Faith Is More Than Intellectual Assent!
Don't Stop Now!
A study of the NT book of Hebrews
by Pastor Frank Rice
Hebrews 11:1-3
Faith, like a lot of other realities, can’t be seen. On the other hand, it can and must be seen as it is lived out in the lives of those who profess it. Beliefs determine behavior! But how can faith be lived out? What does it look like in the real world? In order to assist believers, those who profess faith in Christ as Savior, our author provides multiple examples of those who lived by faith because they were justified by faith. After all, “the just will live by faith!” We begin by laying a kind of “foundation for faith applied;” or “Essentials of Faith-living 101.”
I. We Need to Understand the Nature of Faith (V. 1).
v Recognize this chapter as a history of the faithful prior to the incarnation; it has a three-fold purpose. (from Cockerill)
1. “The lives of the ancient faithful clarify the nature of the faith that the pastor would have his hearers emulate.”
2. “The perseverance of those who have gone before serves as motivation for perseverance in the present.”
3. “The faithful of old provide an alternate society that counters the baleful (malignant) influence of the unbelieving world in which the hearers live.”
v Recognize what faith is not! It is being described, not defined.
1. Faith is not mere intellectual assent! It is not blind optimism, or sentimental wishing something into existence!
2. Faith is not, “belief in spite of evidence.” Many, when they are presented with adequate evidence, still refuse to believe!
v Recognize what faith is!
1. Faith is very practical. It is lived out in everyday situations.
2. Faith is a present and continuing activity.
3. Faith involves progress; it is a way of life. It moves forward! “Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there!” (Will Rogers)
4. Faith is a solid conviction resting on God’s words that makes the future present and “what is not yet visible” seen.
II. We Need to Understand the Impact of Faith (V. 2).
v God is impressed by the faith of His people! (Sounds strange!)
1. “Elders” refers to forefathers, patriarchs, ancients, men and women of old, leaders of Israel. These made the headlines!
2. “The way God demonstrated His power in their lives is evidence for the reality of God and His present activity on His people’s behalf.” (Cockerill)
3. “It is for their faith that the men of old stand on record.” For faith they are commended by God and honored among men.
4. The first eight heroes are from the book of beginnings; Abel (Gen 4), Enoch (Gen 5), Noah (Gen 6), Abraham (Gen. 12), Sarah (Gen 21), Isaac (Gen 27), Jacob (Gen 48), Joseph (Gen 50).
5. In OT times many men and women had nothing but the promises of God, without any visible evidence they would ever be fulfilled. Yet they regulated the whole course of their lives by the word of God. Their faith consisted simply in taking God at His word and directing their lives accordingly.
v God establishes a pattern for unveiling the “heroes” of faith.
1. First and foremost is their motivation - faith!
2. They are then introduced by name! Faith is personal!
3. The act of faith which is dependent on God’s instructions.
4. There is a practical and positive outcome of their faith.
5. We also discover the challenges of faith. Faith is superfluous if there are no challenges! That’s the nature of faith!
6. God commends them, testifying to the validity of their faith.
III. We Need to Understand the Practical Challenges of Faith (V. 3).
v The life of faith begins with creation!
1. The challenge for faith is to believe God’s powerful, life-giving word! The author takes us back to the very beginning!
2. The creation account states, “Then God said” multiple times followed by, “and it was so!” Either it’s true or it’s false!
v The life of faith runs contrary to this present world view.
1. “Modern biblical scholarship has devised a variety of strategies for concealing, evading, or denying the simple fact that Christian faith has its own distinctive reasons for concern with the Bible.” (Watson)
2. “If you don’t live it, you don’t believe it.” (Paul Harvey)
3. We study it so that we, by grace, can live it! Faith must be more than intellectual assent! Belief does dictate behavior!
True Biblical faith is confident obedience to God’s word in spite of circumstances and consequences!