“NOW FAITH IS THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. 2 FOR BY IT THE MEN OF OLD GAINED APPROVAL.”
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been called the “Hebrews Hall of Faith”, and for a good reason.
This chapter talks about some of the great heroes of the faith. You know what makes them heroes? Not what they did. In fact, if you read their stories in the Old Testament you’ll find that all of them made mistakes; some of them made very BIG mistakes. And even the great things they did were by God’s strength, not their own.
So what makes them heroes? Their belief in God. That’s all. It was by their belief that they were able to accomplish those great things. It was because they believed God that He honored them.
Honored them? Yes! Look how He honored them! When He had the writer to the Hebrews pen their stories centuries later, He didn’t mention any of their mistakes; only their faith.
That’s why the chapter starts out the way it does. it doesn’t say, “Approval with God comes from great deeds”. It doesn’t say, “Approval with God comes from not making any mistakes”. It defines faith, then, in verse 2, it says, “For by it (belief/faith), men of old gained approval.”
And what is faith? It is being assured in your heart that all the things God has promised will come to pass. It is being confident of the existence of things we cannot yet see, but believe that they exist in the spiritual world.
Here’s an example. Revelation says that Jesus will come back to this earth as a mighty warrior, and set up His kingdom on earth for a thousand years, then create a new heavens and a new earth where we will reign with Him forever.
I believe that. Do you? Well, true saving faith believes that enough so that the life expresses that belief. What I mean is, it's not a head belief, it's a life belief. What I mean is, be really what you are ideally.
“And these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Hebrews 11:39,40
As great as they were because of faith, they are still waiting for us to join them before the rewards are handed out! We still have time to earn rewards!
Have Faith in God.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Hebrews 10:23
