What is Faith?

Opening:

It is a beautiful thing to open the Word of God on the Lord’s Day.

Introduction of the Series and Passage:

This morning we are going to be studying some of Hebrews 11. We just wrapped up our study of the book of Habakkuk. And if you recall, the central theme of that book is that the righteous shall live by faith. The life of the Christian is one that begins with, is sustained by, and ends in faith. The marker of a Christian is faith. In fact, the very definition of a Christian is one who has faith in Christ. And this faith affects ever aspect of our lives.

But this should lead us to a couple questions. First, what exactly is faith? What is it? Second, what does genuine faith do in our lives? How do we live by faith? And these are pertinent questions. Sadly, there is much false teaching surrounding faith. There are many false teachers who will regularly make statements like “if you just have enough faith, you will be rich, or be healed, or never suffer.” This is patently false. There are also many who believe that faith is merely an inward reality. Faith is something that happens in your heart, but never goes beyond that. Many today view faith as merely being the emotional butterflies you get when someone plays your favorite worship song.

But true faith is more. True faith is not a guarantee that nothing bad will ever happen. True faith is not something that merely stays in your heart. True faith is something that transforms you and sustains you in every aspect of your life.

So as we are asking the questions, what is faith and how do we live by faith, we find that it would be helpful if God gave us a list of answers to those questions in His Word. Wouldn’t that be helpful to have a clearly laid out list of a definition of Biblical faith followed by a list of those who lived out faith and demonstrated what living by faith means? Well good news! That is exactly what Hebrews 11 is. In this chapter we have a definition of Biblical faith followed by a list of those who lived by faith.

So this morning we are going to begin our study of the biblical list of those who lived by faith. Or as Hebrews 12 calls them, our great cloud of witnesses. And over the coming weeks we will be examining these giants of the faith and how they lived and even died by faith.

However, this morning we are going to be setting the stage a little bit. We are going to be studying the beginning and the end of this chapter. We will be reading Hebrews 11:1-2, 33-40, 12:1. But don’t worry. We aren’t skipping any of this chapter.

So if you would, please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.

Reading of the Passage:

Hebrews 11:1–2“1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.”

And jump down to Hebrews 11:33–40“33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

Hebrews 12:1“1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

Behold, the Word of God. Let’s Pray.

Prayer:

Our Gracious Heavenly Father, we commit this time to you. We ask that you would be glorified in it. And we ask that you would strengthen our faith as we study your Word. In Jesus name, amen.

Introduction:

As we open this study, there are just a few housekeeping things we do have to cover. First, the book of Hebrews is a bit of an enigma. We do not know for certain who wrote it. There is no signature in the closing or opening as there are with many of the New Testament letters. This leaves the authorship a bit ambiguous. And there are many theories as to who wrote it.

But, it is my conviction that the Apostle Paul is behind this letter. I believe this was a sermon Paul gave to a Hebrew audience that Luke transcribed into written form. I won’t bore you with all the details of why I am convinced of that. But I say it just to give you a heads up. I will more than likely be saying “As Paul says,” many many times because I believe this to be Pauline in origin.

Second, we are jumping into this book right in the middle. We are not doing a study on the entire book of Hebrews. We are examining the Biblical list of those who lived by faith. But it is helpful to at least know the purpose of this book. The book of Hebrews was written to the first century Hebrew Christian audience. These were Jewish Christians who were converted and were facing the trials of abandoning their Jewishness for the sake of Christ. And the purpose of this beautiful letter is to persevere in the faith. Stay strong in the pilgrimage of faith.

Need:

And that is also our purpose here. I hope in the coming weeks you see the testimony of those who have gone before and are encouraged to hold fast in the pilgrimage of the faith.

Text Idea:

The verses we are covering this morning give the biblical definition of faith and establish some of the works of faith in our lives.

Transition:

So let’s dive into the text. In verses 1-2 we see the definition of faith.

The Definition of Faith.

Hebrews 11:1–2“1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.”

Explanation:

The Apostle is here defining what faith is. And in the end of chapter ten, he has just quoted from Habakkuk. He quoted Habakkuk 2:4 “4 “but the righteous shall live by his faith.” He says, Hebrews 10:38–39“38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” So what the Apostle is here saying is that we as Christians are those who as Habakkuk says, “live by faith.” And now, he is explaining what that means.

And he says two things. First, faith is the assurance of things hoped for.

Faith is the Assurance of Things Hoped For.

Now here is where we get into the real struggle of the limitations of the English language. That word “assurance” or as some render “confidence” is really limited. The Greek word there has so much depth. And it is really hard to communicate it in one word. Assurance or confidence are really good attempts and really good translations, but the English language is just limited.

That word has the idea of substance. It is an interesting word that actually speaks to legal titles. That is the sense of the word used here. So if you own property, you posses the title of the property. Now the title is not the property. The title is the assurance of the property. It is the legal confidence of ownership of that property. You see how this has weight? “I own this property. I have the title right here.” That is what faith is. Faith is the title-deed of things hoped for. And we can even change our definition here a little bit to reflect that.

Faith is the Title-Deed of Things Hoped For.

So let’s play this out. When I say I have faith that my sins are forgiven and I stand free in Christ before God, I am not saying, “I sure hope that my sins are forgiven.” “I sure hope that when I die, I will find out God has saved me.” As if I’m shrugging my shoulders and wishing on a star, like some doe eyed Disney princess.

No, I have the title deed. And that title deed is faith. As Christians we can have certainty that Christ has paid for our sins. How? Faith. That faith is real. I know I am saved, not because of my works, not because I am better than anyone else. I know I am saved because I am trusting in Christ. I am trusting that Christ died to pay for my sins. And that faith is the title deed. God has promised Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And that promise is as sure as if I held the deed in my name to the field outside.

As Christians, we know that when we die, we will be in heaven. God has promised John 11:25–26“25 “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”” And this confident assurance is the title deed in the hands of all those who have faith. Our names are on those promises.

But Paul continues:

Faith is the Conviction of Things Not Seen.

This is how the ESV renders it, and it is a truly good translation. But we are met with the same difficulty. This word in the Greek is packed with meaning. And it’s hard to render it in one word in English. And the word conviction can sometimes give us the idea of believing something in spite of evidence. We can say, “I am convicted this or that is true” even when all the evidence points the other way. And sometimes we are right, and sometimes we are wrong.

But that is not what is meant here. The direct meaning of this word is “convincing evidence.” It holds the idea of a debate where someone presents mountains of convincing evidence leading you to inescapably conclude they are right. You leave in full agreement based off of presented evidence. That is what is being said here. Even though you may not see the fulfillment of the promise of God, there is indisputable, convicting evidence that proves it to be true. That is what faith is.

So we can update this definition as well.

Faith is the Convincing Evidence of Things Not Seen.

And we can play this out again using the same example. Let’s say you buy a piece of land, sight unseen. You pay cash, I know hard to imagine in our day, and you receive the deed in the mail. You’ve paid for it. The deed is there in your name.

Now let’s just say that someone stops you before you get to see your new land and says “That isn’t your property! It’s mine!” What is the first thing you’re going to do? You’re going to pull out that deed. When the Sheriff gets involved, what are you going to show him? The deed. When the judge asks for verification of ownership, what do you give him? The deed, the sales receipt, the bank records. And that evidence is going to be convincing. Why? Because it is real and proves you own it. Even before ever seeing it. You own that land before you ever set eyes on it. And you know this, why? Because of the absolute convincing evidence. Even when challenged, you can present that evidence as proof of ownership.

So when we see the promises of the Bible and we believe them in faith, we have confidence they are true, even when we do not see them. This is why the rest of the chapter is dedicated to what is commonly called “the hall of faith.” This is the hall of fame of the faithful saints of old. These are examples of what it looks like to live out this definition of faith. Faith is the title deed of things hoped for the convincing evidence of things not yet seen.

Argumentation:

But there is something I want you to notice about this definition. Our faith is not a blind faith.

Our Faith is Not a Bind Faith.

Often we hear that term. We hear it thrown out as accusations from unbelievers, but we also hear many Christians sadly accept that. I have had many Christians describe faith as “a leap in the dark,” or “a blind faith.”

But that is not the case. Christian faith, biblical faith, is not founded in opposition to evidence. Our faith is one of logic and reason. It is one built on mountains of evidence. Faith is not belief in something in spite of evidence. But too often we can assume that. We can assume faith means closing your eyes and just hoping something is there. But biblical faith is faith with it’s eyes open.

I once heard in a debate between a Christian and Atheist, the atheist attack with pure hatred the idea of having faith. And this atheist was just trying with everything in him to say that faith is blind belief. Its just belief in spite of every marker of evidence. And this atheist’s big mic drop moment was when he said, “I would never have faith. No, I don’t have faith. I have confidence. I don’t have faith, I have confidence.” And the Christian simply replied back, “confidence is a Latin word. Con Fide. Meaning with faith.”

You see, our faith is not blind. We are not just closing our eyes and jumping into darkness. Where God is, there is no darkness. Our faith is one of confident assurance. It is one of insurmountable piles of evidence. Our faith is one of reality. Because we serve the one true and real God. We serve the creator of universe. We serve the one who has triumphed over the grave. We serve the one who gave us mental faculties. We serve the one who created the universe for us to explore and learn in.

But primarily, our faith is not blind because our faith is built on the character of God and His revealed Word. Our faith is built on the God of the universe. His character is the basis of our faith.

If my wife says she loves me, do I believe her? Yes. Why? Am I blindly accepting some random statement of a complete stranger? Am I closing my eyes and believing something contrary to all evidence? No, of course not. I know my wife. I know her. We share our lives. We share our hopes and dreams. We are one flesh. I have known her for years. She has proven herself again and again and again to be honest and trustworthy in those statements. I am not being blind. I have faith her word is true.

How much more so the Word of God? How much more so the promises of God? Is not God infinitely more trustworthy than even our dearest loved ones? Beloved, our faith is not blind. God, who is all knowing, has given us His Word. Our faith can rest on the Word of God without fear.

Transition:

And to demonstrate this, the Apostle gives a list those who lived by faith. He gives a list of those who trusted God as evidence for the reliability of our faith in God.

He lists the very creation of the universe as a witness to the faithfulness of God. But then he gives this beautiful list of those who lived out this absolute confidence in God.

Abel.

Enoch.

Noah.

Abraham.

Sarah.

Isaac.

Jacob.

Joseph.

Moses.

Those who crossed the Red Sea.

The collapse of the walls of Jericho.

Rahab.

Gideon

Barak.

Samson.

Jephthah.

David.

Samuel.

And all the other prophets.

Nineteen examples of living by faith. And don’t worry, we aren’t going to skip any of them. We are going to be seeing how all these blessed saints recieved their commendation. But in summary the Apostle gives a list of the works of faith. So we have seen the definition of faith. Now let us look at the works of faith.

The Works of Faith.

Hebrews 11:33–40“33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

Explanation:

This is an incredible list. The Apostle has just given a list of Old Testament saints and how they lived by faith. But he gives now a summary. These are all works of faith. And this list does tie directly to the list from Gideon on, but it is such a good summary of what all of these Old Testament saints did in faith.

And we can divide this list into two themes. Two overarching themes of the works of living by faith. There are those who obtained victory, or endurance in suffering all through faith.

So let’s look at that first category.

Those Who Obtained Victory Through Faith.

Paul says there are those who achieved great victory through their faith. And as we examine the list of the faithful, we will find that this is very true. There have been countless great victories achieved through faith. The Apostle gives us a list of these victories. And this is important because there is a pessimistic view of Christianity that obsesses over the pain of this life. There is a massive part of Christianity that seems to believe that everything will spiral toward darkness. Everything is getting worse and it will always be getting worse and we will never have any victories. It has led many Christians to despair. Many Christians live in hopelessness of every seeing any victory. These are the Never Gonna Make it crowd. These are the “All we do is loose” crowd. Never believing that faith can actually affect anything outside the human heart.

The record of Scripture stands in opposition to this. God has granted countless victory through faith. Just look at this list. The faithful, through their faith have conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, and put enemies to flight. Women even received back their dead by resurrection.

These are primarily military victories. And it is rather shocking that as the Apostle would in the conclusion of his list of those who lived by faith highlight military victories. In our effeminatized age, we really do not hear things like this. In fact, when talking about the Old Testament, it is more common to hear preachers apologize for the military violence contained in it. Even moderately faithful preachers will try to water down a lot of the military conquest contained in the Old Testament. They will say things like, “well, that was a different time. You know, God was doing different things back then.” Things like that. But this is dangerously close to saying that God has changed.

It is so interesting to me that in contrast to our “sensible” age, the Apostle glories in this list. Yes, by faith David conquered kingdoms. By faith Josiah executed the prophets of Baal and enforced the true justice of the Law of God. Yes, it was by faith that David’s mighty men went to war and became mighty in making war. Even single handedly slaughtering armies and putting them to flight. We even see through faith two examples of women’s sons being raised back to life by the prophets Elijah and Elisha.

But we likely feel uncomfortable attributing the military deeds to true faith. We likely do not like the idea that a great general can conquer by his faith in Christ. And this is what I was getting at in my opening. There is a massive temptation to say that faith is only an inward work. But biblical faith is a faith that affects every aspect of your life in whatever station God has placed you in. But beyond this, true faith begins to work and transform even all that is around you. It affects your household, your work, even you community and yes nation. Faith can change even nations.

It is a great tragedy that we have lost this mentality in our age. We have really lost the idea that Christ changes everything in our lives. Not every person is called to be a pastor, or an ivy league theologian. No, God has various vocational callings for us all. Be that fatherhood, motherhood, farming, working in the factory, whatever it may be. But the reality is that faith changes everything. Your faith must make you a godly father or mother. Your faith must make you a godly farmer. Your faith must make you obedient to God wherever He has put you.

You may find that in faith, God grands you great victories. But it always comes down to faith. Faith that Christ is Lord. And that faith leads to obedience. And sometimes God grants us great victories. But in those moments of victories, it is not your own skill or wisdom that has blessed you. It is God. God is the one through whom all blessings and victories flows. And this is an age where we need faith. There are battles to be fought. We must fight them. We must fight hard. But we must fight in faith, leaving the victory to hands of Christ.

Transition:

But we must also recognize faith is not a guarantee of success. It is not a mathematics equation. It is not “if I only have enough faith, nothing bad will ever happen.” God can and does grant us great victory through faith. But many times, faith gives us strength and endurance in suffering. So let us examine:

Those Who Obtained Endurance In Suffering Through Faith.

The Apostle continues on in his list of the works of faith. “Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

This list stands in direct rebuke of all of the prosperity preachers of our day. The Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland types. Those who say, “If you only have enough faith, you will be healed, or receive financial blessing.” This is a lie used to rob people. These are wolves and evil people. They prey on the souls of Christians for financial gain. The Bible does not teach that if you only have enough faith, all will go well.

The Bible does teach that through our faith, God can grant us victory and blessing. But this is not a one to one ratio. In fact, often times, our faith will not keep us from great pain. It does not keep us from trial and struggle. Our faith does not prevent us from dying of old age. Often, the gift of faith is endurance through pain. Faith is trusting God in the midst of horrible situations. And through that faith, God gives us the strength and endurance to keep going.

Think of this list. Much of this list corresponds to what the prophets of God went through. They endured torture, mocking, flogging, chains, imprisonment, stoning, being sawn in two, killed with swords, being destitute and afflicted, mistreated, even homeless. Their faith did not spare them the trials of life. Their faith gave them the strength to endure. They trusted God in the midst of pain. And notice what is said of these who suffered.

The world was not worthy of them. This world did not deserve such faithful men and women who would suffer to the end for the sake of their Lord.

We are not promised that our lives will be pain free. Our faith will not spare us from the pains and trials of life. Our faith will give us the ability to endure.

Argumentation:

You see, the outcome is not in our hands. You and I do not get to pick the outcome of our lives. We may be granted great victory through faith. Or we may be tasked with suffering for our faith. We do not get to pick. Our job is to be faithful. True success is faithfulness to God.

True Success is Faithfulness to God.

In this life, we have battles to be fought. There are giants that need slaying. But looking back on our list, none of the men who obtained great victory knew before the battle that they would win. When David walked up to Goliath, an angel did not speak from heaven saying “David, you shalt slay yonder giant.” No, David laid his life in God’s hands, and went to work. His faith gave him confidence that God could use him to slay that giant. But really, the only thing David knew for sure was that there was a giant standing there blaspheming God Almighty, and he had faith that God could give him the victory. So he walked out in the name of the Lord.

When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were to be thrown into the fire, listen to what they said. Daniel 3:17–18“17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”” They said, God can save us. We believe God will save us. But even if He doesn’t, we will be faithful.

And that really is the central idea of living by faith. By faith we know that God can. By faith we trust that God will. But even if He doesn’t, we will still obey God.

Transition:

And that fits so well with the closing verses of chapter 11. The Saints of old did not receive the fullness of the promise.

The Saints of Old Did Not Receive the Fullness of the Promise.

Hebrews 11:39–40“39 And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.”

Explanation:

You see, even those who obtained incredible victory, did not receive the fullness. They saw God answer their prayers. They saw enemy armies run away from them. But even they did not see the fullness of it.

Think of David. Think of how God promised him that his son would sit on the throne. Right before David’s death he did see Solomon on the throne. But that was not the fullness. Think of Abraham who was promised a son and even a nation to come from his body. Before he died he saw Isaac. He saw descendents. But that was not the fulness. Think of Moses who was promised that he would rescue the people of God. He saw them march on dry ground. But that was not the fullness. I could go on. But here is the question.

If these great heroes saw God work wonders the like of which we can hardly imagine, but that was not fullness of the promise, what is the promise? What is the promise?

The promise is Christ and salvation to the whole world. You see, these saints all looked ahead and in faith believed. They believed in the promise of God. The promise of the coming King, Savior, Judge, Great High Priest, and Lord. They believed even though they never saw. What we now look back on in faith, they looked ahead to in faith. What they longed for, we now look back on. You see, Old and New Covenants alike had their faith in Christ. In the Old Covenant faith was in Christ who was to come. In the New Covenant faith is in Christ who has come. They did not see it. But they claimed it as a sure and certain promise.

Abraham believed God that from his descendents the Messiah would come and bless all nations. David believed that from his descendents one would come who would sit on the throne forever. These saints of old were saved by faith alone in Christ alone. As are we.

Appeal:

So when we talk about faith, let us remember this.

Faith is the Convincing, Title-Deed Promise of True Hope in Christ.

Faith is not blind. Faith is built on the reality of God’s character. Faith assures us of the hope we truly have in Christ. Through faith we find victory. Through faith we find endurance in pain. But through faith, ultimately we embrace the promise of hope in Christ. And this is why we will examine the lives of these saints who lived by faith. Because, Hebrews 12:1 “1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

These faithful men and women, as our cloud of witnesses encourage us to live by faith. As they ran faithfully, so must we. But we must see why they ran. What they looked to. Hebrews 12:2“2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith...” Just as they looked to Christ, whom they did not yet see, let us look to Christ whom we now know.

Let’s pray.

Closing Prayer:

Offering:

Offertory Prayer:

Benediction:

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Let us now leave in true and certain faith in the Lord Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.