"Without
Faith it is Impossible . . . "
Hebrews
11
Jim
Davis
This is one of the most popular chapters in
the Bible. Here we find the "Faith Hall of Fame." Verse six of this chapter
is probably the most quoted verse in all of Hebrews: "And
without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly
seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 NIV) In my early years of ministry I often
quoted this verse to non-believers as I sought to stress the importance
of believing. Of course, it is still applicable to unbelievers, but it
was originally written to believers who were in the process of losing their
faith.
The artificial chapter divisions of the Bible
often blind us to the context of a passage. This is the case as we come
to Hebrews 11. To understand the primary message of this chapter, you must
connect it to the last verses of the preceding chapter.
Hebrews 10:38-39
But my righteous one will live
by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But
we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who
believe and are saved. (NIV)
It is obvious that believers were shrinking
back in fear as persecution came upon them. They are reminded that it is
impossible to overcome without faith.
Faith Impossible without Assurance
Faith anticipates certainty for the
future. There is no way you can invest in anything without certainty
that what you are investing in is trustworthy. "Now faith is being
sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews
11:1 NIV) Faith is the ability to look beyond the visible into the invisible.
It is the ability to look beyond the momentary temporal scene as we fix
our focus on what we know to be true. As we focus on what we know to be
true, we are enabled to live in harmony with that truth. The truth we speak
of is the eternal truth of God.
Faith is impossible without a proper
perspective, and eternal truth is designed to give us a proper perspective.
It
is no accident that Genesis begins with, "In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth . . . And God said, 'Let there be light,' and
there was light." It is no coincidence that this fact the Hebrew
writer begins his discussion of faith by saying, "By faith we understand
that the universe was formed at God's command . . ."
Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that
the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not
made out of what was visible.
The writers of the Old and New Testament recognized
God's creative powers as the basis of their faith in his Word. Their faith
was based upon the fact that God spoke and the visible world was created
out of invisible things.
Psalms 19:1-8
The heavens declare the glory
of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour
forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech
or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all
the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has
pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from
his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at
one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden
from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes
of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the
LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes. (NIV)
The psalmist faith is developed as he looks
beyond what is seen. The psalmist's assurance in God's commands came from
his observation of the heavens. The reliability of God's perfect natural
laws gives the psalmist the assurance needed to trust God's spiritual laws.
God has pitched a tent for the sun; it makes its circuit; it is like a
champion rejoicing as it runs it course; nothing is hidden from its heat.
God's trustworthy natural law is spoken in every language; therefore his
spiritual laws are trustworthy in giving wisdom and reviving the soul.
Just as the sun rejoices to run his course as it gives light to all, the
law of the Lord gives light to the eyes and brings joy to the heart.
The psalmist’s understanding of God's
reliability gives him assurance to sustain his faith in a temporary world.
Faith in God gives us the advantage to view our lives from the certainty
of God's eternal perspective. Faith allows us to live in view of eternity,
and it also allows us to live from the perspective of eternity. Faith allows
us to see our lives from God's vantage point. The Hebrew writer is telling
us that only a faith in God will give us a proper perspective from which
we can view the present.
2 Corinthians 5:6-9
Therefore we are always confident
and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the
Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would
prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it
our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from
it. (NIV)
Faith evaluates the present in light of eternity
giving us courage to trust. Faith doesn't free us from living in our contemporary
world; neither does it lift above the troubles of our world, but it does
bring a realization that there is more to life than the temporal concerns.
Having a firm conviction about things unseen would help us develop a perspective
that would allow us to begin enjoying eternal life with God right now.
If we could look beyond and discern God’s activity in our world, we could
start enjoying the eternal perspective of our lives.
Try to imagine Moses enduring the hardships
with the children of God because he was able to see him who is invisible.
He was able to look beyond the riches of Egypt.
Hebrews 11:27
By faith he left Egypt, not
fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
(NIV)
Faith sharpens our vision. Abraham was able
to look beyond his tents to a city whose builder and maker was God.
As I sit here trying to develop this sermon
it is Election 2000, November 7, 2000. I have already voted, but I realize,
whether my vote is a wining or losing vote, that ultimately my life is
in the hands of God. God will work his will in my life regardless of who
is elected. Daniel believed this when he was taken to Nebuchadnezzar palace
to be brainwashed. It is this element of faith that enables me to endure
the present with confidence. However, without this basic element of faith
I will defeat God's intentional will for my life.
Faith Necessitates Diligence
The Hebrews lacked diligence. A lack of diligence
led to ignorance and unbelief resulting in lack of perseverance. The writer
reminds them that God only rewards earnest seekers.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (NIV)
It boggles my mind to think how often theology
endeavors to separate faith in God from life's experiences, i.e. we may
think that what we believe should have little or no need to effect on how
we live. However, the subject of faith in the book of Hebrews demands that
our faith in God dictate how we live in the present. The Bible makes it
abundantly clear that it is impossible for God to initiate his plan of
grace in our life until we seek him through responsive faith.
Ephesians 2:6-9
And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order
that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace
you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. (NIV)
More importantly it is impossible to receive
God's grace without a trusting faith. The only way for God to know that
you trust him is for you to obey what he says.
Hebrews 11:4-5
By faith Abel offered God a
better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous
man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks,
even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that
he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken
him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased
God. (NIV)
Abel's faith resulted in offerings--his offerings
spoke well of him
Enoch's faith caused his living to please
God
Noah's faith moved him to build an ark when
warned of God
Abraham's faith moved him to wait on the
promised seed--son
Abraham's faith moved him to offer the promised
son as a sacrifice
By faith Jacob blessed his sons before he
died
By faith Moses' parents hid Moses because
the trusted God
By faith the Israelites passed through the
Red Sea
By faith the walls of Jericho fell after
the Israelites marched around them for seven days.
By faith Rahab hid the spies.
There is not one instance in this entire chapter
that suggest that God's graceful plan for their lives didn't require a
faith that moved them to obey God. More importantly, without their obedience
to God's plan there would be no salvation for us today. The grace, which
came through Jesus Christ, was predicated upon their assurance and that
assurance manifested in their obedience. Their assurance allowed God to
work out his plan through their confident obedience. God had a plan for
each of their lives, which had to be acted upon through faith.
After observing God's work as he led the Hebrews
through the wilderness for forty years, a woman, who was a prostitute,
said, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a
great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country
are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up
the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you
did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan,
whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and
everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God
in heaven above and on the earth below." (Joshua 2:9-11 NIV) These
are three of my favorite scriptures in the Old Testament. God has spoken
and his works demonstrate the power and reliability of his Word.
Faith Must Conquer Our Fears
Hebrews 11:31-40
By faith the prostitute Rahab,
because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak,
Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered
kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut
the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge
of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful
in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised
to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that
they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while
still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were
sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins
and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated--the world was not
worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and
holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none
of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better
for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (NIV)
These are my favorite verses in this chapter,
because they mention great men and women of faith that courageously struggled
to maintain their personal faith in God when all the odds were against
them.
Rahab the prostitute's faith is amazing
We all know how God routed 10,000 Philistines
with Gideon's 300 men.
Look at Barak in (Judges 4-5)
We all know the story of Samson
Jephthah made his foolish vow to God (Judges
11:1-40)
We all know about David's adultery and repentance
Samuel had faith to appoint a king to take
his place
We realize that God removed the impossibilities
from their lives. However, it is evident that he could not have done this
without their courageous personal faith. It was God who shut the mouths
of lions for Daniel, but it was Daniel's personal faith that made it possible.
All these individuals conquered their fears
as they anticipated God's work on their behalf. Faith in God helped them
to conquer their worst fears and enabled them to determine their options.
Can you imagine Moses' parents considering their options as they sought
to believe God and save their son to deliver the Hebrews?
Conclusion:
As I observe the faith of these faithful men
and women, I realize the essential qualities of faith.
They had a responsive faith
They had a persistent faith
They had a sacrificial faith
They had a courageous faith
They had a dependent faith
