Title Page. Lesson Fourteen Hebrews 11:1-3 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders

Title Page

Lesson Fourteen

Hebrews 11:1-3

Hebrews 11:1-31 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Hebrews 11:4-5

Hebrews 11:4-54 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Hebrews 11:6-7

Hebrews 11:6-76 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Hebrews 11:8-10

Hebrews 11:8-108 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:11-12

Hebrews 11:11-1211 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.

Hebrews 11:13-14

Hebrews 11:13-1413 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

Focus Verse

Hebrews 11:6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he

is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Focus Thought

Faith is the necessary prerequisite for pleasing God, obtaining salvation, and overcoming

difficult circumstances.

IntroductionIntroductionHebrews 11, the faith chapter, begins with these three words: “Now faith is.” Not only is this a three-word statement of the existence of faith, it is an introductory statement to a classic definition that seems to be a riddle. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). This definition seems to be the quintessence of faith.

IntroductionPerhaps our greatest difficulty in understanding the definition of faith lies in its abstractness. If faith were a concrete entity such as fruit, we could say, “Faith is like an apple or an orange.” But faith, like love and hope, is abstract. A person cannot take a picture of something that is abstract. Neither can one weigh or measure it.

IntroductionThe words “substance” and “evidence” used in the definition of faith are concrete words that we understand. But when the writer mixes the two qualities—abstract and concrete—and talks about the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, we often become confused.

IntroductionIn this lesson, we will try to bring concrete qualities to the abstract concepts of faith. We will attempt to put a handle on faith to minimize its elusiveness. It is imperative that we well understand something so vital as faith, and what better way to look for comprehension than through an examination of the lives of many heroes of faith?

I. Accomplishments of Faith (A)

Accomplishmentsof Faith

A. Provides a Commendable Witness

“For by it the elders obtained a good report” (Hebrews 11:2).


The Message paraphrase of the Bible renders Hebrews 11:2, “The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.” The elders manifested faith and by it they were elevated to victory. This witness of faith through the lives of great believers underscores the effectiveness of this abstract entity.


What an example for us to follow! These elders had faith and were able to accomplish great things for God that could not have been accomplished without faith. For this reason, we should not be fearful to trust the Lord. They trusted and were successful; we can trust God and succeed as well.

I. Accomplishments of Faith (B)

B. Illuminates the Understanding of Creation

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word

of God” (Hebrews 11:3).

I. Accomplishments of Faith (B)It is through faith and not science that we

understand the Creation. Because we believe that God created the universe, we do not have to have any other proof. Science so-called wants to take everything to the laboratory and submit it to the microscope or the computer. Scientists believe that they cannot accept anything as scientifically true unless they can analyze, prove, and compute it.

I. Accomplishments of Faith (B)True faith, on the other hand, moves scientific

knowledge into another realm—one that believes first and accepts confirmation later, rather than requiring proof of confirmation prior to belief.

I. Accomplishments of Faith (B)The first four words of the Bible offer all that we

need to know about the dynamics of the Creation: “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1). God, who framed the worlds by His word, is evidence enough for the believer.

I. Accomplishments of Faith (B)In Colossians 1:16-17, the apostle Paul wrote,

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

I. Accomplishments of Faith (C)

C. Pleases God

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him”

(Hebrews 11:6).


It is reasonable that God demands faith, for it is impossible to prove His existence scientifically. He is invisible; no one can produce visible evidence of God apart from faith. Because He existed before all things, there is nothing contemporary with God with whom one can compare Him. Consequently, one can only accept God by faith. A person first must believe Him if there is to be a relationship with Him and His Word.


It pleases God when someone accepts Him as true, even in the absence of every other avenue of human logic, for this is the essence of faith and belief. Further, faith is so important that God made it essential to salvation. Without faith, it is impossible for one to be saved.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates

Faith Activates and Motivates

Faith is an action that initiates developments and triggers the machinery of miracles. When we believe, God chooses to respond; He will process our request and answer our prayer. We may not be able to see immediate evidence of His response, and His response may be to deny our request or to say, “Wait,” but in every circumstance, faith puts God to work.


The wheels begin to turn, and receiving His answer is only a matter of waiting for its full development and delivery according to His time schedule.


God bases His responses to our requests both on our faith and on His eternal, supreme will. We do not receive everything for which we pray, but God always answers our prayers. Sometimes, He says, “No.” Other times, God says, “Not now.” He may say, “Not that, but this.” And sometimes, our attitude influences His response. James 4:3 says, “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss” (or “evilly” as the margin of one Bible notes).

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (A)

A. Abel Offered an Acceptable Sacrifice

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of

his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (A)Faith was the obvious difference in the sacrifices

offered by the first two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain manifested no faith in God’s way of doing things. Offering a vegetable sacrifice, he flaunted God’s will and presumed to have a better way of appeasing God by his own means. This carnal approach to spiritual things made his sacrifice unacceptable to God.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (A)Abel, on the other hand, “brought of the firstlings

of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering” (Genesis 4:4). The second son of Adam pleased God, for he believed in His plan and did not yield to the temptation of doing it his way as did Cain.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (A)All of this has great meaning for us today, for

these few verses in the beginning of Genesis 4 set the tone for God’s dealings with man for millennia. The embryonic form of the doctrine of substitution is evident in this passage.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (B)

B. Enoch Was Translated

“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had

translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (Hebrews

11:5).

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (B)Hebrews 11:5 calls to mind Genesis 5:24, which

reveals that “Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” Without Hebrews 11:5, we might be inclined to deduce that Enoch had died. However, Hebrews 11:5 attributes his absence to translation due to faith.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (B)What degree of faith did Enoch’s translation

represent? It is impossible for us to measure faith, but apparently, the faith of Enoch must have been so pure and dynamic that the distance between God and him was minimal. What is clear is that his faith pleased God so greatly that He took Enoch up to be with Him.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (C)

C. Noah Built an Ark

“By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet,

moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world,

and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith”

(Hebrews 11:7).

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (C)Because of the prevalent wickedness of the world,

God told Noah in Genesis 6 to build an ark, for He was going to destroy the world with a flood. What was Noah’s response to God’s warning and command? He immediately began work on a superstructure one and one-half blocks long, a literal floating zoo, that took years to complete.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (C)We may remember all the details of this

phenomenal event of the Flood, but often we forget that it was by faith that Noah responded to God’s warning and instructions and built the ark. He had enough faith in God and His word not only to invest years of his life in the building of such a boat, but he also convinced his family to get on board with him.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (C)What faith! Because of his unfailing faith, Noah

saved himself and his house, condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness that comes through faith.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (D)

D. Abraham Claimed the Promised Land

“By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should

after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for

he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is

God” (Hebrews 11:8-10).


Abram, known later as Abraham, was reared in the cradle of idolatry and obscurity in the Mesopotamian city of Ur near the Euphrates River. This man became known as the father of the faithful because God called him to leave his home, family, and country to follow Him, and Abram obeyed and became a nomad. Doing what God told him to do, Abram entered the land of Canaan and moved continuously from place to place, claiming the land that God promised to him and to his seed forever.


It was not a restless, nomadic spirit of wandering that caused Abram to leave his home. It was not an ambitious Abram who wanted to see the world and get away from it all. Abram, by faith, “went out, not knowing whither he went” (Hebrews 11:8). And his obedience pleased God greatly.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (E)

E. Abraham and Sarah Received the Promised Child

“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was

past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as

good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which

is by the sea shore innumerable” (Hebrews 11:11-12).


According to the chronological sequence of Genesis 12, Abram was seventy-five years of age when he left Haran for Canaan. It was either at this time or an earlier time when God told him, “I will make of thee a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). Later, God told him, “I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth” (Genesis 13:16).


Once again, in Genesis 15:4-5 God reassured Abram, “He that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.”


The fourth time God appeared to Abram and promised, “Thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee” (Genesis 17:4-5).


Interestingly, all this time Abraham fathered no children except Ishmael, who was the son of Sarah’s household servant. And this only happened because Sarah tried to intervene to accomplish God’s prophecy. To add to the complexity of the situation, Abraham was about one hundred years old and Sarah was about ninety. It was at this time that God chose to visit this aged couple one last time to remind them of His promise of a child. (See Genesis 18:10, 14.)


Romans 4:19-21 says, “And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”


However, Abraham’s faith was not immediate, which should encourage us. Genesis 17:17 reveals, “Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?” Genesis 18:12 says, “Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?”


These verses of Scripture are not contradictory. After obvious moments of doubt, Abraham and Sarah decided to believe the Lord to do what He had promised. Their delayed response of faith calls to mind the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21. One son responded negatively to his father’s request to go work in the vineyard, but later he repented and went. The other son responded positively, but he did not go. Jesus revealed that it was the one who at first refused to go, but who repented and went, who performed the will of the father.

II. Faith Activates and Motivates (F)

F. Moses Forsook Egyptand Delivered Israel

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as

seeing him who is invisible. Through faith he kept the passover, and the

sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them. By faith

they passed through the Red sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to

do were drowned” (Hebrews 11:27-29).


It required a great measure of faith for Moses to relinquish the luxurious life in the court of Egypt, for he had the opportunity to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. With his regal status, he could have enjoyed the pleasures of sin as well as the treasures in Egypt. (See Hebrews 11:24-25.) But he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” (Hebrews 11:26).


By his forsaking the palatial perks of royalty, Moses was able to effect the deliverance of Israel from Egyptian bondage. If he had chosen to be an Egyptian prince, he could never have fulfilled God’s intended role for his life.


Faith in God and His plan enabled Moses to have the strength and courage to relinquish all the worldly influences and opportunities available to him. Moreover, his faith kept him even during the forty years of wandering throughout the remote areas of Midian when it seemed that the dream of deliverance would die.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Faith Brings TrustWe all like for things to work out. Nothing pleases us any more than to see doors open as we approach them. Further, nothing frustrates any more than to approach those doors and see them slam shut. However, no faith is necessary to walk through an open door. It is when the doors will not open that our faith is tried. But somehow, faith enables us to tolerate the otherwise intolerable.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Ecclesiastes 7:14 advises, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.” We need no instruction on how to handle prosperity. The writer says simply to be joyful. In other words, we should enjoy it. However, we do need instruction as to how to face adversity and unfortunate circumstances. It is then that faith is necessary.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)A. When Deliverance

Does Not Come

In Egypt, the people of Israel prayed for deliverance for centuries. The Pharaoh, or ruler, died who had been friendly to Jacob and his entourage that had moved from Canaan to the land of Goshen. Succeeding Pharaohs were not nearly as friendly. The Israelites went from being special guests of the state to slaves involved in massive building projects such as the pyramids.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Their total time in Egypt was 430 years (Exodus 12:40), during which they probably prayed many prayers that seemed to go unanswered.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Apparently, it was faith in God’s promise to Abraham concerning Canaan that kept the people of Israel going. They did not know how or when God was going to do it, but they knew that they were to inhabit the Promised Land. It was this faith that sustained them as it seemed their deliverance would never come.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)B. When Healing Is

Not Received

When we are sick and trying to believe that the Lord will heal us, we often forget that our faith should be focused more on Him than on our healing. Focusing on healing instead of the Healer causes us to look past the Giver and to see only the gift. When the healing finally comes, we then will have a tendency to rejoice more over the healing rather than the One who healed us.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)We need to rejoice that we have the Healer if we never receive our healing. Healing can enable us to be relieved of physical pain and difficulty and possibly enable us to live a little longer, but the Healer can enable us to be relieved of sin in our soul, empowering us to live eternally.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)A person’s faith should be in God to do what He deems best whether or not healing ever comes. If our faith is grounded firmly in God, we will trust Him to do His will, and this will enable us to be faithful even when we do not receive what we have desired.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)C. When Disappointments

Come

We would be abnormal if we did not have certain expectations in life, and sometimes our expectations fail to materialize. Obviously, when we do not receive what we expected, disappointment follows. When disappointments come, we must not allow them to shake our faith in God. Faith in God is the key to dealing with and accepting disappointments in life.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Someone has said that if we substitute the letter “h” for the letter “d,” “disappointments” become “His appointments.” Not every disappointment is divinely orchestrated by God, but some disappointments are a result of God’s choosing to withhold something from us that is not for our good.

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Moreover, in every circumstance God works all things for our ultimate good if we love God. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

III. Faith Brings Trust (A-C)Our faith must be so focused on God that distractions become the objects of our peripheral vision. We see them, but only as we look at God and trust His will.

IV. Faith Is (A-B)Faith Is

A. The Basis of Our Salvation

Faith is absolutely foundational and fundamental to salvation; there is no redemption apart from genuine faith in Jesus Christ.

IV. Faith Is (A-B)Repentance of sins, water baptism in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins, and receiving the Holy Spirit as evidenced by speaking with other tongues are all essential elements of salvation; but they are dependent on a person’s faith in Jesus Christ. “Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).

IV. Faith Is (A-B)Many people have abused the phrase, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior.” Consequently, some apostolics tend to shy away from talking enough about the process of believing on the Lord for salvation. However, believing on Jesus is so essential to redemption that any part of what we call “the plan of salvation” is ineffective without faith.

IV. Faith Is (A-B)When we repent and are baptized in Jesus’ name, we must have faith that our sins are being forgiven and remitted. If faith is not an integral part of water baptism, a person “goes down a dry sinner and comes up a wet sinner.” Faith, obviously, also is necessary to receiving the Holy Ghost.

IV. Faith Is (A-B)B. The Builder of Confidence

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the

petitions that we desired of him” (I John 5:14-15).

IV. Faith Is (A-B)The root word of faith is a Latin word that means “confidence.” When we are sure of something, we are confident of it. Assurance builds confidence.

IV. Faith Is (A-B)The three young Hebrews exhibited confidence when they responded to the king, “We are not careful to answer thee in this matter” (Daniel 3:16). They knew that God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace, and they knew that God would deliver them out of the king’s hand. (See Daniel 3:17.) They then added, “But if not, . . . we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up” (Daniel 3:18).

IV. Faith Is (A-B)They had such confidence in God that they became “careless.” Simply, they could not have cared less about the king’s decree or his furnace. They were convinced that God was going to take care of them. This kind of faith builds confidence.

IV. Faith Is (C)C. The Way to Eternal Life

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

IV. Faith Is (C)The only way to eternal life is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8 states emphatically, “For by grace are ye saved through faith.” Without faith it is not only impossible to please God, but it is not possible even to be saved.

IV. Faith Is (C)Believing in Jesus is necessary to salvation for, according to John 10:9, He is the door. The verse states, “By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” Clearly, if any person does not enter in by Him, or if he attempts to enter by any other means, he shall not be saved. When Jesus said, “I am the way” (John 14:6), He was pointing the way to eternal life.

IV. Faith Is (C)There are many religions in the world, and there are many churches with all kinds of differing beliefs. But if belief in Jesus is not one of their core beliefs, their whole belief system is faulty and their doctrines are erroneous.

ReflectionsNo doctrine determines our destiny as much as the doctrine of faith. And no doctrine is more abstract than faith. With the power and abstractness of this doctrine comes a lot of confusion. This lesson has attempted to put a handle on faith by defining it and making it more understandable. Hopefully, with it has come more insight into this essential virtue.

ReflectionsWhether offering the right sacrifice by faith or being translated from this world because of faith, we have examined various examples of the faith of biblical heroes. Whether building an ark or claiming the Promised Land, having a child after passing the age of bearing or forsaking the opportunities of the world, we are challenged to believe the Lord and exercise true faith in Him.

ReflectionsWe are to stay true to the Lord and keep believing Him regardless of what happens in life. If the deliverance that we anticipated does not come, or if the healing for which we tried to believe the Lord is not received, we are to remain faithful regardless of disappointments in life.

ReflectionsFaith is the basis of our salvation, the builder of confidence, and the way to eternal life. The heroes of faith have once again challenged us to keep believing.

Documents

Title Page. Lesson Fourteen Hebrews 11:1-3 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders