Scripture Reference: Hebrews 11
In a world where people dismiss faith simply as “wishful thinking,” or simply identify it with the beliefs and practices of a particular religion (for example, “the Muslim faith”), it is good to have a comprehensive picture of the faith that actually pleases God. Hebrews shows the link between faith, hope, obedience and endurance, illustrating that it is more than intellectual assent to certain beliefs. God-honoring faith takes God at His word and lives expectantly and obediently in the present, waiting for Him to fulfil His promises. Such faith, at times, brings suffering and persecution in various forms.
In Hebrews we discover the essential characteristics of faith from the writer’s point of view. Faith deals with things future (what we hope for) and things unseen (what we do not see). The NIV translation (confidence in what we hope for) puts the emphasis on faith as an expression of our confidence in God’s promises. However, it is also possible to translate these verses into “faith is the substance of things hoped for,” or “faith gives substance to our hopes.” Such a rendering suggests that “what we hope for” becomes real and substantial by the exercise of faith. This does not mean that the gospel is true simply because we believe in it! Rather, the reality of what we hope for is confirmed for us in our experience when we live by faith in God’s promises. Again, faith is having the “assurance about what we do not see.” In other words, it is about being certain of “what we do not see.” It is the means of “proving” or “testing” invisible realities such as the existence of God, His faithfulness to His word and His control over our world and its affairs. If this definition seems abstract, its meaning becomes more concrete in the illustrations that the writer puts forth. For such faith the ancients were “commended” (see Hebrews 11:2, 4, 5, 39). In the record of Scripture, God testified to their faith, and so provided them as “witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) of true faith for us.
The walk of faith often gives the impression to others of being imprudent and reckless, but the man who knows God, is content to be led blindfolded, not knowing the route ahead. But faith has another face as well. In addition to those who performed dazzling feats, there were those who endured intense suffering. We need to remember that God values the latter as much as the former.
The writer of Hebrews begins where Genesis begins, because faith in God as the Creator of everything that exists is fundamental to the Bible’s view of reality. “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command.” If God is in control of nature and history, past and present, every generation of believers can trust His promises about the future, no matter what it may cost them. When the writer says “what is seen was not made out of what was visible,” he alludes to the definition of faith found in the first verse. Faith discerns that the universe of space and time has an invisible source and that it continues to be dependent on “God’s command” (literally, “God’s word”). Such faith is based on the revelation He has given us in Scripture.
To put it in the perspective of the 11th chapter, the OT believers were not as privileged as we are. Yet as you read of their “witness” accounts, think of their thrilling triumphs and tremendous trials! Think of their exploits and their endurance! They lived on the other side of the cross; we live in the full glory of the cross. Yet how do our lives compare with theirs? This is the compelling challenge put forth in Hebrews 11.
However, it is obvious that the writer’s point is to stress the enormous privilege of living “in these last days” (Hebrews 1:2). Because of this, we see that the “perfecting” of believers involves qualifying them to draw near to God or enabling them to enjoy the certainty of a new covenant relationship with God (see Hebrews 10:14). The ultimate benefit of Christ’s work for us is a share in the promised eternal inheritance that the OT ancients could only look forward to and hope for.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 
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