With a Subtitle: Trust plus Obedience plus Hope equals Faith.
A brief Excerpt: Hebrews 11 defines faith as assurance in God’s promises, highlighting Biblical figures’ faith in the Messiah despite suffering, achieving righteousness and salvation.
How can anyone NOT be amazed after reading Hebrews Chapter 11? If not, I don’t think they understood it. Not only does this chapter reveal the golden thread of unity throughout the whole Bible, but it also defines faith with surgical precision and illustrates its three-dimensional aspects: intellectual (belief), emotional (trust), and volitional (obedience). This chapter is extraordinary because it answers a very difficult question: “Why should I have faith in an unseen God when doing so means suffering and little hope of reward?”
What is evidence of things not seen?
The chapter begins by defining faith: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) This means that faith is not blind or believing in something that isn’t true. Faith is NOT wishful thinking. It is a settled confidence that what God has said is true, even when it’s not visible yet, because you know that God’s character is 100% good, pure, and true. In this respect, faith itself becomes a kind of possession with the attributes of assurance, hope, and expectation of satisfaction.
What is the common denominator?
The connecting thread running through the summary accounts of these faithful Biblical figures is this: though they lived centuries apart, they all trusted God’s promise to send the Messiah, even though they never saw it fulfilled during their lifetimes. So, what did their faithfulness achieve for them? Was it worth the pain and suffering they endured? During their lifetimes on earth, their faithfulness achieved righteousness, God’s approval, assurance of Heaven, a place of honor in God’s plan of redemption, and eternal salvation in Christ. They were all commended for their faith because it allowed them to see beyond their present circumstances to God’s ultimate, eternal purposes. Their stories demonstrate that victory is assured via trust regardless of circumstances or outcomes.
Pointing forward
Even though Jesus is not mentioned explicitly in Hebrews 11, the entire chapter points forward to Him. After reiterating the horrendous persecutions suffered by the early Church, we discover that these heroes of faith were waiting and anticipating something far greater: the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption in Christ. Not only does this chapter remind us of the great events, miracles, and tragedies of the Old and New Testaments, but it also encourages us to have courage, persevere, and realize that unseen realities matter the most because they’re eternal. We see that delay is not denial, faith is not weakness, and endurance in hardship is the finest expression of faith.
Conclusion
The answer to the question of why someone should have faith in an unseen God, when doing so means suffering and little hope of reward, is found in Hebrews 11. It teaches us that the greatest reward of faith is not instant gratification or immediate results, but belonging to God and trusting Him across generations. All these people mentioned in this chapter did receive their beloved Messiah, not in their earthly lifetime, but in their eternal lifetime.
Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words
Distributed by – BCWorldview.org
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