Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Application: 

Canton, Ohio, is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is where those who excelled at the game are recognized for their achievements on the field. Hebrews 11 is home to the Hall of Faith. Here, the champions of the Old Testament are recognized for their achievements as they followed God by faith.

Success for them didn’t bypass suffering. Instead, they trusted God and ran the race to the end. To encourage his readers to keep going, the author of Hebrews reminds them that they’re not the first to travel the faith road. Others have encountered the hardships of the race and crossed the finish line.

How does the writer of Hebrews define faith? Faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen (11:1). Biblical faith is man’s response to what God is saying to him. To exercise faith is to have confidence in an expectation without visible proof that it will happen. What makes this confidence possible? The trustworthiness of the object of faith. 

The question we must answer is this: Is God trustworthy?

And as I like to say, faith is acting like God is telling the truth. If you want to increase your faith, grow in your understanding of God. Believers of the past trusted him by faith and were approved by God (11:2). Notice that each of the heroes of the faith mentioned in this chapter acted on what they believed. Living by faith means living by God’s Word, not human opinion or philosophy. It means we pray and prioritize the spiritual over the natural, the unseen over the seen.

Reference: Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Bible Commentary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2019), 1328.

To God be the glory!

Our Lord Jesus Christ created everything! By Him, For Him!

“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26

Disclaimer

When God inspires me, I write or post articles that glorify God. I invite you to view this post as a Bible study. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, I encourage you to search the Scriptures to determine whether what I have posted is true. Always consult your church ministers regarding biblical matters. I am not a professional writer, so there may be grammatical or spelling errors. I strive to write as clearly and efficiently as possible. My prayer is that this message will inspire you to seek the Lord with all your heart and bring glory to His Holy name. Your brother in Christ, Ricardo.