In 1908, G. K. Chesterton, reflecting on his childhood, wrote in his book Orthodoxy, “I freely confess all the idiotic ambitions of the end of the nineteenth century. I did, like all other solemn little boys, try to be in advance of the age. Like them I tried to be some ten minutes in advance of the truth. And I found that I was eighteen hundred years behind it.” ¹ Neither the twentieth nor the twenty-first century has brought about much change to this end. Today it seems we are still racing to be in advance of the truth, and are, consequently, distancing ourselves from it.

As an example, in our day, it is as easy to find a multitude of books dealing with leadership (a hot topic in church discussions) as it is difficult to find one that takes up and wrestles with texts in Scripture concerning the topic (such as Hebrews 13:17). We seem to be writing more and saying less. One danger (among many) of such practices is that eventually a generation will fill our pews who knows little of the Scripture but much about how to lead a church, fill the pews, and make people happy. May God forbid such a day, if it is not already here.

A few of the ways in which we can avoid walking down such a dangerous road is by consistently wrestling with and learning Scripture, hearing consistent preaching which covers the whole counsel of God, being reminded again of the content of what we must believe and practice, and defining our theological terminology in accordance with what God has spoken in his Word. I mention this last one (i.e. “defining our theological terminology in accordance with what God has spoken in his Word”) for a few reasons.

First, it is not difficult to foresee that if theological conversations go on concerning salvation, grace, and God’s providence and the words are never defined, the next generation might be one that uses our same vocabulary and yet uses a different dictionary (defining such words not as Scripture does but as a post-modern culture and philosophy does). Second, I think we need to focus on defining theological terminology to this generation because there is too much at stake if we simply assume they will pick up the biblical meaning at some point. And finally, the reason I want to focus on defining theological terminology this morning is because that is what Hebrews 11 does for us. In this chapter we get a definition, example, and picture of faith that the writer hoped his original hearers would see and that I want us to see this morning.

Therefore, this morning I simply want to try to answer five questions about faith as we look at this text: what is faith?, why is faith important?, what is the focus of faith?, how does faith show itself to be real?, and what about our faith (i.e. do we have it and how should it show itself in our lives).

And I pray that we might not only answer these questions but respond in obedience to what this text teaches us in order that we might be a people who rightly live our lives in worship to God. Therefore, let us now turn to answering those questions as we turn to the text.

What is faith?

The author of Hebrews begins this chapter with a definition of faith. He has already told them much about the need for faith, but he now shows them a definition and picture of what faith really is. He writes in verse 1, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” That is to say, faith is being sure of something when you cannot see it and holding fast to something you cannot feel it in the grip of your hand.

One of the clearest pictures of faith I have seen in my son lately. He is getting to a point where he will attempt standing on his own while he has not yet mastered balancing at that point. Therefore, if I am sitting in front of him, he will lift himself up and stand, and as soon as he realizes he’s not going to be able to keep himself in that position, he flails his arms back and dives forward, face-first, laughing, trusting that I will keep him from crashing his face on the ground. Now this is not because he does not know how to lower himself safely once he is standing. No, he lowers himself with the greatest of patience, concentration, and fear. But when I am there with him it’s a different story.

Why does he respond so radically different when I am with him? It is because he has faith in my ability. He is sure that I will catch him before he ever sees it lived out. He is convinced of a safe landing before it ever happens. That, according to Hebrews 11:1, is the definition of faith.

Why is faith important?

Having defined faith, we might next want to know why it is so important. After all, why would the author of Hebrews stress it again and again throughout an entire chapter that is composed of forty verses? It must be important. But why is it so important?

The author of Hebrews answers this question for us. At first glance, you might think he answers this question in two ways, but I think the seeming two ways are the same.

He says quite clearly in verse 6 that “without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” I think this is the same as the second reason I will point out, for pleasing God in the context of chapter 10 and this chapter as well equates pleasing God with standing holy before him.

Therefore, we may say that faith is important, for it is the means by which one is declared righteous before God. This declaration is scattered throughout the text. In verse 2 the author of Hebrews writers tell us that it was by faith that “the people of old received their commendation.” That is to say, all individuals living in the Old Testament times were declared righteous and holy before God on the basis of their faith. This is the exact point Paul makes to the Galatians as they had wrongly insisted that they needed to be justified according to obedience to the law and had apparently believed in doing so they were following the manner Abraham himself had been justified. Thus, Paul writes to them, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness?” He then goes on to remind them that the law did not even come for another 430 years afterward, at which time God did not alter the means of righteousness; it is by faith. Therefore, even Abraham was counted righteous by faith.

Yet the author of Hebrews mentions more specific examples. He writes, “By faith Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts” (verse 4). Of Enoch he writes, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God” (verse 5). Of Noah, he writes, “By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (verse 7). Finally, mentioning this Old Testament figures in verse 39, he writes, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised [i.e. Jesus’ work of redemption].”

Thus, a righteous standing before God so that one is pleasing before him is not attained by what we works we can do as an attempt to earn righteousness. Rather, righteousness is counted and credited to us by faith in Jesus and death, burial, and resurrection. Thus, faith is important, for without one will not be pleasing to God, for he will have no righteousness before him.

What is the focus of faith?

Yet this leads to another question, doesn’t it? For if all of these individuals mentioned here displayed faith, what did they exercise faith for, to what end? Or, to say it different, what were they focusing on as they were assured of it although it was yet unseen? I think the answer is in God’s plan of redemption – the person and work of Christ. Now, they did not live to see Jesus carry out his redemptive work on the earth as he lived, died, was buried, and rose from the dead. That’s why the author of Hebrews comments, “These all died in faith, not having received the things promised but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth” and again, “And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect” (verses 13, 39-40).

Thus, they did not see Jesus carry out his redemptive work while they were alive, but they trusted in God, and they trusted God to fulfill his promises to redeem them. So, the author is saying in verses 39-40 that their redemption was dependent on what was fulfilled in the day in which his original hearers lived, namely, the atoning work of Christ. That’s why he says “apart from us [i.e. that which happened in our day] they should not be made perfect.”

The Old Testament individuals named here lived in faith that God would accomplish their redemption and lived their lives on earth in full assurance of what they, by faith, knew awaited them. Therefore, we read again and again that their focus on earth was what they, by faith, knew to be real in eternity.

We see this throughout the chapter. How was Abraham able to find strength to obey the Lord and go to a place without even knowing where he was going? He had faith and “was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God” (verse 9). How was Abraham later able to offer his own son Isaac as a sacrifice when Isaac was his only hope of seeing God’s promise to him fulfilled? He had so much faith in God’s promise, that he believed God would “able even to raise him from the dead,” if necessary (verse 19). How did Moses find the strength to not be identified as with Pharaoh’s and endure mistreatment with God’s people? The answer is that “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (verse 26, italics added). And how did he find the ability to leave Egypt altogether and not fear the anger of the king? The answer: “He endured as seeing him who is invisible” (verse 27). And why were many others tortured because of their identification with Christ and refuse to accept release that they could have had simply by denouncing him as Lord? The Scripture tells us they refused released and held tight to their faith in Christ “so that they might rise again to a better life” (verse 35). All of these individuals, by faith, focused on the sureness of redemption and its benefits, and they lived in light of that assurance.

The focus of their faith was in God fulfilling his promises of the redemption and the benefits that they knew would be theirs.

How does faith show itself to be real?

Thus, we might now be seeing what faith is, how important faith is, and even that the focus of our faith in this life needs to be the accomplished redemption provided by Christ and the life that awaits us at the resurrection, but might we now ask, “How does faith show itself to be real?”

In asking this question I am admitting what we all know to be true: someone could claim to have faith and not really have it. Therefore, how does faith show itself to be genuine?

The answer in this text seems to be that faith will show itself in acts of obedience unto the Lord. For in list of individuals and events in their lives, the author of Hebrews doesn’t just say. “Abraham had faith. Jacob had faith. Moses had faith. Rahab had faith” and give us a continue list of such a declaration. Rather, he says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. … By faith Moses … refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” and so on. He points to their faith by showing the results of their faith, namely, obedience unto the Lord. Thus, we see that through faith they obeyed in difficult times, through faith they conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, and escaped the edge of the sword. And, yes, by faith, they “were tortured … suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two. They were killed with the sword [thus, by faith some escaped the sword while other died by it]. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated – of whom the world was not worthy – wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth” (verses 32-38).

Genuine faith in Christ and his promises will show itself in obedience to that same Lord. Thus, faith is crucial for a believer, for all obedience stems from faith. This is why James writes, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18). He (nor I) is not saying that faith alone does not justify. What he is saying is that justifying faith never comes alone. It inevitably shows itself in obedience to the Lord.

Therefore, faith needed to show itself in the original hearers of the letter by them pressing forward, persevering in hope, and following and obeying Christ though it might mean great suffering and persecution.

What about our faith?

So, what about us? What about our faith? Do we have faith? This is an important question as we have seen how important it is. If we claim to have faith, is it manifesting itself in obedience to the Lord because we value what we cannot see [the benefits of redemption] more than we do the passing pleasures of sin? If not, I want to challenge us today to determine that we will live this life in light of our assurance of full salvation, that we will show our faith in obedience to the Lord. If you are struggling to find the strength to embrace the cost of obedience, will you look to the examples we have seen in this text and imitate their faith. Also, cry out for God’s grace to aid you. You might pray as we close, “Father, give me great grace as I am determined to live by faith in this life whatever the cost of obedience may be.” And may we visibly display that proclamation as come to the table.

May God’s grace be with us. Amen.

¹G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy, reprint (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2000), 172.

A DEFINITION, EXAMPLE, AND PICTURE OF FAITH