is how a man gets saved. The only “works” that he has to do. This is how to work true righteousness.
This is the true. And as is the true, so is the figure of the true.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
What did they confess? That they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. That this was not the true inheritance. This is the pattern and the true things will be given, the true promises will be kept at the resurrection.
The only people that “wrought righteousness” in the OT did it after the figure of the true.
Only the faithful that have believed the Lord’s promises, and confessed concerning the promises of God in the resurrection, have “wrought righteousness”. And he that doeth righteousness…
Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
The figure of the true, the pattern of true righteousness, shows that it is through faith that God’s promises were obtained. And so how do we obtain the true promise – the Holy Spirit? The same way it was done in figure. By faith. By faith we are made children of Abraham. By faith, we are made the children of God.
They had to have faith that God would keep His promises.. in the resurrection. That was the pattern. Those Sadducees “do greatly err”.
Subduing kingdoms, stopping the mouths of lions, quenching the violence of fire, escaping the edge of the sword, turning to flight the armies of the aliens. Those things are things that we do in the Spirit, both when we get saved and when we preach the gospel. And those are things which we will do in the resurrection.
According to the Chapter of Faith, the only place that the OT saints are said to have “wrought righteousness”, it was not the law that allowed them to work righteousness. It was faith that allowed them to work righteousness.
They worked righteousness while in the flesh, while under the law, according to the pattern. The law was the pattern. The gifts and offerings and the building of the temple and how to love God and how to love your neighbor. All things in the law were patterns. But it was not the law that allowed them to work righteousness. It was FAITH that enabled them to work righteousness.
Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise [salvation – the Holy Spirit – everlasting life – God’s righteousness]:
What did they get? Nothing. They received nothing.
They obtained promises. They obtained a good report. Not salvation.
The OT Saints were not saved like Christians. They had to obtain a good report, through faith, and die in that faith.
They had to keep it (faith) so they could die in it.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, …
They did not have the ability to immediately, instantaneously die with Christ and be raised again with Christ, born again in Heaven, as we do. They could not receive the promises until the resurrection.
But we receive the promises now: in spirit.
They had to believe they would receive the promises in the resurrection.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith …
What does a “good report” do? Well, I see two premises in Scripture. (Appears 10 times)
- A good report is concerning one’s reputation for fairness, honesty and integrity. It means one is worthy of good, and not evil.
- So in this sense of the phrase, the Lord could be saying that those that obtained a good report, through faith, were those that He considered to be worthy of receiving the promises and the resurrection. Not due to their own righteousness, but due to faith in His promises, His word. These were those that He had found worthy BY FAITH. These were those that He had found faithful. Those were the ones in Abraham’s bosom. (According to Abraham, the rich man’s fault was that he did not “hear” and believe Moses and the prophets.) Why Abraham’s? Because of his faith. He is the father of (all those who have) faith. By their faith they were counted righteous/worthy.
- A good report is also synonymous with “glad tidings”, and “good news”, “pleasant words”, which in turn is synonymous with the word of God and the gospel.
- So in this sense of the phrase, the Lord could be referring to the point at which they were going to receive the gospel (the good report) preached to them in Abraham’s bosom in death. They obtained the gospel (yet to be given/preached), through faith. They obtained a promise to be given a good report – to be given the word of God – to be given the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
When they got and “good report”, they got health and life in them – marrow/oil in them – perhaps access to the tree of life? – until Jesus came to give them the gospel to eat, to free them and
Prov 3:8, Prov 16:24, Prov 25:25, Isa 52:7, Isa 61:1-3, Nah 1:15, Rom 10:15-16,
Those OT saints were promised to receive eternal life, eventually, through faith in the resurrection promise. All these, every one of them, are said to have worked righteousness through faith. The OT system was a pattern of the new. But there were no assurances, no promises received.
This is what the false prophets base their doctrine on: the pattern. And because there were no promises, according to them, you can’t just believe and confess one time. No you have to continually work. Have faith in God, and then work, work, work. Mess up? Confess again and keep working. Do the pattern. The carnal shadows. And where will it get you? At best.. to the same place it got them: without the promise.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise …
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, …
They died and went to death, without the promise.
The only promise they received is the promise of a future resurrection.
The false prophets would have you work, work, work, according to the pattern, instead of according to the true. But the pattern is completed and done away. (1 Cor 13:10, 2 Cor 3:7,11). The true is now available. And if you rejected the gospel (the good report), which is obtained BY FAITH, there is nothing promised you.
Did the OT saints “do good” or “do right” under the law? Yes. But not in truth. Only in figure. Otherwise, they would have been like us. They would have, without us, received the promise and been made perfect.
Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
We are made perfect. They were not.
They worked the pattern of righteousness. They foreshadowed our salvation, but only BY FAITH.
True righteousness must be worked by grace, through faith. And Hebrews 11 shows us that the shadow is consistent with the true. Even the pattern of righteousness could ONLY be worked BY FAITH.
Wrought good – 0 times
Wrought right* – 1 time.
“he was good” – 0 times
“he was righteous” – 2 times
Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
Jan 23 2022
The Lord’s Work – Part 35
Downloadable Word document:
The Lord’s Work – Part 35
The Lord’s Work – Part 35
Because… it was ONLY a PATTERN. A shadow. A shadow OF TRUE FAITH.
It was THE pattern of how to work righteousness. The pattern of FAITH. And that is why it is said here, and nowhere else. They were not credited with having “wrought righteousness” in the OT. But now that the true is revealed, the shadow can be clearly described. Only here, one time, in the chapter of Faith.
The OT saints, by faith, displayed a shadow of true righteous men. They were the pattern of working the righteousness of God by faith in Jesus Christ.
ONLY BY FAITH men can work true righteousness. Faith was the pattern, although perhaps it was hidden at the time. The only way to work righteousness is by faith.
1st mention of “righteousness” in the Bible.
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Abraham was not truly righteous. But by faith, he was COUNTED righteous. Abraham IS the pattern of true righteousness, of a true righteous man, the very first one given in the Bible. How so? By faith.
The next example chronologically would be Abel, who is mentioned here in Heb 11, with his “more excellent sacrifice”. Abel offered a figure of the true sacrifice. The same sacrifice we must offer to be saved: Jesus Christ. The only work that we have to do, a single offering: the confession of our lips. BY FAITH!
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
“he was righteous” – 2 times in the Bible.
Job (in his own eyes) and Abel. And Abel was not called righteous in the OT. But here he is. In the Chapter of Faith.
Abel was a figure of a true righteous man.
The OT saints did not do true righteousness. But by faith, they were counted to have worked righteousness.
Past, present and future, after the figure in the Old Testament and after the true in the New, the only way to work righteousness, is to do so through faith.
We who are of the faith of Christ, work true righteousness. The righteousness of God, which is of faith. Not our own righteousness, which is of the law. (Php 3:9)
Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Naturally, they could do every work that we can do. But spiritually, we can do something that they could ONLY do in a figure: they could only do naturally.
Romans 10:8-10 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This is how a man gets saved. The only “works” that he has to do. This is how to work true righteousness.
This is the true. And as is the true, so is the figure of the true.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
What did they confess? That they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. That this was not the true inheritance. This is the pattern and the true things will be given, the true promises will be kept at the resurrection.
The only people that “wrought righteousness” in the OT did it after the figure of the true.
Only the faithful that have believed the Lord’s promises, and confessed concerning the promises of God in the resurrection, have “wrought righteousness”. And he that doeth righteousness…
Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
The figure of the true, the pattern of true righteousness, shows that it is through faith that God’s promises were obtained. And so how do we obtain the true promise – the Holy Spirit? The same way it was done in figure. By faith. By faith we are made children of Abraham. By faith, we are made the children of God.
They had to have faith that God would keep His promises.. in the resurrection. That was the pattern. Those Sadducees “do greatly err”.
Subduing kingdoms, stopping the mouths of lions, quenching the violence of fire, escaping the edge of the sword, turning to flight the armies of the aliens. Those things are things that we do in the Spirit, both when we get saved and when we preach the gospel. And those are things which we will do in the resurrection.
According to the Chapter of Faith, the only place that the OT saints are said to have “wrought righteousness”, it was not the law that allowed them to work righteousness. It was faith that allowed them to work righteousness.
They worked righteousness while in the flesh, while under the law, according to the pattern. The law was the pattern. The gifts and offerings and the building of the temple and how to love God and how to love your neighbor. All things in the law were patterns. But it was not the law that allowed them to work righteousness. It was FAITH that enabled them to work righteousness.
Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise [salvation – the Holy Spirit – everlasting life – God’s righteousness]:
What did they get? Nothing. They received nothing.
They obtained promises. They obtained a good report. Not salvation.
The OT Saints were not saved like Christians. They had to obtain a good report, through faith, and die in that faith.
They had to keep it (faith) so they could die in it.
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, …
They did not have the ability to immediately, instantaneously die with Christ and be raised again with Christ, born again in Heaven, as we do. They could not receive the promises until the resurrection.
But we receive the promises now: in spirit.
They had to believe they would receive the promises in the resurrection.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith …
What does a “good report” do? Well, I see two premises in Scripture. (Appears 10 times)
Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoiceth the heart: and a good report maketh the bones fat.
When they got and “good report”, they got health and life in them – marrow/oil in them – perhaps access to the tree of life? – until Jesus came to give them the gospel to eat, to free them and
Prov 3:8, Prov 16:24, Prov 25:25, Isa 52:7, Isa 61:1-3, Nah 1:15, Rom 10:15-16,
Those OT saints were promised to receive eternal life, eventually, through faith in the resurrection promise. All these, every one of them, are said to have worked righteousness through faith. The OT system was a pattern of the new. But there were no assurances, no promises received.
This is what the false prophets base their doctrine on: the pattern. And because there were no promises, according to them, you can’t just believe and confess one time. No you have to continually work. Have faith in God, and then work, work, work. Mess up? Confess again and keep working. Do the pattern. The carnal shadows. And where will it get you? At best.. to the same place it got them: without the promise.
Hebrews 11:39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise …
Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, …
They died and went to death, without the promise.
The only promise they received is the promise of a future resurrection.
The false prophets would have you work, work, work, according to the pattern, instead of according to the true. But the pattern is completed and done away. (1 Cor 13:10, 2 Cor 3:7,11). The true is now available. And if you rejected the gospel (the good report), which is obtained BY FAITH, there is nothing promised you.
Did the OT saints “do good” or “do right” under the law? Yes. But not in truth. Only in figure. Otherwise, they would have been like us. They would have, without us, received the promise and been made perfect.
Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
We are made perfect. They were not.
They worked the pattern of righteousness. They foreshadowed our salvation, but only BY FAITH.
True righteousness must be worked by grace, through faith. And Hebrews 11 shows us that the shadow is consistent with the true. Even the pattern of righteousness could ONLY be worked BY FAITH.
Wrought good – 0 times
Wrought right* – 1 time.
“he was good” – 0 times
“he was righteous” – 2 times
Job 32:1 So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
By Pastor • Christian Doctrine, Good Works • 0