Well, we have arrived in Hebrews 11 today. This is probably one of the most well known chapters in the book of Hebrews, because contained within it, we find what has been called the “Hall of Faith.” I have to admit though, that when I talk to people about matters of faith, confusion often reigns. In the dictionary, if you look up the word faith, you will find several meanings for the word. Nine to be exact (I’m inclined to believe that when a word can mean nine different things, people are bound to be confused by it) – nine meanings, at least in the dictionary I was using for my research. The second definition given for the word faith is probably the most commonly known and used – it says, “belief that is not based on proof.” But then, down at definition number 8 the dictionary has this definition: “the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.” I explored a little further beyond the dictionary, and found what Encyclopedia Brittanica says about faith. This is from the 2008 edition. It reads, “inner attitude, conviction, or trust relating man to a supreme God or ultimate salvation. In religious traditions stressing divine grace, it is the inner certainty or attitude of love granted by God himself. In Christian theology, faith is the divinely inspired human response to God's historical revelation through Jesus Christ and, consequently, is of crucial significance.” That’s pretty good stuff.
Faith, as it is discussed in scripture, is a different kind of faith altogether than the kind of faith we have when we step on an airplane or in our cars, or when we make a commitment to someone in “good faith.” By the way, my wife’s plane was late, the battery died on my car yesterday and I’ve had many people make promises to me over the years that have been broken. And I know that even I’ve broken a few. It’s much deeper, and much more important than just blind trust or emotionally driven hope. It’s also much more powerful, and much more concrete. You see the Dictionary does a pretty good job when it says, “the trust in God and His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures…” The encyclopedia does pretty good when it uses words like, “inner certainty.” Here in Hebrews we have read that faith is being “sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” The author of Hebrews talks about faith over and over again in the last three chapters of this great book. What we have here in Hebrews 11 is a description of faith. It’s different than a mere definition of the word, we see here what faith looks like in action. We see what faith does and how it works. Warren Wiersbe says, and those of you who have Facebook may have seen this quote on my page this week. He says, “True Bible faith is not blind optimism or a manufactured “hope-so” feeling. Neither is it an intellectual assent to a doctrine. It is certainly not believing in spite of evidence! That would be [mere] superstition.” Many people, even week-to-week church goers often have this “hope-so” sense when it comes to faith in God. We often put God’s faithfulness on the same level as human faithfulness, and have this attitude of, “God, I sure hope you don’t let me down.” As if He could and as if His job is to do everything you want. We also often go way over to the intellectual side, and try to figure God out on that level. We put as much faith in Him as we have understanding of Him. That too is a mistake. I have to tell you that I do not believe that Abraham’s faith was rooted in superstition or intellect when he walked up the mountain willing to sacrifice his own son, Isaac. I do not believe that any of the men and women mentioned in this chapter who were commended for their faith had a faith that was rooted in superstition, human emotion or human intellect. It goes way beyond that.
Let me tell you what biblical faith is: A person with biblical faith has a confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences. Let me say that again, “True Bible faith requires confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences.” When God speaks, we listen. “We trust His Word to us and act on it no matter what the circumstances are or what the consequences may be.” Sometimes we don’t understand the circumstances we are facing when we are living in obedience to God. Furthermore, we may face consequences to our obedience to God - but true faith obeys in spite of those uncertainties and fears, because what we are certain of is that God’s way is the best way. We have a certainty that God by nature will not fail – His promises are true and He is completely reliable.
To an unsaved person this is completely illogical. However, when we understand that faith is only as good as the object of our faith, then we can begin to see the importance of faith in God. Faith in God is certain and sure because God is certain and sure. Since God is certain and sure, His Word to us is certain and sure. The object of our faith is unshakeable, God is unshakeable, and so our faith in Him can be certain and sure. Dennis De Haan, long-time editor for Radio Bible Class once said, “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." The Bible makes no attempt to prove God's existence. It assumes it.
Yet three paths are open to the earnest seeker who wants to know if there is a God. The first is nature. Paul wrote, "His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead" (Romans 1:20).
The second path is conscience [which we talked about last week in Hebrews 10], a God-given inner compass that points us to God's standards of right and wrong (2:14-15).
The most convincing path [of faith] is that of putting truth to the test. Those who desire to please God and are willing to obey Him will find that their faith is based in reality, for God rewards "those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6). Assurance always follows faith.
[He goes on to say] God is too big to be proven. It has been said that a god who could be proven would not be worth proving. But when we trust Jesus as our Savior, His Spirit gives us the assurance that our faith is well-founded. —Dennis J. De Haan” He still often contributes and edits for Our Daily Bread even though he has been retired for quite some time.
Faith means living with the assumption that God’s promises are true, they are real – and believing that His power is at work in the present. It involves recognizing that He is the Living God, active and present in our lives and active, present and at work in the universe.
Verse 4-40 gives us a demonstration of active faith in those who have gone before us. It’s almost a summary of the Old Testament. From Abel to Joshua and beyond, we see the demonstration of faith at work in the lives of each of these individuals. People mocked these men and women when they stepped out in faith, but God used them for His purpose and glory. Abel worshipped in faith, Enoch walked in faith, Noah worked in faith, the patriarchs listed in verses 8-22 waited in faith. Waiting in faith…that is probably one of the hardest. Abraham and Sarah are promised a son, but they wait 25 years for that promise to be fulfilled. God made a covenant promise with Abraham he believed and obeyed God even when he didn’t know when or how God would live up to His end of the agreement. Moses…could have settled for a life of ease in the palace, but chose to identify with God’s people and obey God’s call…in faith. Joshua’s first act of faith was to trust God and cross the Jordan river and thus the city of Jericho was defeated. Rahab the prostitute...experienced God’s redemption because of her faith and obedience. Verses 32-40 talk about many other faith heroes each one unique in their personalities, their circumstances, everything – but each ultimately willing to listen to God and be obedient to His will. None of them were perfect, and many of them did not do a perfect job. Not all experienced a miracle of deliverance – some were tortured, some were martyred, some never got to see what they had hoped for come to fruition. Many simply were delivered from their difficult circumstances, yet God ultimately honored and rewarded their faith. Again, Warren Wiersbe says, “It takes more faith to endure than it does to escape.” What did the world think of these men and women? They did not value them – they tortured them, persecuted them, mocked them, killed them. God’s view of these individuals, however, is completely different – this passage says, “the world was not worthy of them.” Faith gives us the ability to seek God’s will over man’s praise regardless of the outcome. Faith looks ahead to the hope we have in the second coming of Jesus Christ, where the greatest reward is found. The people named in this chapter had “God’s witness to their faith that one day they would be rewarded.”
In spite of our circumstances, we should today give thanks for what we have to look forward to in Christ. We should give thanks to those who have gone before us – they saw some of the blessings of God from a distance, but we get to enjoy many blessings today through Jesus Christ and the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. Hebrews 11 gives us a strong reminder, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” We grow in faith as we engage in God’s Word, listen to Him in prayer and worship. I want to close with yet another Wiersbe quote. He says, “Faith is possible to all kinds of believers in all kinds of situations. It is not a luxury for a few “elite” saints. It is a necessity for all of God’s people.” May the Lord increase our faith this morning!
