Today in God's Word—September 2023
East Tallassee Church of Christ
September 5, Hebrews 11
What does it mean to live by faith? The writer of Hebrews explains and illustrates that concept in today’s portion.
Faith allows us to “see” farther than our eyes can see. Scientists peer through telescopes and microscopes trying to look back and gain understanding about our origins. Faith understands the universe was created by the word of God, the visible, tangible world spoken into existence by his decree. We humans also strain to see what’s ahead. From the time of ancient Israel, there have been fortune tellers who claimed to see the future and were willing, for a price, to share what they saw with inquiring minds who wanted to know. Faith also looks ahead, beyond here and now, to a future that can only be known by placing our confidence in God and what has told us about it.
Faith is required to know, approach and please God. Abel and Enoch were commended because their actions were based on their faith in God. We don’t know much about how God revealed himself to them, but we do know they trusted the revelation they had received, and God commended them for it.
Faith empowers and motivates. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses and other heroes of the Old Testament were led to do the things they did by faith. Their faith was no mere contemplative state or mental assent. Mark the verbs in the chapter. They offered, constructed, obeyed and did things beyond human ability — all by faith. Israel left Egypt and conquered Canaan, unstoppable as long as they acted in faith.
The world will not appreciate the priorities and choices that characterize a life of faith. The reaction of the world may range from misunderstanding to open hostility against people who live by their faith. We like to hear of the victories and blessings faith brought to the lives of people who trusted God. But we also need to remember some people were persecuted and killed for their faith. It’s not over for those martyrs; God has much more for his people than the present life can hold. But it’s important to know faith is not a talisman to ward off all suffering.
Today’s disciples of Jesus are in the same line as the ancients who believed the testimony and trusted the promises they received from God. We live our lives based on believing the testimony about who Jesus is and what he did for us. We trust God’s word that we have forgiveness for our past and power for our present. We wait for what he has promised about our future. That’s what it means to live by faith.
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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