Faith Described Series

LEAVING A LEGACY SERIES

HEBREWS 11:1-3

FAITH DESCRIBED

The author of Hebrews has just said in 10:39 that “we are not of those who shrink back to destruction but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.” The readers of this epistle were tempted just as we are, to place their confidence in the temporary visible things of this world, not in the invisible eternal realities of God. Instead of maturing by faith they desired to live by sight.

A black church congregation had met to pray for rain to relief a long dry spell. The preacher looked severely at his flock and said:

"Brothers and Sisters, yo'll knows why we is here. Now what I wants to know is--where is yo' umbrellas?"

The writer in chapter 11 gives the clarion call to live by faith. Faith in God’s revelation has always been the way of life for God’s people. The just shall live by faith in God and His Word. This is a divine, supernatural, justifying and sanctifying faith, not in our self, not in our faith, not in our works, but in God. All true believers have been endowed by God through the Holy Spirit with faith. This faith provides a certainly about things we cannot see. Faith brings a confidence in God’s promises and shows trust in His character (CIT).

I. THE NATURE OF FAITH; 1.

II. APPROVED BY FAITH; 2.

III. UNDERSTANDING BY FAITH; 3.

The essential characteristic of faith is that it deals with things future and things unseen as verse 1 indicates. “Now faith is the assurance [substance, support, setting under, substantiation] of things hoped for, the proof [conviction, evidence] of things [matters, deeds, events] not being seen.”

This verse does not define faith, but it is more of a description of what faith does and how it works. [Since the word faith is used without the article, the verse refers to faith as a principle, as an abstract concept, and not just redeeming faith.] Faith’s practical working in the lives of believers enables them not only to know an unseen God but to live a full and effective life for God. Faith by its nature deals with unseen things but that does not mean they are unknown, they are expected but not yet realized or visible.

The word substance or confidence (?pstas?? from ?ps?steµ?, ?ps- under & ?steµ?- stand up) is literally stands up under and indicates what supports or is setting under something be it a building, a contract or a promise. Faith is the foundation or what holds up a Christian’s life just like a foundation is what holds up a house.

Faith is the substantiation, that which gives confidence and assurance to the hoped for promises. Hope in Scripture is not a wish, a dream or a fantasy. Hope is what should occur when a scripture

points to a future reality or expectation. Hope is that directed anticipation that becomes a settled assurance. Hope comes when a believer by faith lays hold of a promise of God and anticipates its fulfillment. Thus hope has a foundation and that foundation is what God has promised. Old Testament saints found hope in God’s word. They were people who had hope in life because of their faith. They were people of faith in God and His promises. Faith is that which gives assurance or confidence in the hoped for promises. Faith is to be the solid foundation on which we stand while awaiting the fulfillment of God’s word. Faith is the present representation of a future reality.

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not being seen. The word evidence can mean conviction (e?e????, Mt. 18:15, 2 Tim. 3:16) or proof. In the science of mathematics many of our greatest formulas are based upon mathematical substantiations which are called proofs. It is only by working step by step through the proof that you know if the formula is correct. You cannot see it by just looking at it that it is true you must prove it by the proof. So it is with faith. It is the method of proving the things not seen. It is the inward convicting, or proving of God that what He has promised, He will perform. Living by faith in the promises of God gives one the evidence, verification or proof he or she needs to place validity or the weight of life on the promises.

The word things or events (pa?a?µa) is a thing done, a deed completed or an accomplished fact. There is a residing in us by faith that the promises of God are an accomplished fact.

Eyesight produces a conviction or is our proof about objects in the physical world. Faith produces that same conviction for the invisible order. Faith shows itself to us by producing the assurance that what we hope for will happen. But faith is only as true as the reality of the object hoped for. Thus we must have God’s inner conviction and guidance that what we hope for is true.