H20
Hebrews 11 is the chapter of faith. The chapter explains what faith is, how it acts, what faith gets, what faith accomplishes and how to get faith.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the proving of things not seen."
Faith is…
Faith is the assurance and unshaken confidence that what God says is so even though at present there is no other evidence that it is so than that God says so.
Faith acts…
1. Faith shows itself by standing unwaveringly on what God says. v.3.
2. Faith shows itself in another way, i.e., by doing just what God bids. v.4.
3. Faith shows itself again by cheerfully suffering affliction with the children of God. v.23.
4. Faith shows itself by stopping at no sacrifice that God demands. Abraham, v.17.
Faith Gets…
1. Faith gets testimony right from God that the believer is righteous in His sight. v.4.
2. Faith gets salvation. v.7.
3. Faith gets life. v.31.
4. Faith gets power to bring forth children for God. v.11. 5. Faith obtains a heavenly and eternal home. v.16.
Faith Accomplishes…
1. Faith overcomes difficulties that seem insuperable. vs.2,9.
2. Faith wins victories over enemies that seem fortified behind impregnable walls. v.30.
3. Faith accomplishes a host of things that the inspired author of our chapter was forced to bunch together and that we must bunch together. vs.32-34. Faith is the great conqueror, the great achiever. The man of faith is the man who moves the world and leaves his permanent impress upon it. Faith is the mightiest thing within the reach of man. It links man to the omnipotence of God.
V. How to Get Faith.
The chapter gives a short and simple answer to that question. The way to get faith is to listen to what God has to say and then just stand upon it, risk everything upon it. Read your Bible a great deal. Pay very careful attention to what it says. Ask God to make it very clear what it means. Then when you find a promise, no matter how big it is, believe it in all its height and depth and length and breadth, and stand upon it. When you find a commandment meant for you, no matter how hard it seems, just obey it. Do exactly what it says, and do it at once.
