As Christians, our hearts need to be stirred to live by faith and walk by faith on a daily and hourly basis. When we are saved, we have the Holy Spirit to stir our hearts, to build our faith as we read the Bible. Let’s open our Bibles to the faith chapter here in Hebrews 11.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews chapter 11 is often called “the faith chapter.” These people walked by faith, and that is the way God wants us to walk today. The average person does not think that faith is a very practical sort of thing.
The world says, “Keep the faith; don’t lose faith; be positive in your outlook; everything will work out.” What does this mean? Nothing at all. It might sooth the conscience, but there is no reality to it. It has no “substance.” It is based on no “evidence.” Such faith has no power to effect real change.
Today we see that man has faith in himself, faith in other men, faith in religion, faith in philosophy, faith in one’s team, faith in faith itself. Ultimately, this is of no value because it is not based on the truth of the Bible. Such faith cannot bring salvation, not in this present life nor in the life to come.
On the other hand, faith in God’s Word, the Bible, is faith in the teaching and promises of an eternal God who cannot lie and cannot fail and will not change. That is the only faith that pleases God.
Here in Hebrews 11, we read about “the heroes of faith” — witnesses who encourage us to live by faith. They walked by faith, and that is the way God wants us to walk today.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for” — what is this substance? It is the Word of God, the Bible! If your faith does not rest upon the Word of God, on the Bible, it is not Biblical faith at all. It has to rest upon what God says in the Bible. The Bible tells us that we need to work hard daily to change our lives, to become more Christlike. Faith fixes the eye forward, to what has been promised by God in the Bible.
Faith is absolute certainty that God’s promises will be achieved. The question is whether you believe God or not. Don’t come up with the excuse, “I’ve got intellectual problems”, because that won’t work. Always remember that the thing that keeps men from the Word of God is sin. It is sin in your life that keeps you from coming to God.
It is the heart that needs to believe; it is “the heart that believeth unto righteousness.” (Romans 10:10) If the heart is sinful, it can’t believe. When you are ready to give up your sin, the Holy Spirit will make real to you the Word of God.
Hebrews continues, “the evidence of things not seen”. Evidence means ‘proof’. Therefore, faith becomes the proof or evidence that you believe the Bible. Evidence is something you take into court to prove your case.
This is what the entire business world rests upon. Business is transacted by faith. I have a credit card, and when I drive into the gasoline station, I hand it to the attendant. When he takes the card, he believes the credit card company will pay him; he believes that I am the owner of the card and that I am the one who will pay for the gasoline in the long run. I say, “that man has a lot of faith.”
In the same way, Faith is to believe God’s substance, to believe God’s evidence, which is to believe the Bible.
Hebrews 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
These Old Testament people believed God, and for them it was not a leap in the dark and it was not a hope-so. Their faith rested upon evidence. God spoke to them and they believed God.
Noah built an ark, and he did it by faith. God gave him an abundance of evidence because Noah walked with God for many years. Noah listened and believed God. He did exactly what God told him to do.
We are told that it was by faith that Abraham believed God. In Genesis 15:6 Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness.
God wants us today not only to be saved by faith, but to walk by faith every day here on this earth.
Hebrews 11:3 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.
There are two explanations for the origin of this universe. One is speculation which means guessing; the other is revelation which means believing the Bible. By faith we accept revelation or we accept speculation. Speculation has many theories and they are all just guessing. For example, the theory of evolution is speculation; it is simply guessing that this world came from nothing and evolved into something.
In Genesis 1:1, the Bible says, In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. That is revelation. Either you believe the Bible that God did that, or you don’t believe and go by speculation.
I heard a story about a museum guide who was taking a group of people through the museum. When they came to a reconstructed dinosaur, the guide said, “This dinosaur is two million … and six years old.”
Of course, the crowd looked at him in amazement, and one person asked, “What do you mean two million and six years old? Where did you get the six?”
“Well,” replied the guide, “When I came to work here six years ago, it was two million years old. So, now it is two million and six years old!” This shows that fossil dating is speculating which is mere guessing.
Mount St. Helens really proved how unscientific or speculative the Darwinian theory of evolution is. Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980. This 9,600 foot, cone-shaped volcanic mountain, located in the state of Washington, exploded with power that shocked the world and made global headline news.
Within moments of the natural eruption, the whole northern side of the mountain (2/3 of a cubic mile of rock) slid away –- the largest observed landslide on record.
Mount St. Helens revealed the error of scientific radiometric dating methods. A ten year old rock sample from Mount St. Helens’ last lava flow was dated at 350,000 years old using the potassium-argon method. Minerals inside were dated up to 2.4 million years old and yet in reality they were only 10 years old. You see how speculative and filled with errors the theory of evolution is.
Remember that we can embrace speculation (Darwin’s theory of evolution) or by faith we accept revelation which of course is believing the Bible.
As we move on in Hebrews Chapter 11, we are shown the experience of individuals who lived before the Flood. Abel is the first, and in him you have the way of faith.
Hebrews 11:4 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.
I want to go back to the Book of Genesis and the story of these two boys, Cain and Abel. I want us to see just what it was that Abel had — and Cain didn’t have. What was the difference between these two boys?
In Genesis 4:1 we read, And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the LORD.” What she really said was, “I have gotten the man from the Lord.” What man is she talking about? Well, God had made it clear to Eve that there would be coming one in her line, “the seed of the woman.”
Speaking to Satan, God said in Genesis 3:15, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. This prophecy said that God would allow Eve to bear children and that her seed — which of course is Jesus Christ — would crush the head of Satan, though he would strike His heel like a snake before being defeated once and for all. Of course, Satan did bruise the heel of our Lord striking Him with the temporary death on the cross. However, in rising from the grave, He crushed the head of Satan defeating him forever. Paul points this out clearly in Romans 16:20, And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Adam and Eve were waiting for this prophecy to be fulfilled. Genesis 4:3 goes on to say, And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. In the “process of time” was the Sabbath day, for these boys belonged to the first creation, the old creation. Genesis 4:4-5 continues, And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Now what was the difference between the two offerings? Didn’t both of them come in obedience to God? No, they did not. You see, God had revealed to them that they were to bring a sacrifice, a lamb, and that little lamb pointed to Christ. Some will argue that Genesis does not say that, which is true, but Hebrews 11 does say it. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. How could he? He came by faith. Notice the words “by faith.”
Abel had a revelation from God. So did Cain. They were both in the same family. But Cain ignored it, and he brought what he wanted to bring, the fruit of the ground, that which he had produced. In other words, here is the first man who brought his works to God. Many people today, and through the ages past, are still attempting to come to God the same way — they come by works. They have done this and that.
Cain brought that which he had raised, but Abel brought a lamb and slew it. If you had been there, you might have asked, “Brother Abel, why are you bringing a lamb?” and he would have said, “God commanded it.”
“Do you think the little lamb takes away your sin?” you might ask.
“Of course not,” he would have said. “I just told you that God commanded us to bring it. God said to my mother that there is One coming in her line who is going to be a Saviour, and that person is the One to whom this little lamb points. I am coming by faith, looking to the time when a deliverer and a Saviour will come.”
There, at the very beginning, God made clear the way to Himself. Hebrews 9:22 affirms, Without shedding of blood is no remission of sins. We come to God on the one basis that we are sinners and that the penalty for our sins must be paid. That is the reason a little lamb had to be slain.
That little lamb couldn’t take away sin, but it foreshadowed the coming of Christ who is “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world,” and it was offered in faith. Abel’s offering pointed to Christ, and he came by faith. It is the blood-sprinkled way, the way that is Christ. That is the way of salvation.
Hebrews 11:5 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.
We come now to Enoch, and in him we see the walk of faith. If you come to God through Christ, then you are to walk with Him. It is then the walk of the believer that becomes important. We are told that Enoch lived sixty-five years and begat a firstborn son by the name of Methuselah and other children. Genesis 5:22 tells us that Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
I do not know what he did before he begat Methuselah, but I’m sure Enoch did not walk with God. It might have been a careless life. It could have been a life that was lived in indifference, or perhaps in open sin. The record does not say. It simply says that he walked with God after he begat Methuselah.
One day he went into the baby Methuselah’s room and looked down into the crib at that little fellow who was kicking and gooing. Enoch looked down at that little baby, and probably recognized his responsibility which changed his life. He then started to walk with God. Children do that to many people.
When our son Josh was born, I started to realize that I needed to have a closer walk with God. I did not have a clue how to be a Godly Father; I needed to start studying my Bible. And praise the Lord, as I prayed and studied, God helped me — and is still helping me as I saturate my mind with His clear instruction in the Bible. Many times when children come along, they show us that we need God’s help to raise them. We are totally incapable of doing it ourselves.
The record tells us that after Methuselah, Enoch had other children, but it does not tell us that he died. Notice in Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. In Enoch we see the walk of faith.
Now let’s read this verse over again:
Hebrews 11:5 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.
His walk pleased God because he walked by faith, not by rules and regulations. He believed in God, and he walked in a manner that pleased Him. Then God took him. He didn’t die — he was translated. This is the first rapture of a man recorded in the Bible. He was removed from this earth’s scene and was taken away. Enoch was translated out of one sphere of life and translated into another.
The best way I know to describe it is the way it was told by a little girl who came home from Sunday School, and her mother asked,
“What did your teacher tell you about today?”
The little girl said, “She told us all about this man Enoch.”
And the mother asked, “Well, what about Enoch?”
So the little girl told her mom this story: “Enoch lived a long time ago, and God would come by every afternoon and say to him, ‘Enoch, would you like to take a walk with Me?’ Enoch would say, ‘Yes, I’d like to take a walk with You, God.’
And every day God would come by Enoch’s house, and Enoch would go walking with God. One day God came by and said, ‘Enoch, let’s take a long walk today. I want to talk to you.’
Then they started out. Enoch got his coat — even took his lunch, and they started walking. They walked and they walked and they walked, and finally it got late. Enoch said, ‘My, it’s getting late, and I am a long way from home. Maybe we’d better start back.’
But God said, ‘Enoch, you are closer to My home than you are to yours, so you come on and go home with Me.’ And so Enoch went home with God.”
That is a wonderful description for easy understanding. And that is what will happen one day — with the Church. The Church, the body of true believers, walking with God like Enoch was, in constant fellowship with God by praying and reading their Bibles, will one day go home with Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus is coming!
1 Thess 4:16-17 says For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
What a wonderful promise. I am really looking forward to that day.
Hebrews 11:6 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.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” The word “impossible” is very strong. Faith in God is an act of the will. Men exercise faith every day of their lives. They have faith in the invisible laws of nature (e.g., gravity), faith in the promises of men, faith in the value of currency, faith in the effectiveness of proven medicinal treatments, etc.
So as you can see, faith in God is an act of the will.
Now let’s go back to Hebrews 11:6.
Hebrews 11:6 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.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him…” Without “confidence” in God — in His holiness, His truth, His wisdom, His promises, it is impossible to please Him. This is true in family relationships as well. It is impossible for a child to please his father unless he has confidence in him. It is impossible for a wife to please her husband, or a husband a wife, unless they have confidence in each other. If there is distrust and jealousy on either part, there is discord and misery. We cannot be pleased with a professed friend unless he has such confidence in us as to believe our declarations and promises.
The same thing is true of God. He cannot be pleased with the man who has no confidence in Him, who doubts the truth of His commands and promises that are clearly given to us in the Bible. It is so important that you have faith in God by believing that the Bible was given to show us how to get saved and then to show us how to live as Christians here on this earth.
Then it says, “he that cometh to God.” Men and women must come to God. It is our purpose. It is our responsibility. God has done all He can by coming to us and sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins. Now everyone on this earth can choose to come to God by repenting of their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
And once saved, there should be a burning desire to come to God on a daily basis. You draw near to Him and seek Him daily by praying, reading and meditating on the Bible, and by praising Him. You long everyday to have fellowship with Him and look for every opportunity to serve Him with all your heart.
Finally, there is a promise at the end of this verse that says He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Man must not only believe that there is a God, but he must believe that God is a good God. This is the revelation of the Bible. God is a kind Father, a gracious Saviour. God delights in rewarding men. Giving is His very nature because He is a God of love and love gives.
Those who seek God can testify that He is a rewarder. Once we are saved, we will be rewarded for faithful service to Christ as we are told in Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
For the Christian, this life here on earth is very significant. We are preparing for eternity. Jesus Christ has promised to take the Church home to be with Him in heaven one day, and when Jesus comes to take the Church home to be with Him in heaven, He will have His rewards with Him. That makes our daily lives and daily actions tremendously significant.
Always remember this: ‘Only one life, ‘twill soon be passed. Only what’s done for Christ will last.’
If you’re a Christian, ask yourself if you are doing things for Christ or are you doing things for yourself.
Hebrews 11:6 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.
Pastor Carl Dornn