Hebrews 11:1–7 (NKJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. 3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks. 5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
“Just have faith,” people say. What they usually mean is, “Convince yourself that the thing you hope for will come true.” What an empty thing such a faith is! As if your hopes and desires had any power to make something happen, or as if God were bound to give you whatever you hope for.
The faith of which the Bible speaks, however, is a sure and certain thing, because it isn’t based on our hopes but on God’s sure and steady Word. When God tells us of things we can’t see in the past or present, or when He promises things in the future, faith latches onto God’s Word and rests on it securely.
God tells us, for example, that He created the universe, and how He created it. We were not there to see it. But faith latches onto God’s Word and confidently says, “Yes, God did make all things, just as He says He did.” Abel and Enoch latched onto God’s Word, telling them He was a good and gracious God who had promised salvation to Adam and Eve and their children after they fell into sin. They didn’t live to see the promised Savior, but they lived as men who believed God’s Word. Noah was so certain of the word God had spoken about the impending flood that he got right to work building the ark when all he could see were sunny skies.
These Old Testament believers were rewarded for their faith, one way or another, either in this life or in the next. But the greatest reward of faith is that God, in His grace, counts it for righteousness, according to His promise. He has invited all sinners to come to His Son, promising that in Him we will find the forgiveness of sins. The Holy Spirit works through His promise to make us sure that He is telling the truth, and so we believe it, come to Christ, and, through that faith, receive the promised forgiveness.
Let us pray: Lord God, You have given us Your Word and have promised us so many things. Help us by Your Spirit always to believe what You have said and to live by every word that proceeds from Your mouth. Amen.
