Live for God by Faith

The writer of Hebrews provides many examples of faith in Hebrews 11:4-40, a chapter well-known as the "Hall of Faith." For now we will consider the first three, all of whom lived before the flood. All of them stand as great examples as to what it means to truly trust God by faith. Trust is shown in how we live our lives. These three men, Abel, Enoch, and Noah, have shown us how to live for God by faith.

"By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks" (v. 4). That last phrase points out something significant—though Abel died a long, long time ago, he "still speaks" to us today concerning faith in God and living by that faith.

Adam and Eve saw God from a different vantage point than any of their descendents. They walked with God and saw Him face-to-face. They talked with God and had fellowship with Him, living with Him in the garden of paradise every day, until they sinned. But even then they had the memory of their unique relationship with the Creator. Not so for anyone since—not even Cain, their firstborn, or his brother Abel. Beginning with these brothers, all of us have need of faith in the fullest sense—trusting in Him whom we have not seen. In that full sense, Abel might be called the first man of faith. And understand, his faith had to do with his personal salvation.

Genesis 4:2-7 is the reference to which verse 4 speaks. There we are told that "Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground" (v. 2). After some time they brought their offerings before the Lord. Naturally "Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground," while "Abel…brought of the firstborn of his flock” (vs. 3-4a). Then it is said, "The LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering" (vs. 4b-5a). Why?

Some have pointed out that Cain "brought an offering" that may not have been of the firstfruits of the land and it was certainly not a blood offering for sin. But, even so, that is only a symptom of a deeper underlying problem—faith, or the lack thereof. In verse 7 God told Cain, "If you do well, will you not be accepted?" And Hebrews 11:4a adds by inspiration of the Spirit, "By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." Faith is the key!

Because he believed, because of heartfelt faith in God, Abel offered a better sacrifice. Because he offered a better sacrifice, he obtained righteousness, that "good testimony" spoken of in Hebrews 11:2. Because he obtained righteousness, he is for us a living voice saying, "righteousness is by faith." That is his witness.

"By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God" (v. 5). While Abel worshiped by faith, Enoch walked by faith. We are told "he pleased God" (v. 5b), and verse 6 adds that "without faith it is impossible to please Him." So Enoch waked by faith, pleasing God. And he too "obtained a good testimony" (v. 2) from God—he "was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found, because God had taken him'" (v. 5a).

The reference is to Genesis 5:21-24. "And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."

Enoch stands as an example to all of us of what it means to be in fellowship with God. It means coming to God by faith and accepting the salvation He offers. It means walking with God by faith every day, doing what God wants you to do and going where God wants you to go. It means spending time with God in prayer and the reading of His Word. It means fellowshiping with others who believe and sharing Christ with those who don't. It means living for God by faith. When you have true faith, you will live for Him and you will one day be ushered into heaven to spend eternity with Him.

"By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (Heb. 11:7). When you truly believe in God, it will show itself in the way you live, in the things you say, and in the things you do. That is Noah. He took God at His Word and acted accordingly. He is an example of the work of faith—obedience. As Noah shows us, faith can only be seen by the things it does.

Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God" (NASB). He was a man who responded to God's Word. "By faith Noah…moved with godly fear" (Heb. 11:7a). He was warned by God "of things not yet seen" (v. 7a) and he responded with faith and obedience. Being warned about the flood he dropped everything and started building "an ark for the saving of his household" (v. 7b). He had been faithful over many small things, now the Lord gave him something great to do. He had never seen rain or a flood, yet he didn't question; he only obeyed.

By his unwavering faith Noah "condemned the world" (v. 7b). His example of faithfulness stood in contrast with the rest of the people, and 2 Peter 2:5 calls him "a preacher of righteousness." Through Noah the world was rebuked for their sin and disobedience. For 120 years as the ark was being built people were given time to repent and come to God, but they did not. But Noah was vindicated because he "became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (Heb. 11:7b). He was the first man in Scripture to be called righteous. God looked at Noah and saw His Son Jesus Christ. He looks at you the same way when you trust God by faith and live for God by faith. Amen.

Trust God by Faith

Ancient Hebrew poets would often use two parallel and almost identical phrases to express their point (MacArthur’s New Testament Commentary: Hebrews, [Moody Publishers: Chicago, 1983], 286). That is precisely what our writer does in Hebrews 11:1 to express his definition of faith. It is not a formal or highly theological definition. Rather, the writer uses this literary form to emphasize certain basic characteristics of faith that are important in understanding the message he is trying to get across.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (v. 1). First, faith is "the substance of things hoped for" (v. 1a). The NASB says, "the assurance of things hoped for," and the NIV says simply, "faith is being sure of what we hope for." Being certain "of what we hope for" (v. 1a)—that God will keep His promises—and living accordingly with full "assurance" is what faith is all about.

In Old Testament times, men and women had to rest on the promises of God. God had told them of a coming Messiah, a Deliverer who would take away sin. He told them that one day all Israel would be made clean and be ruled by this righteous Messiah. God's faithful believed God's promises, as incomplete and vague as many of those promises were. They did not have a great deal of specific light, by New Testament standards, but they knew it was God's light, and put their full trust and hope in it.

The promises given to the Old Testament saints were so real to them because they believed God, that they based their lives on them. All the Old Testament promises related to the future—for many believers, far into the future. But the faithful among God's people acted as if they were in the present tense. They simply took God at His word and lived on that basis. They were people of faith, and faith gave present assurance and substance to what was yet future.

The Greek word translated "substance" (v. 1a) or "assurance" (NASB), appears two other times in Hebrews. In Hebrews 1:3 it is rendered "exact representation," speaking of Christ's likeness to God, and in Hebrews 3:14 it is rendered "assurance," as in Hebrews 11:1. It refers to the essence, the real content, the reality, as opposed to mere appearance. So faith provides the firm ground on which we stand, waiting for the fulfillment of God's promise. Far from being something that is uncertain, faith is the most solid possible conviction. Faith is the present essence of a future reality.

Foe example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were confronted with a choice. They could obey Nebuchadnezzar, whom they could see very well, or God, whom they had never seen. Without hesitation, they chose to obey God. Man's natural response is to trust his physical senses, to put his faith in the things he can see, hear, taste, and feel. But the man of God puts his trust in something more durable and dependable than anything he will ever experience with his senses. He puts his trust in God and His promises.

Faith is also "the evidence of things not seen" (v. 1b). The NASB says, "the conviction of things not seen," and the NIV says simply that we are "certain of what we do not see." This carries the same truth a little further, to its logical conclusion. "Conviction" leads to a response. Outwardly our life will show our inward assurance. The person of faith lives as he believes. He is committed to live out what his mind and his spirit are convinced is true.

"The elders obtained a good testimony" (v. 2), or "gained approval" (NASB) because they lived by their conviction concerning God and His promises. God said it; they believed it and proved it by their life. Like them we are to live by faith, by "the conviction of things" we have "not seen" (v. 1b).

This is illustrated in verse 3: "By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." None of us saw God create this world. The Scriptures tell us about it and we trust by faith that it is true. The creation can be understood, but only if you are willing to be taught by the Word of God. As John MacArthur said, "Faith comprehends that which the mind of man, no matter how brilliant, cannot fathom" (Ibid). It is by faith that you are convicted of the truth of creation. And it is by that same faith, an absolute trust in God and His Word, that you are to live your life. Amen.

Full Assurance of Salvation

Sorry for the long delay. Still dealing with my heath issues. Parkinson's is giving me a little kick. Balance issues; trimmer worsening; over hot, though not as bad as it was. My new nuerologist upped my medication dosage, but trouble getting my new prescriptiion to the pharmacy. I used to take that same one and started with that. It is helping a lot. Pray I get my new script on Monday so I don't have a relapse. Now to today's Bible Insight!

After giving the severest of warnings, the writer of Hebrews gives a great promise. His hope and prayer was that the unbelievers among his readers would not fall away, but would fall on their knees and come to Christ. For those who do, and for all who believe, great things are in store.

You will note how the writer changes gears. Now he makes complete the contrast between unbelievers who have no hope and believers who are assured of their salvation in Christ. Having told the unbelievers that their only hope is in Christ and having warned them against falling away from the truth they know, he now turns to believers and speaks of the promise of assurance which they have in Christ. This makes his thought complete and further sets the stage for the unbelievers to come to Christ.

Only here does he call us "beloved" in the book of Hebrews (Heb. 6:9a). Throughout the New Testament, when it is not used of Christ, "beloved" always refers to bona fide, born again believers. He says to believers, "we are confident of better things concerning you" (v. 9a). If you truly believe, then you are not in danger of "falling away." Good things are in store for you. That is the promise.

What are these good things? They are "things that accompany salvation" (v. 9b). They are the solid food of righteousness in Christ, shown in our changed lives. They are your "work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister" (v. 10b). God will not "forget" (v. 10a). Those of you who believe have your name securely written in His book of life. Your salvation will not be lost. Your rewards will not be forgotten.

True believers keep on loving and serving. They keep on resting on the assurance of hope in Christ, a certain hope of spending all eternity with Him. That assurance of salvation is one intended result of this passage. The other is that the unbelievers would follow our example and trust Christ for their salvation, joining us in that blessed hope, experiencing the promises of God right alongside us.

And so, speaking again to unbelievers, our writer adds, "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (vs. 11-12). He tells them to consider the life of the believers in their midst and to imitate them. That means trusting Christ unto salvation and being transformed by Him just as you and I have been changed. Then they too will experience that assurance that comes only from walking with God. Amen.