In my last writing I spoke of how we were taught to live In Spirit by the Holy Ghost by Jesus it brings me to one of my favorite readings of the Bible Hebrews 11 this and psalm139 been my favorite passages since I was 9 I am now 43 they have walked my entire faith journey with me as I was saved baptized in the Holy Spirit and officially baptized into the church when I 16 these scriptures have always spoken to me and remained by my side on the travel into the unknown by faith
Into The Unknown that is exactly what God is reserving for us he’s wanting us to live on the unknown knowing and leaning on what He has taught us in his words and stand strong
Great Examples of Faith
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
Hebrews 11
New Living Translation
Great Examples of Faith
11 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
32 How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. 33 By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. 35 Women received their loved ones back again from death.
You see Jesus Christ already was aware that there were going to be dishonest and dishonorable humans who would go on to become false teachers and non believers and he put his plan to work in this he wants us to learn to trust living by faith and spirit knowing we all already know the truth Christ taught us before he left earth telling us to live in spirit by the Holy Ghost let the truth be told live honorable to God by faith and spirit you already know the truth
39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/hebrews-11/
What does Hebrews chapter 11 mean?
Hebrews chapter 11 dives deeply into the writer’s application of all the information given so far. Chapter 10 ended with both a warning and a word of encouragement. That encouragement specifically referred to “those who have faith,” in contrast to “those who shrink back” (Hebrews 10:39) Here, in this passage, the writer gives a direct definition of faith, along with numerous examples to make his meaning crystal clear.
Faith, according to the Bible, is not blind. More than half of the verses in the book of Hebrews are dedicated to explaining reasons and evidence to accept the new covenant in Jesus Christ. Nor is faith gullible, or senseless. Instead, godly faith is exemplified by trust. That trust is based on what we know of God, relying on Him for the things we do not know. In particular, godly faith looks forward, from an eternal perspective, and produces obedience, even in the face of hardship. God takes what we cannot see, or cannot understand, and uses it to make good on His word. Since faith relies on what we’ve seen of God, and trusts Him for the future, it becomes the “assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1–3).
Most of the rest of the chapter is devoted to giving examples from Scripture to clarify this particular definition of faith. In each case, the same basic pattern emerges. These figures knew enough about God to trust Him, and so they obeyed, even when they were faced with doubts or challenges. In some cases, this meant trusting that God’s promises were ultimately meant to be fulfilled in eternity, not necessarily their own lives.
In the first set of examples given, the writer focuses on examples of general, life-long trust in God. Abel and Enoch are strongly contrasted in the way their earthly lives ended. Abel was murdered (Genesis 4:8), while Enoch was taken by God without even experiencing death (Genesis 5:23–24). Part of the lesson here is that what happens in our earthly lives is not the end of God’s plans for us, nor does it represent everything He intends for our future. Others, such as Noah, Abraham, and Sarah, are also referenced as examples of those who honored God in their lives, and were in return honored by God (Hebrews 11:4–12).
After bringing out these early examples, the writer then points out that godly faith is not aimed at our earthly lives, but at eternity. People like Abraham were able to trust in God, in part, because they were not explicitly concerned with this life. They were looking forward, but beyond even their own death, to “the city that has foundations” (Hebrews 11:10), and to a “better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Hebrews 11:13–16).
The next set of examples focuses on those who trusted in God in the midst of immediate, direct personal challenges. Abraham is mentioned again, in the ultimate example of godly faith. When ordered to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeyed. This obedience was driven by his prior experiences with God, and the Lord’s ability to prove Himself righteous, even when Abraham could not see all ends. Other patriarchs are also mentioned, for their willingness to pass along God’s words, and God’s blessings, to their children. Moses, also, is mentioned, as one who was willing to endure hardship for the sake of honoring God (Hebrews 11:17–28).
The writer also refers to the crossing of the Red Sea, the conquest of Jericho, and the rescue of Rahab as examples of victory earned through faithful obedience to God (Hebrews 11:29–31).
At this point, the book of Hebrews launches into one of the most inspiring passages in Scripture. Without giving detail, the writer reminds his readers of Old Testament heroes, such as the Judges, the prophets, and David, who accomplished amazing feats as a direct result of their faith. Those achievements are listed, also in a rapid-fire style, culminating in the ultimate example of victory: resurrection from death (Hebrews 11:32–35).
Next, this passage reminds the reader that these same heroes of the faith suffered many earthly hardships. They were willing to endure persecution, torture, and even death, rather than forsake their obedience to God (Hebrews 11:36–38).
And yet, those same heroes are still waiting for God to grant them the full promise of His word. This is for a humbling, crucial reason: us. In order to grant those still living the opportunity to share in that same reward, God is allowing us time to hear, to respond, and to obey (Hebrews 11:39–40). The first words of chapter 12 flow directly from this theme, encouraging the reader to “hold fast” despite hardship, and to face whatever circumstances might occur. Christ, our ultimate example, did the same: obediently enduring pain and suffering, because He knew the reward which was waiting in eternity (Hebrews 12:1–2).
Book Summary
The book of Hebrews is meant to challenge, encourage, and empower Christian believers. According to this letter, Jesus Christ is superior to all other prophets and all other claims to truth. Since God has given us Christ, we ought to listen to what He says and not move backwards. The consequences of ignoring God are dire. Hebrews is important for drawing on many portions of the Old Testament in making a case that Christ is the ultimate and perfect expression of God’s plan for mankind. This book presents some tough ideas about the Christian faith, a fact the author makes specific note of.
Chapter Context
Up to this point, the book of Hebrews has given extensive evidence proving that Jesus Christ, and the new covenant He brought about, is God’s ultimate plan for mankind’s salvation. Chapter 10 provided an additional warning about the danger of falling away from this truth. Chapter 11 begins by clarifying the meaning of the word ”faith,” primarily by listing examples of Old Testament figures who exemplify it. The ultimate application of this knowledge should be a motivation to ”hold fast” to the gospel, despite hardships. That encouragement is a major theme of chapter 12.
Verse Thoughts
The good news of salvation and life eternal is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Whether Old Testament saints or New Testament believers, the only way to access this free and eternal gift from the Father is to trust in His Word and believe in His Son.
Faith is simply having the confidence that the future things God has revealed in His written Word, will unquestionably happen. The reformation verse that shattered corridors of Christendom was, “the just shall live by faith” – the righteous man shall live by faith – the godly man, the virtuous woman, the justified sinner, the maturing believer, are to all live by faith as well as being saved by faith.
A living faith in God’s Word and the confident hope in His promises are two graces that embrace each other in love – at the foot of the Cross. This is not a ‘Que Sera, fingers-crossed and-hope-it-happens’ type of faith. This is the faith that accepts without question that the Word of God is entirely dependable and is an indisputable fact.
This is the faith that unquestioningly takes God at His Word, knowing that all He has promised to us in Christ is more secure than the rising of the morning sun and more certain than the daily passage of time. It is the firm persuasion, unshakable confidence, and indisputable expectation, that all God has said, in and through His WORD, is established forever and does not take refuge in the a ‘maybe’ or a ‘perhaps’.
It is an objective faith that is secured to the knowledge that our redemption rests on Who Christ is, and what He has already done on the Cross on our account. Our faith is not on who we are or what we have done to commend ourselves to God, but on Christ and His accomplishments. Objective faith is not based on sight or sense but rests its case in the arms of God’s Word of Truth.
Faith is not based on experience, nor calculated through reason. True faith is anchored on scriptural facts. It is beyond man’s intellect and cannot be penetrated through reasoning or discovered through scientific ‘proof’. It has nothing to do with personal opinion or impressions. It is beyond the dimension of human thought because it is the substance of facts that are conceived in the mind of God.
God is not a man, so He does not lie. The Lord is not a fallen being, so He does not flirt with fantasy or feasibility. He does not change His mind and has never spoken a word that He has failed to act upon. Has he never made a promise that has not been carried through to its fulfilment, and it is incumbent on us to know what His Word says and to believe the promises He has given.
The eye of faith sees beyond our present reality and places its feet firmly on divine revelation given by almighty God, through the Word-made-flesh. It believes God’s Word of truth in the pages of Scripture, which was written for our learning, instruction, encouragement, and hope. The heart of faith enables us to treat as reality those things that are unseen, even when circumstances of life appear to contradict the truth of God’s Word.
All that God has revealed to us through holy men of God is just and good and true, and Scripture is designed to be a sure foundation upon which to build. It has nothing in common with so many superficial apologies for faith, based on sight, experiences, opinions, fancies, dreams, or imaginations that excite the soul, feed the flesh, and pander to the human ego. Without faith it is impossible to please God and Jesus said, “blessed are those that have NOT seen – and yet have believed.”
May the hope we have in Christ and the faith we have in God be built on the truth, of His Word and grounded on a sure conviction. May we never stumble when situations seem to go amiss, and may we be firmly persuaded that, “He who started a good work in each of our lives is well able to bring it to completion.”
Source: https://dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/hebrews-11-1
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