FAITH THAT GROWS
A Bible Study on Hebrews chapter 11
Faith and Belief are words that are central to the Christian message and are used to deveope the Christian experience, Sadly, their meaning has been distorted and biblical perspective misunderstood.
To some, believing is only an intellectual acceptance of biblical statements and truth. They believe God exists but they do not see it as a heart issue. An active continuing in, or reliance upon the Word of God and Jesus Christ. They believe God exists and that He can do the impossible but they have no conviction or assurance that He can do the impossible through them. So, they are not able to exercise any real spiritual authority and only live a Christian life at a low level.
To others faith has become a goal in itself. There focus on the subject of faith has become so over-balanced that it has become the goal of their spiritual achievements, faith in their own faith This so often develops into a self-assertive attitude that leads to pride.
The activity of true and faith spring out of a relationship with God. As we commune with Him through prayer and His Word by the Holy Spirit, so our hearts are challenged to obey His Word and trust Him completely for the outcome. This process of obedience to the One we trust is the activity of faith.
In this course of studies on Faith that Grows, we will turn our attention to Hebrews chapter 11, where we see faith in action, and what it produces in and through the lives of those who believe
Introduction to Hebrews chapter 11.
God’s Word the bible is indeed a wonderful book, written by men, but supernaturally inspired by the Holy Spirit. The more we read it, the more you discover its spiritual design and beauty. This is very apparent when you read such passages as Hebrews 11. It is a very inspiring challenging chapter, even to a casual reader. But the more you read and meditate on it, the more aware you become of its great truths and the perfection in the way they are presented. It gives us a simple but clear description of the nature of faith, why it is so important to us in our Christian lives and how it works. It then goes on to give us examples of faith in action. The significance of these case studies is that they are in the correct order, and cover the various activities of faith that we may discover in all areas of our lives while we are pilgrims on this earth.
As pilgrims on this earth, we must walk by faith and not by site. Every area of our lives on this earth must be lived by faith, if we are going to please God. Whether we are setting our faith in action for salvation or setting our faith in action for fulfilling our destiny in ministry, or confronting some impossible circumstance. We must constantly remind ourselves that in all areas of our life – we live by faith and not by site. As we look at these case studies we discover how faith works.
Why do we stop short of acting in faith? Because we are still carnal, we are under the influence of the visible and tangible, instead of the invisible and spiritual. Paul said ‘we walk by faith and not by sight’.
WHAT IS FAITH? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? HOW DOES IT WORK?
HEBREWS 11;1-3
What is Faith?
Verse 1- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
The chapter opens with a simple but profound description of faith.
- Faith or hope – which will t be?
- Faith is the substance of things hope for.
- Faith is now, present tense. Hope is always future tense.
- Faith says I have it now. Hope says, I’ll get it sometime.
When it comes to receiving from God, the principle from God is always the same: “Therefor I say to you, whatever thing you ask, when you pray, believe that you shall receive them, and you will have them. [Mark 11:24]
Faith and Substance
Literally means, a standing under, and was used in the technical sense of a title deed. The thought is that of standing under the claim to the property to support the validity, So faith is the title deed.
Evidence of things not seen.
It is at this point that we fail in our faith. Why do we stop short of acting in faith?
Because we are carnal, we are still under the influence of the visible and tangible, instead of the invisible and spiritual. Paul said, “We walk by faith and not by sight.
Why is it so important.
Verse 2 . For by it the elders obtained a good report.
This verse makes it very clear, not a good report because of their achievements, personal holiness on their behalf. We constantly need to receive of His strength and blessing. To walk in our own strength brings disaster. The activity of faith in God is vital.
How does it work?
Verse 3 gives us a remarkable insight into the working of faith. We are told that God spoke the Word and the worlds were formed out of nothing. Here we glimpse the truth that the Word of God is creative. In Genesis chapter 1, we see the Spirit of God hovering over the water, waiting for the Word of Faith from God. God said “let there be”. The Spirit responded – and then we read- “and there was”.
That principle has to be followed if faith is to be at work in us. Romans 10:8-10 reads –
The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart [that is the word of faith which we preach] that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
FAITH FOR SALVATION
HEBREWS 11:4-7
Abel and Enoch, the first names on the divinely organized list of case studies on faith.
The first activity of faith required in our lives is faith for salvation. Now salvation has two aspects.
By faith, we are made righteous in the sight of God and are reconciled to Him – shown in the example of Abel.
By faith, our lives are changed and transformed into the likeness of Jesus – shown in the example of Enoch.
By faith Abel.
- Offered the right sacrifice. Our salvation depends on our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus.
- Obtained witness that he was righteous, By faith we are justified and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [Rom 5:1 and 17; 2 Cor 5:21].
- God testifying of His gifts. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit. [Rom 8:16; 1 John 5:10.]
- He being dead still speaks. We receive the gift of eternal life. [Romans 6:23]. We live on beyond death. [1 Cor 15:51-55] Watching faith for salvation at work in a new believing so wonderful. Paul said – I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believe … for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. [Rom:16-17]
By faith Enoch:- - Was translated so that he did not see death. The word used for translated, means, transfer to another place. As we by faith reckon our old sinful nature to be buried with Christ, so by faith we are changed to Christ’s image; and we no longer so corrupt things of spiritual death taking place in our lives [Rom 6:4-11].
- And was not found because God had translated him. As we act in faith so the Spirit of God does the changing. [2 Cor 3:18.
- He had this testimony that he pleased God. In states in Gen 5:22 that Enoch walked with God 300 years.
Some people who accept Christ as their Saviour, and receive forgiveness for their sins find it hard to believe that they can live and sustain a Christian lifestyle. So, the process of faith for salvation has to be at work again, to bring them right through to a changed life – a new creature in Christ Jesus. By faith they begin to catch hold of the great truth of divine exchange.
“I have been crucified with Christ: it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. [Gal 2:20].
FAITH TO FULFILL OUR DESTINY IN
THE PURPOSES OF GOD
HEBREWS 11:7-10
After salvation, God begins to reveal to us His purpose for our lives here on earth, in this generation. He fulfills His purposes through His people, men and women, called of God. Noah and Abraham become our case studies of our destiny, and faith is the activity, which enables us to reach this destiny.
God was about to fulfill a special part of His purpose for this for this world, and revealed that purpose to Noah and then used him to be a part of its fulfillment. The emphasis of the Noah example is on the revelation of God’s plan and Noah’s part in it. The emphasis changes with the Abraham example. Its focus is much more on the call of to the individual, and how faith responds to that call.
The faith of Noah
Noah was divinely warned of things not seen.
To reach our destiny in life, we must first have a revelation from God of His purpose for this world, especially the part of His purpose which He was working out in our generation. Noah moved with godly fear and prepared an ark. Having received the revelation of God’s purpose. We then move to do those things which God requires of us. That movement requires faith. In this case study of Noah, he had to build a very large ark in the middle of very dry land. There had never been any rain or floods- and the activation of this faith may well have continued for over one hundred years
The faith of Abraham
Abraham obeyed when he was called. To reach our destiny in the purposes of God we have to learn to hear and respond to God to us as individuals. Abraham went out not knowing where he was going.
The call of God, leading us forward into our destiny, is a life-long activity as in a foreign country. Faith is required to obey, and trust God to call us and lead us through every stage of our life. By faith, Abraham dwelt in the land of promise. God’s calls us into a destiny that eventually that eventually becomes a real substance and achievement. But before that happens, we have to walk in faith in the promise of God, for a period of time before we reach any substance and achievement.
As in all important truths they can so easily be misunderstood or taken beyond the Biblical revelation of whole truth. The word of faith has been so distorted to meaning any positive confession that comes out of our mouth. There has to be a confession springing from genuine faith if results are to follow.
FAITH TO CONCEIVE A VISION AND BIRTH A MINISTRY
HEBREWS 11:11-19
Some Christian men and women are motivated at times in their lives to initiate a new vision that leads to the birthing of special ministries. Dreams become focused into visions, and are received by faith.
Ministry, or initiative, takes shape and eventually is birthed. Such faith is illustrated in the example of Sarah and Abraham.
By faith Sarah – received strength to conceive seed.
Many Christians have good ideas of doing something special for God, but sadly nothing materializes. Others have the same dreams, but through faith and consecration, their dreams so inspire them, they become men and women of vision. There comes a moment when by faith they believe and start to confess that God is going to use them to raise up some particular initiative or ministry.
By faith they receive strength to conceive.
This is not strength that comes through natural intelligence or ability It is strength they receive by their dependence on the Holy Spirit.
Such people rise in faith above all impossibilities – like Sarah who was long past the natural age of conception and child birth.
She bore a child
All conceptions do not lead to births. The period of pregnancy requires continual faith and patience.
FAITH TO BLESS OTHERS
HEBREWS 11;17-22
It is good to have an activity of faith in our hearts that is motivated to bless others, to give them of the blessing we have received. Isaac, Jacob and Joseph illustrate such faith. However, these illustrations have more to teach us about ‘faith to bless others’ than is first apparent.
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau
The record of this event in Genesis 27 is very interesting and informative. The time had come for Isaac to give God’s promise to his sons through the ministry of laying of hands. The records show that his ability to bless was controlled by his mood and sensual stimulus, [v4 and v24-29] . The record also shows that he did not have the clarity of vision to see who was receiving the blessing. Some Christians are like Isaac. They have a blessing to give, but they have to be in some high emotional setting, and it comes out from them in very haphazard and immature way.
faith Jacob blessed both the sons of Joseph.
The record of this event in Genesis 48 is also very interesting and informative, When Jacob saw Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh he was moved by faith to bless them. Joseph wanted Ephraim to receive a special blessing, so he directed him to be under the Jacob’s right hand. Jacob swapped his hands over and insisted to Joseph that he knew what he was doing, and who should receive the particular blessin., Although he was near death and had little strength, he was strong in spirit, with a clear spiritual vision and able to impart effectively the blessings of God.
What a good lesson for us.
By faith Joseph[v22]
The record of the events of Josph’s life in Genesis 37 to 50, is even more interesting and informative.
Joseph blessed people in all circumstances of life
1 In Potiphar’s house. The Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake.
2 In prison. The keeper of the prison on people to communicate the blessing of God to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners.
3 In Pharaoh’s palace – See I have set you over all the land of Egypt.
Joseph did not need to lay hands on people to communicate the blessing of God. His presence in a place or situation brought the blessing of God on the place, even though he was in great personal difficulty.
I find the comment about the faith of Joseph in giving instructions regarding his bones [Hebrews 11:27] very interesting, It seems to me that even after his death, the presence of Joseph’s bones in the Israelite camp in the wilderness brought inspiration and blessing into people’s lives.
FAITH THAT GROWS AND MATTERS
Hebrews 11:23-28.
As faith begins to stir in our hearts and we are stimulated by faith exploits of others, we are tempted to steps of faith too soon, or act in immature ways. Faith needs to be used with wisdom and patience to cause its activity to mature. Moses is a good case study of this maturing process. The passage in Hebrew chapter 11, make the comments; by faith Moses when he was born, and by faith Moses, when he became of age. Like Moses we have to come of age in our faith activity. Moses had felt the call of God on his life to become a deliverer for the Israelites. But in his youthful enthusiasm he had blundered in his attempted, misunderstanding God’s timing and attempting things in an immature way. God had to lead him through a process to maturity
By faith, Moses learned to make the right decision regarding his own life and conduct regardless of the consequences: –
By faith he chose {25]
By faith he kept
There is no doubt that our faith and its activity is matured by the decisions we face in life, and the responses we make to them. How you live your life will affect the way you respond in difficult passages In your life.
By faith he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. Faith has to sustain us through many and difficult passages in our life. Some people make great statements of faith at the beginning, but fail to endure.
Some, the activity of their faith has failed. They have failed to lay hold of God who is in the invisible the spiritual and eternal – it is too affected by the material and temporal.
May the activity of faith make us – of age, like Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness with many great demonstrations of faith.
FAITH TO OVERCOME ALL CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE
HEBREWS 11;30-35
The style and detail suddenly change. We move on from specific examples of the activity of faith, to a list of many and various impossible situation, which can only be overcome by faith. I am always moved in my heart when I read these words – Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked ruinousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouth of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped in battle and turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Also, women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
God has called us to be overcomers through faith.,
- Overcomers in life’s toughest trials.
Paul was such an overcomer- We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who has delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us, in whom we trust that He will still deliver us .[2 Cor.8-10]
2 Overcomers in spiritual warfare
Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of
The wicked One.[Eph.6.15]
4 Overcomers of the temptations of the world,
Romans 8.37-39 makes it very clear that there is no situation in life, no power of evil, nothing from our past or future that can separate from the love of in Christ Jesus.
The love of God in Christ Jesus is the basis of our faith activity. Therefore, we can confidently say that in all things we are overcomers.
Through faith unmoveable obstacles [mountains] are moved,
Matthew 17.19-20.
Why could we not cast it out? Jesus said to them, because of your unbelieve. I say to you. If you have faith as a mustered seed you will say to this mountain, move from here to there, and it will be moved and nothing will be impossible for you.
FAITH IS NOT ALWAYS OUTWARD SUCCESS
HEBREWS 11;36-40
We are really brought down to earth with a bump!! After reaching some incredible feats of faith earlier in the chapter. But it is good that these verses are included.
Faith is not always outward success,
Faith is not always seeing a deliverance or breakthrough. Sometimes we have to have faith to endure the problems, or even be willing to die in faith without apparently seeing the success we believed for.
It states of Stephen that he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, but he was stoned to death.
Yet we read of Peter who was imprisoned and condemned to be executed the next day, who he was delivered by an angel and lived for many years.
Faith is not some special ability to be able to be successful – as the world sees success.
Faith is the speciality which enables us to do the will of God no matter how difficult or whatever the consequences .So it is important that we stay in close communication with the Lord, and know His word, so that we may discover His will for us in all situations that confront us.
CONCLUSION
I trust that this study on Hebrews chapter11 has been a blessing to you and a challenge to your heart of the significance of faith in every area of your life.
Remember the verse six of the chapter says –
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe the He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.