Faith For Bigger Things

What we learn from Hebrews 11Faith For Bigger Things Faith is a vital ingredient of the Christian life. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6 NIV). As all believers want to please God, the examples in the lives of Old Testament characters in the great faith chapter, Hebrews 11 can be a real encouragement to them. Faith Brings The Future Into The Present
This chapter begins with the statement that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1). Rather than being a definition of faith, this verse tells us what faith does. When God gives us the gift of faith, he allows us to be “sure of what we hope for.” We hope for things that are certain to happen, such as the resurrection of the dead, the second coming of Christ, and heaven really being a place without tears. Our hope isn’t just “maybe” what the Bible says is true. Faith brings the future into the present; it makes things we hope for absolutely certain. Faith also makes us “certain of what we do not see.” We do not yet see our heavenly Father, or heaven, or Jesus Christ with our eyes. But with the eye of faith we do see them and are sure that God is with us, that Christ is enthroned in heaven and will return for us. People are commended in Hebrews 11:2 for their acts of faith. This demonstrates that true biblical faith is confident obedience to God’s Word in spite of circumstances and consequences. For example, none of the people in this chapter were commended for anything that the world would commend them for such as fitting into a size 8 dress, being wealthy, being handsome, being popular, or being clever. Also, don’t think that we can prove the existence of a Creator by the evidence of design in creation, even though the Bible says that “since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made” (Rom. 1:20). It takes faith to understand that the universe was created at God’s command (11:3). We can’t expect a non-believer to reason out what we think is reasonable. The remainder of Hebrews 11 describes faith expressed in the lives of Old Testament characters. Abel: Abel’s offerings were costly and well thought out; they were the best portions of the firstborn of his flock (11:4). On the other hand, Cain’s offerings were thoughtless and less costly; he had a “near enough is good enough” attitude. He should have traded with Abel for a good sacrifice that would please God. The application is that we should give God our best and do our best whenever we serve God, and therefore give Him an Abel-type offering, not a Cain-type one. Enoch: Enoch obviously communicated with God (11:5). He seemed to be faithful to God in everyday life. Don’t think that we have to do great achievements for God. We should be faithful in the mundane things, which the world does not understand, such as “turning the other cheek.” Likewise, we should also be faithful in the little things, regardless of the circumstances and consequences. Noah: A faithful father can have a great effect on his family. Noah was a father who went against the crowd and was faithful to God when everyone else was mocking. He was certain of what he did not see (11:7). Even though he had never seen rain and had never experienced a flood, he spent about 100 years building a huge boat miles away from any water. It was God’s gift of faith that allowed him to be certain that a real flood was coming. There was a cost involved – imagine the ridicule his family had to put up with when he preached to the people. Abraham: Like Abraham, many missionaries find themselves in the situation of not knowing exactly where God is taking them (11:8). There is a cost involved in obeying God as Abraham had to leave the comfortable city of Ur. Another example of Abraham’s faith was his acceptance of the promise of a son after his wife was well past the childbearing years (11:11). Because they had seen God work in the past they believed – although it did not make sense to the human mind. Another instance was his willingness to sacrifice his only son (11:17-19). This was a test of Abraham’s faith which had been built in little things. Abraham had proved God time and time again. If we do not allow God to build our faith in the little things, how can we get to a point of doing things like missionary work or moving to another place under His direction? We must be missing out on so much that God has in store for us just because we don’t act in faith. This means He can’t build our faith. Abraham’s hope was in the future (11:10). He was happy to move because his hope was not tied up in where he lived, but it was in God. “They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance ... They were longing for a better country – a heavenly one” (11:13,16). God is outside time, and Abraham could see far beyond this life. This thought comes out repeatedly in this passage. Moses: Sometimes faith makes us go without things or refuse to do things even though we may like to do them. Moses, as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, had everything available to him (11:24). But he chose to be identified with the Hebrew slaves, rather than retain his position as a member of the royal family. “He was looking ahead to his reward” and “he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible” (11:26-27). He was certain of what he could not see. Disgrace for the sake of the “Messiah” (Christ) was more valuable than all the treasures of Egypt. Samson: We usually think of Samson as being a failure, but God doesn’t see him that way (11:32). If you feel that God must be constantly disappointed with you and you keep failing Him, note that God does not register any of the unfaithfulness. Be encouraged that even though you will fail time and time again, God does not keep a record of your failures because they were dealt with at the cross. Those Persecuted: “Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection” (11:35). They had a choice to deny their faith and be relieved of torture, but they chose to face the consequences of their faith in God. These people were made homeless and they were treated like animals: “Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated” (11:36-37). Remember Saul in the New Testament who herded people into prison and persecuted them for their faith. He watched Stephen being stoned to death. These kinds of things can still happen today to Christians in some countries. You can read accounts in such publications as the Voice of the Martyrs magazine. This makes us wonder, how strong is our faith? If we are not faithful in little things how could we be faithful in persecution? Also, why are these Christians so strong in their faith? It’s because they see other Christians enduring under these circumstances, and they build each other up. Our Faith: These people of faith didn’t see the Messiah (11:39), but we know through recorded history how Jesus lived and died, and that He matched perfectly the Old Testament promised Messiah. We are sure of what we hope for, which is the resurrection of the dead. The bodies of these faithful people of the Old Testament will be caught up with ours to meet the Lord in the air (11:40). God is faithful; He is reliable. Can we be faithful in the little things of everyday life? Then He can build our faith and maybe even use us for bigger things. By Neil Holman