Heroes Of The Faith

Feature 3 – March 2023 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Heroes Of The Faith
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying: “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God. —Ezekiel 14:12-14 NKJV

Many of us know the story of Noah, as did Ezekiel’s audience. Noah is one of the great heroes of the faith in the Bible. In the book of Genesis it says he “was a just man, perfect in his generations” and that he “walked with God” (6:9). Noah “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (v.8), and both he and his family were saved from the flood that wiped out the entire ancient world of the ungodly.

Job is another man of the past whose life was known by everyone who read the Scriptures in Ezekiel’s day. Similar to Noah, Job is described as “blameless and upright” (Job 1:1). In the New Testament, Job is acclaimed for his steadfastness in the face of adversity: “Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful” (Jas. 5:11).

Notice whom Ezekiel mentioned as the third example of righteousness in the opening passage. Right at the time Ezekiel was writing there was a young man in the king’s palace who had purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies. It was Daniel, one of the many who had been taken to Babylon from the land of Israel. He was living at the court of Nebuchadnezzar when Ezekiel wrote, and yet he was reckoned with, or counted as one of, God’s righteous men of old!

Sometimes we think that there are no longer heroes and heroines of the faith as there were in former times. We often admire spiritual giants like Martin Luther (1483–1546), John Wesley (1703–1791), George Whitfield (1714–1770), George Muller (1805–1898), Hudson Taylor (1832–1905), Mary Slessor (1848–1915), Amy Carmichael (1867–1951), Dwight L. Moody (1837–1899), Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892) and Jim Elliot (1927–1956). In my circle of fellowship, some may especially esteem “chief men among the brethren,”* such as John N. Darby (1800–1892), William Kelly (1821–1906) and Charles H. Mackintosh (1820–1896). But do you know what? There are heroes of the faith living right now, just like Daniel in the time when Ezekiel wrote his prophecy. Will you and I be among them?

To Be A Hero Or Heroine Of Faith
What does it take to be a hero? Are the sports icons, movie stars, business tycoons and world leaders that we look up to really heroes? True heroes are defined by their faith in God and obedience to His Word – by magnifying Christ, not themselves; by their sacrifice, not their success; by their devotion, not their talent; by their faith, not their fame! True heroes are characterized by “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [and] self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23 ESV).

We don’t have to do anything great or prestigious in order to be heroes of faith. Something as small as “a cup of cold water” in the name of a disciple is noteworthy to the Lord (Mt. 10:42). In fact, three of David’s mighty men are specifically commended in 1 Chronicles 11:15-19 for just that – bringing him water to drink from the well of Bethlehem! Their actual deed doesn’t seem great in comparison with some of the other military achievements mentioned in the same chapter, and their names aren’t even mentioned. But they dwelt close enough to David to know the longings of his heart and were willing to risk their own lives to refresh his soul, even though it didn’t give them fame in this life. It’s the level of our devotion that is important, not the size of the accomplishment.

Using The Gifts Divinely Given
God has given each of us a specific purpose and special gifts to serve Him. Romans 12:3-8 lists some examples of these different gifts. The emphasis of the passage is not what the gifts are, but for us to use them! Jesus also taught this valuable lesson to His disciples in The Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30). The Master gives to each according to his own ability. The question is not what we have, but what we do with what we have. God will enable each one of us to live for Him in our respective callings: “But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk … Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called” (1 Cor. 7:17, 24 NKJV).

Two well-known children’s songs express this same sentiment:

• “In this world of darkness, we can shine, you in your small corner, and I in mine!” (Susan B. Warner, 1819–1885).
• “Jesus wants me for a sunbeam, to shine for Him each day; in every way try to please Him, at home, at school, at play” (Nellie Talbot, 1871–1959).

Instead of comparing ourselves with others, God simply asks us to do our best according to the abilities He has given us. “For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have” (2 Cor. 8:12). “If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 4:11).

The widow’s two mites (Lk. 21:1-4) and the boy who shared his lunch (Jn. 6:1-14) are two real-life examples in the Gospels of this principle. In Luke 21 the rich gave out of their abundance, but the widow gave out of her poverty; they gave some, but she gave all; they gave what cost them nothing, but she sacrificed all her livelihood. It is important for us to distinguish between portion and proportion – people see what is given, but God sees what is left. Although the lad in John 6 did not have much to give either – just 5 barley loaves and 2 small fish – he was willing to put it at the disposal of the Lord Jesus. Our Savior was able to use and miraculously multiply his contribution so 5,000 men, in addition to the women and children present, were filled.

Applying Lessons From Hebrews 11
Hebrews 11 could be described as “Faith’s Hall of Fame.” It comprises a roster of Old Testament heroes of the faith who were an inspiration to the writer of Hebrews, and countless followers of Christ right up to our generation, to trust in the same unchanging God. Notice the personal pronouns used at the start of the following chapter: “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2). You see, we too can be heroes of faith – not in our own strength but by looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

With this thought in mind, what if we applied lessons from Hebrews 11 to us now? Would we be included as examples of faithfulness? We know that at the judgment seat of Christ we will be rewarded for our loving devotion to our Savior and faithful service performed in His name (2 Cor. 5:8-10. Based upon the living and active Word of God, consider with me what the voice of Jesus’ approval for believers of our generation might sound like:

• By faith many gathered faithfully with two or three in My name, going forth to Me outside the camp, bearing My reproach. They did not forsake the assembling of themselves together, as the manner of some was, but loved to join together in exhortation, especially as they saw the Day approaching. (See Mt. 18:20; Heb. 13:13, 10:25.)
• By faith gatherings of Christians collectively received the Word with all readiness, holding fast to their First Love. By faith they endeavored to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In the last days of decline and dwindling numbers, they held fast what they had until My coming, being watchful and strengthening the things that remained. (See Acts 2:42; Rev. 2:4; Eph. 4:3; Rev. 3:2.)
• By faith some trusted in Me through sickness and deep trials, considering that the sufferings of the present time were not worthy to be compared with the glory which would be revealed in them. (See Rom. 8:18.)
• By faith husbands loved their wives, just as I loved the Church, and wives submitted themselves to their husbands, as to Me. (See Eph. 5:22-33.)
• By faith mothers patiently raised their children for Me, reading Bible stories to them and praying with them. Fathers refused lucrative job promotions in order to have more time for their families and for building up the body of Christ. (See Dt. 6:6-7; Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21)
• By faith children were obedient to their parents in the Lord. Boys and girls were not ashamed of the gospel when their classmates made fun of them, knowing that it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. (See Col. 3:20; Eph. 6:1; Rom. 1:16.)
• By faith teenagers and college students did not partake in the passing pleasures of sin. They esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the recognition, fame or prosperity this world could offer. (See Heb. 11:25-26; Gal. 2:20).
• By faith a new generation believed that the worlds were framed by the word of God. By faith they honored My divine order governing gender and relationships. They respected every precious soul made in the image of God, manifesting My impartial love without embracing cultural norms or celebrating lifestyles that were contrary to My Word. (See Heb. 11:3; Ti. 2:12.)
• By faith they received My Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily in the things concerning Myself. By faith they showed their humble dependence and trust in My promises through steadfast prayer. (See Acts 17:11; Rom. 12:12.)

Well done, My good and faithful servants!

He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. —Luke 16:10

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. —1 Corinthians 15:58

ENDNOTE
* From the book Chief Men Among the Brethren, by Hy Pickering (Glasgow: Pickering and Inglis, 1918).

By Tim Bouter

Romans 12:3-8 ESV For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.