The Meaning of Faith - Faith Explained and Exemplified

Well, if you would take your Bible, turn back to Hebrews chapter 11. Like I said earlier, we'll be in verses 1 to 3. I'll mention a few other verses like I usually do. You can write those down and make those a part of your study. But here we are in chapter 11, and what we have before us can be called the Hall of Fame of the saints of God. Some of you have a John MacArthur study Bible. If you look at the notes there in the John MacArthur study Bible, you will see language like this, the honor roll of the Old Testament saints, heroes of the faith, the saints' Hall of Fame. And when the term Hall of Fame is used, many people think about sports.

It's football season, so football is on the minds of many. The Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame for professional American football is located in Canton, Ohio. It was opened on September the 7th, 1963. And the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of pro football, including players, coaches, officials, franchise owners, and front office personnel. Almost all of whom made their primary contributions to the game in the National Football League. Now some of you are not into professional football.

You might be thinking, "Pastor, I kind of like college football." Well the College Football Hall of Fame is the Hall of Fame, an interactive attraction devoted to American college football. The National Football Foundation founded the hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were voted first team All-American by the media. Well that is what we have here in Hebrews chapter 11. We have the men and women, there are women here, we have the men and women that God chose to immortalize and enshrine. And not for any worldly achievements, but they are enshrined for their faith.

And they serve as great examples of faith and living the life of faith. But Hebrews 11 is more than the Hall of Fame of the saints of God. Hebrews 11 is the beginning of the last three chapters of the book. But notice how Hebrews 11 fits into what we have been learning. Beginning in chapter 11, the author explains a superior principle which is faith. And in chapters 1-6, we have seen the fact that Jesus is a superior person. And from chapters 7-10, we have seen that Jesus provided a superior priesthood.

So we have a superior person who provided a superior priesthood and we have the superior way to live which is the way of faith and the life of faith. We can summarize things by saying the book of Hebrews is all about the supremacy of Christ. We know that. That is the series title. The book of Hebrews is all about the supremacy of Christ. And chapter 11 is all about the supremacy of the life of faith. You may want to write that down. Hebrews 11 is all about the supremacy of the life of faith. And notice how this applied to this original audience. We can never get too far from this original congregation.

We have seen over and over that many in this congregation were tempted to go back to Judaism and life under the Old Covenant. And get this, if they went back to life under the Old Covenant, they would have been going back to a life of works, not a life of faith. That is because by the first century, the Jews had reduced the life under the Old Covenant as nothing but a life of religious works, long gone were the days of the men and women listed here in chapter 11. At the time of this letter, the religious life of God's chosen people had truly been reduced to a life of empty religious works. That was mostly empty of a life of faith.

So here the author was writing to explain to this congregation that those who had savingly believed in Jesus, as God's promised Messiah, they were to pursue faith as a way of life and a way of living, not dry religious works, which is what they would have gone back to if they went back to the Old Covenant and all of those Old Covenant animal sacrifices. But before we move on, I want to point out a mistake that we must not make here. We must not think that the author was calling these believers to a way of living that was different than the Old Testament saints. Let me repeat that.

We must not think that the author was calling these believers to a way of living that was different than the Old Testament saints of God. It was not that there was one way of living for the Old Covenant saints of God and there is a new way of living for the New Covenant saints of God. Let me say that again. It was not that there was one way of living for the Old Covenant saints of God and there is a new way of living for the New Covenant saints of God. Listen to what John MacArthur says. Now I'm going to take this phrase and I'm going to write it all throughout the message.

MacArthur says, "Faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. Faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live." Now let me explain. Make sure you follow me here. Abraham is listed in the Hall of Fame of the saints of God starting in verse 8. But notice, Genesis 15.6 says that Abraham believed God and it was counted or credited to him as righteousness. And Paul expounded on this verse in Romans chapter 4 by explaining that Abraham was not made right with God by any kind of religious works. He, that's Abraham, was brought into a saving relationship with God by faith.

So the point here is this, Abraham who was an Old Testament saint of God and who certainly is in the Hall of Fame of the saints of God, he was made right with God by faith. Faith is the way to life and Abraham attains spiritual life by faith. Now question, how are New Covenant saints made right with God? Buying through faith. Romans 2.8.9 says, "For by grace you've been saved through faith." And this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of work so that no one may boast. So my point here is this, today we are made right with God by faith.

Faith is the way to life and we attain spiritual life by faith exactly like those Old Covenant saints. And back to Abraham. He was and is one of the Old Covenant saints of God. And he certainly is listed here in the Hall of Fame of the saints of God. And starting here in verse 8 now, we will see that he lived a life of faith. Just like all of the others in the Hall of Fame of the saints, he lived a life of faith because he knew and understood that the life of faith was and is the way to live as a saint of God. Some questions for us to think on here. How are New Covenant saints of God to live? How are we as God's people, how are we to live?

Is the Christian life a life of religious works? Does anybody make that mistake today? Certainly some do. Is the Christian life a system of beliefs and doctrines? Some people fall into that trap. They make the Christian life all about what they believe in their doctrine and theology. Is the Christian life merely a profession of faith that has no effect on their very being, the inner man, so that the person lives a life unto God? Sadly, many make this mistake today because of decisionism and easy believeism that is so rampant in so many churches in the South. But my point right here is this.

The life that God expects us to live is to be a life of faith. Faith is the way to live. The Old Covenant saints live by faith and New Covenant saints are to live by faith because a life of faith is the way to live. Let me say that again. A life of faith is the way to live. And that is what we have before us in Chapter 11. The life of faith, it is explained and exemplified. Now before we go any further, I want to point out one more thing. This is still in the introduction. I ran across this in several different places and I think it's very, very helpful. As a matter of fact, it is evidence to me that Paul didn't write the book of Hebrews.

Of course, that's debated. But the way the author explains the life of faith is different than the way that Paul explained the life of faith. Let me explain what I mean. The author of Hebrews concentrates on faith in God, whereas Paul in his writing speaks often of faith in Christ. Paul in his writing often speaks of faith relating to the past and to what Christ did in the past to bring us to salvation, whereas the author of the book of Hebrews speaks of faith in the future, which consists of a trustful heart and a trustful attitude that keeps the believer as they press on in the life in spite of trials, tribulations, and difficulties.

And at times, Paul compares faith against works, while the author of Hebrews never does that. The author of Hebrews spends his time explaining and exemplifying sustaining faith, the faith that keeps the people of God in and through the many trials, tribulations, and difficulties that certainly do come in life. So my point right here is this. The author of Hebrews presents what many call a classic one-of-a-kind view of faith and the life of faith. No other biblical writer presents faith and the life of faith like the writer of Hebrews does.

He is concerned with a life in God that is all about a living, a sustaining, and a persevering faith in all of life to the very end. He is concerned about the life of faith because the author knows now faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. Now before we get into the verses, I want to point out how the author starts off the chapter here, verses 1 to 3. He starts off not so much with a definition. I don't know about you, but I love definitions. I look for definitions. But the author doesn't start off with a definition, but by giving the nature of faith.

He starts off by explaining faith, the nature of faith, and then he moves on to a general exemplification of faith before he dives off into these great examples of faith starting with Abel in verse 4. So verses 1 to 3 are all about the meaning of faith. Faith is explained and exemplified. That brings me to the title of the message. The meaning of faith, and you can add to it or make that title longer by saying faith exemplified and faith explained and faith exemplified. The meaning of faith, faith explained and faith exemplified. Now let's read the verses and then I will share with you how we'll break them down.

We'll have a three-point message out of the verses. Well faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, for by it the people of old receive 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. Now this is how I will explain things. I want us to see first that the author gives us a description of faith in verse 1 and then second he gives us the testimony of faith and then last in verse 3 he gives us what could be called the greatest illustration of faith.

And I will explain what I mean when I say the greatest illustration of faith. So let's get started. Verse 1, I want us to see the author gives us the description of faith, the description of faith comes right out of verse 1. But before we get started we need to understand again the author is not giving us a formal definition. He's not giving us a theological definition. He's showing us what it looks like. Again I like that. I need to see what it looks like. And he starts off by saying faith is and this word is here in the original. It is in the emphatic meaning that the author is placing an emphasis here.

It's really true and accurate that we can say he is saying faith is. Faith is. And then he goes on to describe what faith is. And he does this by giving two descriptions of what faith is. First faith is a confirmed confidence in things so far. I'll say that again. Faith is a confirmed confidence in things so far. Now here we have a key word the English standard the new American use the word assurance. The King James says now faith is the substance of things so far. And this word translated assurance it actually means to stand even to stand under and it can mean that which has a firm foundation.

Others tell us that it was used to speak of that which stands on or stands under something like a building stands on a foundation or like a contract or a promise stands on one's good word in reputation. In this word here it was used often in their day in business settings for the purpose of a promise or a guarantee or a contract. That is why the amplified says. Now faith is the assurance title deed confirmation of things hope for. So notice what the author is saying right here. Faith is. Faith is living because faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. So faith is a confirmed confidence in God and in the things hope for.

But what is hope for? Heaven. Ultimately salvation in Jesus which takes us to be with Jesus in heaven. But this hope for is a little more. Albert Barnes says and I'm quoting the Christian hopes to be admitted into heaven. To be raised up in the last day from the slumbers of the tomb. To be made perfectly free from sin. To be everlastingly happy. He goes on to say under the influence of faith I love that. Under the influence of faith he allows these things to control his mind as if they were a most affecting reality. So faith is a confirmed confidence of things hope for. And then second faith is a confident conviction of things not seen.

I'll repeat that. Faith is a confident conviction of things not seen. Look back at verse 1. Now faith is the assurance of things hope for. The conviction of things not seen. We have another key word. The English standard, the legacy standard, the new American use this word conviction. The King James uses this word evidence. And this word conviction evidence it means proof or a thing that can be proven or tested so as to be proven. One commentator explained the meaning here by referencing a courtroom circumstance.

When one is charged with a crime the evidence is presented whether they are proven guilty or innocent a convincing evidence and argument is presented and it is believed. So the point right here is this. The author is saying that the person of faith who lives their faith as a way of life they are confident of things not yet seen. They are confident in their conviction of the things not yet seen because convincing evidence has been given. If we go back to the idea of a courtroom God has given the person of faith who lives the life of faith the convincing argument of the things not yet seen and he's given those things to him by faith.

So the person of faith has a confident conviction. The amplified again. Listen to the verse. The evidence of things not seen the conviction of their reality faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses. And get this. This second part of verse one is saying the same thing as the first part of the verse. The author just takes what he's already said just a little further. So look at what the author is saying here. The born again Christian the one who has true Bible faith has come to faith because faith is the way to life. And they live the life of faith because faith is the way to live life.

So the man or the woman of faith has a confirmed confidence of the things hoped for. The man or the woman of faith has a confident conviction of things not yet seen. But how is that the case? How is this possible? Does this come from within us? Is this something that we muster up that we work up? Is this something that someone else can do for us? This faith comes from the spirit within the believer. It is a result of the work of the spirit within the Bible scholar Kenneth Woot says this the Holy Spirit energized the Holy Spirit energized this act of faith. I love that. The Holy Spirit energized this act of faith.

He goes on to say the Holy Spirit energized this act of faith which the believer exercises in the Lord Jesus is the title deed which God puts in his hand guaranteeing to him the possession of things which he has trusted in him for. Some questions here. Do we have this kind of faith? Are we living out this kind of faith? Remember folks, faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. Faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. What or who is our confirmed and confident hope in? What or who is our confident conviction in? Do we live with a confident hope and conviction in the things of this world?

The passing things of this world? Even the sinful things of this world? Do we live with a confident conviction and assurance and conviction for eternal things? Eternal things in this life and eternal things that are to come? Look church, the author puts before us an entirely different way of living. Do you see that? The author if we begin to understand it he puts before us an entirely different way of living compared to everything that we see in the world. Remember now faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. So the author gives us a description of faith. The next number two we see the testimony of faith.

In verse two we see the testimony of faith. Let's read the verse again. Verse two, "For by it the people of old received their commendation." Now right away we can see that the author moves from this description of the life of faith to the people of old and their testimony. But notice who he was referencing here. The English Standard says the people of old. The New American says men of old. And in the original this word that is used here it means elder or man of age. Notice why the King James uses the word elder. But who is the author talking of here? Who does he have in mind here?

He is referring to the Old Testament saints of old, the godly religious leaders of old. And this is the same thing that he said back in chapter one verse one when he referenced the spiritual forefathers that they had. Now pause right here with me for a minute and notice what the author is doing. He is mentioning the testimony of the saints of old but he doesn't name any until verse four. You see? He's mentioning the testimony of the saints of old but he does not start to name any until verse four. But notice the testimony of the saints of old. He says they received their commendation. The New American says the men of old gained approval.

The King James says they obtained a good report and this good report simply means to be a witness, to bear witness, to affirm that one is being seen or heard. And what this means right here is this. The author is saying that God bore witness and affirmed what he saw in them. That would be the saints of old. And look at this right here. This obtained or gained a good report. This is very important and we see it all through chapter 11. Two times we see this in verse four with Abel. Thus highlighting God's good report of Abel. One time we see this in verse five with Enoch showing God's good report of Enoch.

One time we see this in verse 39 where the author says all these received a good report from God. And all these are the men and women listed in the Hall of Fame of the saints of God. Now what do I want us to see here? The author is showing us that the saints of old, some named and some not named, God bore witness and affirmed what he saw in them and he gave them a good report. Now right here I want to pause and I want to ask a question or two. All these men and women in the Hall of Fame of the saints of God, did they do great things for God? Did they accomplish great things for God? I'll mention a couple. What about Noah?

We see Noah starting in verse seven. Did he accomplish great things for God? You might say pastor, he built a boat on dry ground and it rained. What about Abraham? Did he do great things for God? Abraham might say, "Well pastor, he's the father of the faith." Yeah. We can't forget Sarah. We have her right there in verse 11. But then we have Joseph and Moses and Rahab. Did they not do great things for God? And what I mean is this. We have great and godly men and women of old who did great things for God and these things that they did were the will of God. But their great works were not what they were commended for by God.

Notice, the saints of old received a good report from God for their faith. Listen to verse two in the Amplified. For by this kind of faith, the men of old gained divine approval. Let me read that again. For by this kind of faith, the kind of faith he was talking about in verse one, the men and women of old gained divine approval. And what this tells us is this. By their faith, remember, faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live by their saving faith in God and the fact that faith was the way that they lived, God commended them and gave approval of them. Now a question. Are we mistaken here? Terribly? Possibly horribly?

Do we seek God's approval and commendation by other means, by other things? Do we think that God will really approve of us if we really know our Bibles more? Do we think that God will give us a real good report if we know our doctrine and theology more? Do we think that God will really approve of us if we work harder in the church? Do we think that God will approve of us more and more if we pray more? If we read our Bibles more? If we witness more? If we teach more? If we preach more? If we preach better? If we minister to others in the church? You see? Church, you tell me. Am I onto something here? Are we a miss here?

You might say, "Pastor, you're kind of touching on my nerves. Maybe I've stepped on some toes." Look saints, church, brothers and sisters. We gain God's approval and commendation if we live by faith because faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. You see that? Church, we must see this. We gain God's approval and his commendation if we live by faith because faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. But one more thing. Not only do we seek God's approval of faith, we also see the utter requirement of such faith. Let me say that again. The utter requirement of such faith. Look on down to verse 6.

Verse 6 says, "And without faith it is impossible to please him." The Amplified says, "But without faith it is impossible to walk with God and please him." So look at what the author is saying here in verse 2, "By faith," because faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. The Old Testament saints of old received a good report from God and it is impossible to please God without living the life of faith because the life of faith is the way to live. And right here is where I trust and believe the Spirit of God is helping you see what these things mean. Take some meditating over, some illumination by the Spirit.

So we see the testimony of faith. And then number 3, last, he gives us the illustration of faith. And I'm going to say this is the greatest. The illustration of faith. Let's read verse 3. "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." Now right off we see that the author starts off with this phrase, "by faith." And this term runs all throughout the chapter. Notice how it runs throughout the chapter. Look at verse 4, 5, 7, and 8 with me.

Verse 4, "By faith able." Verse 5, "By faith Enoch." Look at verse 7, "By faith Noah." Look at verse 8, "By faith Abraham." This phrase goes all through the chapter. And for the most part when we see this phrase, "by faith," the author is introducing the great works of the saint. Look at verse 4 with Abel. Look at his great works. "By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain." But here in verse 3 the author says, "By faith we," and we can include us here as well, "so I want us to see that he says two things about us. First he says, "We understand." We understand.

Now all the translations use this word "understand" and it means to perceive of the mind. Even speaking of intelligence, it means to have an understanding of simply to understand intelligently. But what do we understand? He tells us that God created not just the world, the English standard says universe. The King James uses the word "worlds" plural. And this universe, worlds, refers to not just the physical world but the entire universe. This refers to that which is seen and unseen by the human eye, even to the operation and the administration of the entire universe, that which is seen and that which is unseen. Let me explain what this means.

If a star falls, it is under the operation and administration of God. If a star falls, it is under the operation and the administration of God. If Pluto was a planet or gas, it doesn't matter, it is under the operation and the administration of God. I looked it up. I Googled it. Well, now it's AI that comes up. This is what I came across. Pluto was not a planet. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet. I've never heard of such because it did not meet all the criteria for a planet. Specifically the requirement to have cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

Well, right there that ruined every elementary science project I ever did. Back when I was in school, it was a planet. But you know what doesn't matter if it's a planet or gas? It's under the operation and the administration of God. He created it. He governs it. He sustains it. But scholars tell us this means more than just the physical universe and the operation of the universe. The universe, some translations say worlds. This also speaks of time and times. And the idea here is that God created the many different times or ages or what we may call history. These times and ages were created by God, planned by God, and they are governed by God.

So notice here what the author is saying. By faith, we understand that the universe, that which is seen and unseen, it was created by God and it is governed by God. In the different times and ages in eternity, past, present, and future, the different times and ages of human history, those times and ages, they were created by God and they are governed by God. But then second, notice what we understand. What we understand. Again, look at verse 3. 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.

Here the author says that by faith, we understand that it was all created, notice, by the word of God. As one writer put it, I'm putting it really in my words, "Belief in the existence of the world is not faith." Stop right there. Even the God hater believes in the existence of the world. Belief in the existence of the world is not faith, nor is it faith when men believed that the world was made out of some pre-existing stuff or materials. Paul's right there. Even the one who denies God believed that the world came about by some pre-existing stuff.

But when we understand and believe that by the word of God, the universe and the ages were created, that is faith. Do you understand and believe that the universe was created by the word of God and that He governs and operates at all by His word? Do you understand and believe that the times and ages, both of this world and eternity, those times and ages were created by the very word of God and they are governed and operated by the very word of God? How many times does Genesis 1 say, "And God said, and God said, and God said." God created it all by His word. There's one more layer here.

Not only did God speak the universe and the times and ages into existence, He created it all out of nothing. And notice how critical this fact is to faith. If the universe had been created out of that which had already existed, then faith would not have been needed. Simply it takes faith and by faith that we understand and know that the universe was created by the word of God from nothing, absolutely nothing. So look at what the author is saying here.

The author is saying that by faith we understand, we perceive and we know that the universe in all of its operation, that the different times and ages, both of this world and in all eternity, in the operation and the governance of all of those ages and times, all those things were literally spoken into existence by God, by His very word, so that what is seen by man and unseen, it came out of literally nothing. Look, church, this is the illustration of faith. Verse 3 is the foundation of faith and to me the greatest illustration of faith.

And in my opinion, if you cannot and will not believe verse 3, then you cannot and will not believe the gospel. That's why I say this is the greatest illustration of faith. If you cannot and you will not believe the facts and the reality of verse 3, then I don't believe you will ever believe the gospel. That is because faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. And look, church, before I close, we have no need of fear. God created all times and all ages. God created all governments and nations and He sustains it all by the word of His mouth.

If Donald Trump stays in office or if a socialist communist homosexual becomes president, it does not matter because God governs it all. I need to say that again. Some of you need this. If Donald Trump stays in office or if a socialist communist homosexual becomes president, it does not matter because God governs it all. And as God's redeemed people, if we live in fear, if we live in any kind of anxiety, it is a sin against the truth of verse 3 and it is a sin against God. There's no need for us to fear. So the greatest illustration of faith.

Now as I close, I want to close by reading verse 3 in the Amplified because it amplifies and explains what is said here. And then I want to ask one more question. Now faith is, remember that is as in the emphatic, faith is the assurance, title deed, confirmation of things hoped for, divinely guaranteed. And the evidence of things not seen, the conviction of their reality. Faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses. For by this, what's this? Verse 1. By verse 1, the truth of verse 1, this kind of faith, the men of old, the women of old gain divine approval.

By faith that is with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom, and goodness of God, we understand that the world's universe, ages were formed and created, formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose by the Word of God so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. Now my question here is this. Faith is the way to life and faith is the way to live. Are we living by faith? And I do not believe we can answer that question yes or no right here this morning. This is one of those messages that you have to pray over, ponder over study, go back and listen to.

You might have to go back to this material over and over and over, but if you don't, I don't believe you can answer this question accurately. Are we living by faith? And we will continue to look at this as we get into the wonderful example starting with Abel. So let's pray, commit these things to the Lord, and then dismiss to a wonderful time of food and fellowship.