FAITH IS
Hebrews 11:1-7
The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is one of the great chapters in the Bible. It is called “the faith chapter,” the “roll call of faith,” and “God’s Great Hall of Fame.” Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Faith is absolutely essential to the Christian life. If faith is so vital, then we need to understand the meaning of faith. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews, we have the greatest description of faith to be found anywhere. Then we have a long list of men and women of Faith all through the Old Testament period. Time will not permit us to examine the entire chapter so we shall focus on verses 1-7.
I. A DESCRIPTION OF FAITH (11:1-3)
A. First, “faith is the substance of things hoped for.” Let’s examine the meaning of the word “substance.” This word means that faith gives substance or support to that which we hope for. It can also signify a “title-deed” that guarantees the promise will be fulfilled.
The word “substance” can also translated “confidence” or that which has a foundation. The Amplified Bible puts Hebrews 11:1 this way, “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses).”
B. Secondly, faith is the “evidence of things not seen.” The word “evidence” can be translated as “proof.” Faith is proof of the reality we cannot see with our physical eyes. Though we cannot see God, we believe that He is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him.
Some people believe that the world just happened, that what we see now merely evolved over eons of time. By faith we believe God created the heavens and the earth.
Our faith in God leads us to believe Genesis 1:1 which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Though none of us were present at creation, our confidence lies in the eternal Word of God. The writer of Hebrews said, “Through 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 do appear.” God’s Word provides all the proof we need.
II. EXAMPLES OF FAITH FROM THE BEGINNING OF HISTORY (11:4-7)
Having a right relation with God has always been by grace through faith. The Bible is a book of faith. Faith is absolutely essential to the Christian life. We enter into that life by faith. Moreover, we continue in that life by faith. There is no way we can be pleasing to God apart from faith. Hebrews 11 is known as the “roll Call of Faith” listing numerous examples of ordinary men and women who believed in an extraordinary God. In the first seven verses of chapter 11, we find examples of faith in believers who lived before the flood.
A. In righteous Abel, we see faith worshipping God (11:4). This is a reference to the story of Cain and Able in the forth chapter of Genesis. Both brothers sought to worship God by giving a sacrifice. Abel’s offering was acceptable to God but Cain’s was rejected. Hebrews 11:4 tells us, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” It was more excellent because it was blood as opposed to the fruit of the ground. It was by faith as opposed to mere ritual.
God gave Cain the opportunity to remedy the situation and offer a sacrifice in faith. Yet in a fit of jealous rage Cain murdered his brother. He committed the first murder in history. In fact, no one has been dead longer than Abel for he was the first to die. Yet his faith still speaks today.. By faith he offered acceptable worship to the eternal God. It is only by faith that we can enter into the worship of god.
B. In Enoch, we see faith walking with God (11:5-6). Enoch’s brief story is found in Genesis 5:21-27. Of all the names listed in Genesis 5, only Enoch merit’s a special mention. “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.“ About all we know of Enoch is that he was the father of Methuselah, that he walked with God, and that He was taken to heaven without ever dying.
H. Blackwell wrote, “God leads a person in a love relationship with Him through life and beyond.”
By faith, Enoch walked in intimate fellowship and harmony with God. It seems that he began his walk following the birth of his son Methuselah. He continued in that walk for the rest of his life until God took him on to heaven.
Someone once said, “The Christian life is an experience to be had and a relationship to be continued.” Indeed, it is an experience followed by a walk. Paul expressed it this way, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Col. 2.6).
“Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Gal 5:16).
C. In Noah, we see faith working and witnessing for God (11:7). God warned Noah that a universal flood was coming. Moreover, He instructed Noah to build an ark and by faith he commenced the vast building project. His faith expressed itself in obedience to the voice of God. He listened to God rather than his skeptics. His faith led to the preservation of his family in the days of the flood, as well as to the preservation of the human race. If one’s faith is real, it will find a way to express itself to others.
CONCLUSION: Perhaps you may be thinking, those people in the early days of history really needed faith back then. The fact is, faith in God is essential in any generation including those of us who live in the 21st Century.
It is only the life of faith that is pleasing to God. Let’s read Hebrews 11:6 from the Amplified Bible. “But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must (necessarily) believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those earnestly and diligently see Him (out).
An atheist who was an alcoholic was told that he needed to trust in a “higher power.” Since he did not believe in God, he decided he would make a big oak tree his higher power. Then one day, the loggers came and cut down the oak tree. At the next meeting he sadly exclaimed, “They’ve cut down my higher power. What can I do now?” The problem was, he had been trusting in the wrong source. His faith had no substance, no foundation.
Faith is only as good as its object. As a pastor, I often spend many hours in my automobile visiting church members who are in the hospital. I have faith that my automobile will carry me to the hospital and back home again. If I had to drive to California, I have faith that my car will get me there. However, if I am trusting in my car to get me to heaven, my faith is in the wrong source. Jesus Christ is the object of my faith. He is the foundation of my hope. He holds the title-deed to my heavenly home.
Once when Jesus and his disciples were in a boat, a storm arose. Jesus was asleep in the stern. Filled with great fear, his disciples woke Him up saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and the storm became a calm.
Then Jesus asked His disciples, “Where is your faith?” Perhaps Jesus is asking you that question. “Where is your faith?” Is your faith in wealth, education, your possessions, your position, your denomination? Are you trusting in your church membership to get you to heaven, your good works? Faith is only as good as its object. Jesus Christ is the object of our faith.
