“Hebrews 11”

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

There are two, very different, kinds of faith.

One is a weak faith, which when it is tested, gives up and draws “back to perdition” (Hebrews 10:39). A weak faith is characterized by a lack of confidence in God and His power.

The other is a strong faith which endures through trials and is shown by obedience to whatever God asks of us. Those with a strong, vibrant faith are the ones “who believe to the saving of the soul.”

Hebrews 11 gives us numerous examples of saving faith. It shows us specific names of Old Testament characters who persevered and how we know of their faith in God by their submission to His will. Each person is qualified by a verb (action word) which tells us what they did. Abel offered; Noah prepared; Abraham obeyed; Isaac and Jacob blessed; Moses refused, chose, forsook and kept.

Other godly people and their righteous obedience to God are left unnamed. We are told of their faith and many of the specifics seem hard to imagine. Some stopped the mouths of lions or quenched the violence of fire. Others were scourged. Still more were stoned, sawn in two (whew!), slain with swords. Some lived in deserts, mountains, dens and caves.

It is said of many of them (and of others we may have known personally) that they were people “of whom the world was not worthy.” They went to their reward with complete faith and trust in God.

Their faithful example provides for us “so great a cloud of witnesses” (12:1). They remind us that anyone who determines to do so can be loyal and devoted to God. If they can serve God faithfully and be saved, so can we.

These first century disciples were encouraged to persevere, to never give up, but to continue to serve the God of heaven. Their struggles are recorded for us in this book to help us keep going.

“I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back.”

--Roger Hillis

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