Essentials Of Faith

We take our text today from Hebrews 11: the great faith chapter. We will begin by reading the first six verses.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”i

THE NATURE OF FAITH

Verse 1 makes a statement about what faith is. It’s always a good idea to get understand of key terms when approaching a subject. And there is no better source for that than the Scripture itself. Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The Greek word translated substance is (hupostasis). It can mean “that which has foundation, is firm.”ii So “substance” is not an inaccurate translation. When something is laid hold of by faith, it is a firm reality even if our natural eyes have not yet seen the manifestation of it. That’s how powerful faith is. But in this context, a preferred translation would be “assurance” or perhaps “confidence.” The NIV translates Hebrew 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” The same word is in Hebrews 3:14 where it is translated confidence: “For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence (hupostasis) steadfast to the end.”

We get additional understanding of our text from the word translated evidence (elegchos). It means proof. iii It is “that by which invisible things are proved (and we are convinced of their reality).”iv So there is a knowing that supersedes the five natural senses. People are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27), and this faculty of faith is part of that. A cow does not have the capacity to do what is described in verse 3. “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb. 11:3). A cow might image grass around the next bend in the path, but he could never process something as profound as the worlds being created by the word of God. The animal might smell water around the bend, but he cannot operate in the faith described in Hebrew 11:3. God simply did not give animals the capacity to do that. He has given that capacity to people.

But whether people will use that capacity is another issue. God has given me natural eyesight.

Through these eyes I can look at something and know it is there because I have perceived it by

one of my five natural senses. But what if I refuse to open my eyes? I will not know the object is

there, at least not through the sense of sight. I can refuse to open my eyes, and even though I

have been given the faculty for natural sight, I will not see. God has given to every human a

measure of faith (Rom. 12:3). But people have to choose to exercise that capacity.

Hebrews 4:2 says, “For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they

heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” Some people chose

to exercise their faculty of faith and respond positively to the message. Others chose to not apply

faith to the message. In those cases, the word did not profit them.

The message of the gospel is that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin on the cross. God verified

that payment by raising Jesus from the dead. Salvation is offered to those who will believe that

report (Rom. 10:9). John 3:16 declares the promise. “For God so loved the world that He gave

His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Notice the condition: “whoever believes.” “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb.

11:6). The person must exercise his God-given capacity to believe the message.