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| Click picture for a printable handout for this section |
I encourage you to start by reading Hebrews 11:1-7.
Faith is the Reality of our Hope
“Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
I wrote one time, “Hope isn’t a distant, vague dream; through Jesus, hope is realized - completed - finished - fulfilled.” Faith realizes our hope isn’t some wishful possibility; hope is the reality in which we live. Hope is to see God glorified, to be set free from death and decay, to experience eternity in heaven, to live in the freedom of salvation, and more. Click here to read about the full picture of biblical hope along with Scripture references to support each aspect. Check it out – couldn’t we all live with a little more assurance of hope?
His Pleasure; Our Approval
“Our ancestors won God’s approval by it. … Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:2, 6).
Pleasing God begins when we come to Him by faith. We please God when we let go of our own desires, opinions, and self-interests and allow a radical transformation to occur in our minds. “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2, emphasis mine). Remember when we looked at this verse a few sections ago? We learned our spiritual worship is our latreia service as priests in the true temple of God. I encourage you to go back and read it; it’s too much to recap here. We also learn from these verses in Romans that pleasing God requires a renewing of our mind. We no longer think like the world thinks; we no longer prioritize like the world prioritizes. We no longer strive as the world strives. Instead, we come to Him by faith as we realize that the hope we have in Him is reality. Eternity is the reality – not the struggles, goals, priorities, and philosophies of this world.
Faith transforms our thinking to focus on the reality before the throne of God. Faith builds a foundation for pleasing God. Finally, faith allows God to look down upon us and say, “Yes, she is approved.” Faith allows God to bear witness to the fact that ours was a life transformed by Him and for Him.
On God's Side
“The one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
The last two sections compared two different reactions to Jesus sacrificial death. In the first one, those who believe He died as the Messiah draw near to Him, hold on to the confession of their hope, and are concerned for one another. In the second one, those who reject Him as the Messiah arrogantly decide His death was no more than a premeditated murder as they reject Him as the Word made Flesh. They trample on Him, consider Him ordinary, and insult the grace He offers. Their outcome is fire and judgment.
Those who live by faith have picked on which side of this comparison they want to be. Faith is the side of the one who draws near to God and finds rest in the hope of the unseen. God says, “My righteous one will live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38).
By Faith, from Creation to the Flood
Hebrews has helped us understand and visualize God’s plan for all of creation – from beginning until the end. God’s plan since the beginning has been for us to come to Him by faith regardless of the time era in which we live. That’s why the list in this chapter of those who live by faith begins at creation and ends, well, at the end when He brings us all together in one eternal kingdom.
Creation (11:3)
Read the story of creation in Genesis 1.
I don’t think we’ll ever scientifically prove the processes of creation. Scientists and theologians argue back and forth relentlessly. The final argument, however, comes down to an acceptance of God’s creation by faith. Notice this interesting correlation within these verses… Faith is “the proof of what is not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is required to understand that God took what was unseen and with it, created what we now see. With the power of His spoken word, “what is seen has been made from things that are not visible” (Hebrews 11:3). Faith realizes the reality of the spiritual, heavenly, unseen world. Faith then goes one step further and recognizes that God used what is unseen to create the universe.
Abel (11:4)
Read the story of Abel in Genesis 4:1-12.
God’s acceptance of Abel’s sacrifice and rejection of Cain’s had anything to do with what they brought. He based His response on the hearts of those who brought the sacrifice. Abel came before God by faith. This pleased God and God accepted Abel’s sacrifice. We don’t know Cain’s motive but it’s a safe implication that Cain didn’t come before God by faith.
Abel was the first person to die in faith of the coming Messiah. He was the first murdered, the first persecuted for obedience to God, and the first to die with hope in an unseen eternity. As the first murdered among men, his blood still cries out to us by faith today waiting for redemption and resurrection.
Enoch (11:5)
Read the story of Enoch in Genesis 5:18-24.
We don’t know much about Enoch. We do know, however, that he walked with God in a special understanding and relationship. Jude 14-15 refers to him as a prophet who knew judgment would come upon the earth because of man’s wickedness. Indeed, he named his son Methuselah which means “when he is dead, it shall come.” Methuselah lived longer than any other man in history because of God’s grace but when he eventually died, the flood came upon the earth. God brought judgment for man’s wickedness.
We know that Enoch lived by faith. By faith, He looked at the sin of the world and knew that God couldn’t allow it to continue that way unchecked. A righteous God would require judgment. The same faith that knew God would judge also motivated Enoch to walk closely with God. Enoch walked with God on this earth until one day when God said, “Yes, you are approved. Come walk with Me in heaven.” God took Enoch - who was seen - and suddenly "he was not there because God took him" (Genesis 5:24). Or, as another translation says, "one day he disappeared" (NLT).
Noah (11:7)
Read the story of Noah in Genesis 5:28-9:29.
Almost 700 years after God took Enoch into heaven, in the year of the death of his son Methuselah, God sent judgment upon the earth in the form of a worldwide flood. God warned Noah about the judgment to come; by faith in the surety of God’s warning, Noah was motivated to prepare. Noah had never seen rain because it had never fallen upon the earth at that point in history. Even though he'd never seen rain, Noah had faith in the unseen. He built an ark to save his family and the entire animal kingdom.
By Faith, for Us
These stories aren’t our stories but I still see points to inspire us as we walk with God by faith.
By faith, we understand that more exists than what we see with our physical eyes. Faith is living in the reality of that spiritual, eternal kingdom.
By faith, we understand God used what we can’t see to create what we do see. Science can’t prove it; we must humbly accept it as part of God’s plan.
By faith, God is pleased with us and approves us for entry into His kingdom.
By faith, we realize that death here isn’t the end. It’s only a pause until the end of the plan when God brings resurrection to all who follow Him.
By faith, we can be part of those who draw near to Him and not part of those who face judgment.
By faith, God can protect us from coming judgment.
By faith, we recognize a righteous God requires judgment for sin and this should motivate us to walk with Him.
By faith, we recognize that judgment will come and we give our lives to preparing ourselves and those we love for that judgment.
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