Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - What is Faith? | New Testament | Hebrews 11

Starting point is 00:00:00 Welcome to 10-minute Bible talks, where we connect the Bible to your life and the time it takes to get to work. I'm Jensen Holt McNair. Hebrews Chapter 11 is often referred to as the Hall of Faith. You've probably read it before. If you've been listening to 10-minute Bible talks for a while now, you've definitely heard it mentioned at least a few times. It's a popular and encouraging text as it takes its audience through specific examples of men and women who lived lives of faith. Oftentimes, though, these texts, like their original tellings in the Old Testament, are taken out of context to encourage believers to take specific action like each of these people did. Have faith like Sarah. When God isn't giving you what you're asking for, have faith like she did. When God is asking something hard of you, have faith like Noah to be different in a world of darkness.

Starting point is 00:00:58 The problem is that when we pick these individual stories out, stories of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Sarah, Abraham, and more, we miss the larger story that Chapter 11 is telling by compiling all of these examples together. Chapter 11 opens like this. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it, the people of old received their commendation. By faith, we understand that the universe was created by the Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. The author begins by laying out for his audience exactly what faith is. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Starting point is 00:01:45 Having faith means being sure of our hope and absolutely certain of the reality of things that we cannot see. Things like the fact that God created the universe through only his word. For the next nine verses, we are then told the stories of men and women of faith. And while their specific actions are highlighted in each retelling, the common thread that all of these men and women have is faith, being the assurance of things hoped for. Abraham left his homeland. Abel offered a pleasing sacrifice and Noah built an ark because they all had a faith for things unseen. And while in their individual lives, some of them were given immediate blessing for their faithfulness, Hebrews 11 makes it clear that their hope wasn't in the birth, of a child or the saving from a flood, but in something greater. Verse 13.

Starting point is 00:02:38 These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had an opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country. That is a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture, because every time I am encouraged by the strength of faith that those before me had. See, each of these great figures, they all died. They all died, and they all died not having received

Starting point is 00:03:28 the things promised. But they had faith. They had an assurance of faith that God had promised them a future hope. And so they died, knowing that they were strangers and exiles in this broken world. The next three verses tell us that these all died knowing that there was a better homeland. They had their eyes set on what was to come, not on the broken world they left, all its distractions and temptations, but on the promised homeland to come. They desired a better country, and because they died in faith, trusting in God to provide them this promised land, God is pleased to be their God, and He has prepared for them a city. What's always crazy to me about this chapter, and specifically this section of scripture,

Starting point is 00:04:16 is that these men and women mentioned died having faith in something that was a complete mystery to them. They died before Jesus was born, before he taught about his coming kingdom, before he died and was raised to life, before the visions of John and Revelation, before the promise of a second coming. They had shadows of this promise compared to what we see laying out before us in Scripture. And still, they trusted God and had faith in the things that were unseen. The assurance of their faith is so encouraging to me, because it's clear that this assurance, this hope, This faith in the unseen promises of God is what brought about their obedience and faithfulness in life. They had their eyes on a better country, a better hope, and because of this, the ways of this world, the troubles of this life could not keep them from following the call of God in their lives. They lived extraordinarily faithful lives because they had faith in the promises of God.

Starting point is 00:05:21 The author of Hebrews hammers home this idea in the final verses of the chapter. After giving even more examples of those of faith, Hebrew 11 ends with this. And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect. See, these men and women of faith, though they are to be commended, did not receive what was promise. They didn't see the final fulfillment of the promised land or the Messiah coming, but that's because God had something even better. Those who have gone before us lived lives of faith and are to be made perfect alongside us through Jesus Christ. They had the promise of the old

Starting point is 00:06:09 covenant with God, that he would be their God and that they would be faithful. But God knew that even in their faithfulness, they would fail. And so beyond their death, he sent a perfect sacrifice, Jesus. And in making a new covenant with all of God's people, Jesus's death pays the price once and for all for our sin. And in his resurrection, he paves the way for all who have died in faith to rise to life again in God's kingdom, his holy city. These men and women of faith, though their lives were vastly different, were all united in their unwavering faith in a better homeland. On this side of the cross, we know that homeland to be a city that God is preparing for his people, that one day Jesus will return and bring his heavenly realm down to earth, redeeming all of creation and establishing

Starting point is 00:07:02 his kingdom here in this world for all of eternity. He is preparing that place for us. It is an absolute certainty, although it is unseen. In the darkness of this world, it can be hard to believe that there will be a time where pain, sadness, tears, depression, anxiety, and death are no more. In a world that fights for our attention, our desires, our loves, our time, it can be hard to look up and long for something greater. But that is what faith is. Faith is assurance of hope in things unseen. And like those who came before us, we are called to live by faith. To keep our eyes fixed on a homeland, knowing that most likely our lives here on earth will end in death. The things promised not yet fully realized. And even still, we have hope that our

Starting point is 00:07:57 bodies will be resurrected and we will join our king Jesus and all others of faith in his restored creation. That is the hope of Hebrews 11. Put your faith in things unseen, because a life lived with your eyes set on the hope of our future restoration and resurrection is the only way to live that produces real, true, eternal life. Before you forget, sign up for the 10-minute Bible Talks newsletter. Hit the link in the show notes and you'll get an email every Wednesday that will help encourage you in the middle of the work week and bring you deeper in your walk with Jesus. Thanks for listening.

Ten Minute Bible Talks Devotional Bible Study - What is Faith? | New Testament | Hebrews 11

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.