For the past several weeks we have looked at some biblical characters who exemplified faith: Noah, for 120 years building an ark and preaching God’s grace and judgment to his friends and neighbors.
Abraham, left everything that was familiar to go to a place God would show him. Moses, at the burning bush, receiving his assignment from God to be God’s instrument in freeing the Hebrew people from their Egyptian slavery. Rahab the prostitute whose actions proved her faith. And, because she was a prostitute, reminds us that God’s love and grace are offered to everyone—not just “our kind” of people.
Hebrews 11:1 - 3 (NIV) 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:13 (NIV) 13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
Here are what some have said about faith: “Faith is the “yes” of the heart, a conviction on which one stakes one’s life.” (Martin Luther)
“Faith is believing in advance in something that will only seem logical when seen in reverse.” (Philip Yancey)
“True faith goes into operation when there are no answers.” (Elisabeth Elliot, missionary and author)
And, from an inscription on a cellar wall in Germany where Jews hid from Nazis: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when feeling it not. I believe in God even when he is silent.”
The Jews of Jesus’ day had twisted the “faith” of the old sacrificial system into a works system, with all kinds of legalistic requirements. It was a system of self-effort, self-salvation, and self-glorification.
It was not what God ever intended. God has never saved man by works, but always by faith. From the time of Adam on, God has honored faith. God has not changed—His message has not changed—His methods have not changed—His purposes have not changed—His plan has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Heb. 11:6 says that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” That’s a pretty strong statement. What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for… God must be the object of your faith.
What if you declined someone’s invitation to ride in a single engine airplane? When asked why, you reply that you understand the plane has a history of mechanical problems. You don’t have confidence in its safety. The pilot assures you that he absolutely entrusts his life to it every time he flies. You still decline. Later the plane crashes and the pilot is killed. An investigation shows that the engine was faulty. The pilot had strong faith—but it was faith in a faulty object.
Many Christians worry that their faith is too small. They need to distinguish between the size of their faith and the object of their faith.
Jesus taught that if we have faith no bigger than a mustard seed, God will respond to our prayers according to His will, wisdom and grace (Matt. 17:20; 1 John 5:14-15). It is the object of our faith, not the size of our faith that is all-important. We might consider Rahab’s faith small—she didn’t know much—but her small faith was in the right object—God.
In Old Testament times all the men and women had were the promises of God. Look what v. 13 says, “they did not receive the things promised . . .”
God had told them of a coming Messiah who would take away sin. He told them that one day all Israel would be made clean and be ruled by this righteous Messiah. They believed in the promised Messiah—but they never saw Him or experienced His presence. Believers in the Old Testament simply trusted God.
We follow a God whose audible voice we have never heard—we believe in a Christ whose face we have never seen—we do so because our faith has an assurance in God that is unshakable.
When you have this kind of faith Jesus said that you are especially blessed. John 20:29 (NIV) 29Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Jesus was talking to “Doubting” Thomas, but His words resonate with us today.
Three young men in the Book of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were faced with the choice of bowing in worship to Nebuchadnezzar or continuing to worship God only. They could very easily see Nebuchadnezzar. They could see and hear his army. They could feel his weapons.
Without hesitation they chose to obey God whom they had never seen. (Dan. 3) They made it clear that even if God chose not to rescue them they would still worship only Him.
Our natural response is to put our faith in the things we can see, hear, taste, and feel.
But faith is putting your trust in something more dependable and long-lasting than anything you will ever experience with your senses. Our senses might lie to us. God cannot lie. Make sure your assurance is in God alone.
Now listen, the key to this kind of faith: the promises given to the Old Testament saints were so real to them that they based their lives on them.
Think about it. All the Old Testament promises pertained to the future—for many of those believers, far into the future. But they acted and lived as if those promises were in the present rather than the future.
The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall.
Too often our lack of faith in God becomes a 3-foot enclosure that prevents us from attempting great things for God. Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see and break out of the fear that entraps us.
The Old Testament saints simply took God at His word and lived their lives on the basis of His promises. Their faith gave them an assurance that was absolute. And v. 2 says that, “this is what the ancients were commended for.” Notice what Heb. 11:26 (NIV) says about Moses:
Moses “regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking forward to his reward”. Moses didn’t know Jesus Christ. He simply had to believe God’s promises.
The second half of verse one, “and certain of what we do not see,” carries the same truth a little bit further. It is talking about the actual response—our “doing” out of our assurance.
Of the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 only 3 lived before the Great Flood. They acted on their faith.
Abel made an animal sacrifice to God. He worshipped as God instructed him. That was important because it was a picture of the sacrifice of Christ as the Lamb of God, dying upon the altar of the Cross.
Enoch was such a man of God that he lived his life completely for God. God took him straight to heaven without him having to experience death. He proved to the world that it is possible to walk with God even during times of terrible wickedness.
Noah put his faith into action when he went to work building the ark. Noah could not have embarked on the stupendous, demanding, and humanly ridiculous task God gave him without having absolute faith and trust in God.
When God said it was going to rain and flood, Noah had no concept of rain; rain did not exist before the flood. He know how to build a boat, let alone a gigantic ark.
But Noah believed God and acted on His instructions. His outward building of the ark bore out his inner belief that the rain was coming and that God would do what He promised.
How Big Is Your God? Is your God too small? If you have a tiny God you shouldn’t trust Him.” Your faith is based on your attitude toward God. Our greatest problem is that we have diminished the greatness of God because of our attitudes.
Look at vv. 3, 6. (3)“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” (6) “ . . . anyone who comes to Him (God) must believe that He exists . . .”
Many are trying to reason out the origin of the universe—speculation after speculation—none of which ever satisfy because theory after theory is discarded.
Now look at Genesis 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. There it is. Take it or leave it. There will never be a better answer given. It is absolute, final, and true.
God doesn’t stoop to explain; He is not obligated to satisfy our curiosity. Do you believe God or not? “Pastor, you’re being naive.” Perhaps, but if I’m naïve enough to believe that God exists, I’m also naive enough to believe that He is great enough and big enough to speak the entire universe into existence.
If you can believe that God is, and that He made the whole universe out of nothing by just speaking a word—if you can believe that, then you can believe everything else God says.
You can believe the whole Bible, believe all the miracles, believe that God could become man, believe that He could be both God and man, that He could die for the whole world, and that His shed blood can forgive your sin.
You can also believe that you are a sinner, because God says it, and that believing on and receiving His Son, Jesus Christ as your Savior is the only way to be saved. Do you believe it?
What you believe determines your eternity; your faithful service demonstrates your faith. The secret is to trust, to worship, to walk, and to work with your eyes fixed on Jesus. To put it into its simplest form, faith is simply believing and trusting God.