Verse of the Day:
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1 ESV
The first few verses of Hebrews 11 define faith using words that are frequently quoted, but are also frequently misunderstood. So today we're going to look at this and understand what this verse is really saying - because as with the rest of the Bible, context is absolutely critical. This passage in particular (Hebrews 11:1-3) demonstrates that godly faith is really "trust." We're being told that what we have seen of God's nature and character should therefore naturally lead us to trust Him. This trust in Him then naturally leads to obedience.
One of the misconceptions of this passage is that of "blind faith." But, that's not what is being told to us here at all, as this section immediately follows a lengthy discourse in chapter 10 full of evidence and logic. Instead, the idea of "faith" is presented with a confident look to the future based on our reliance on God's promises.
This brings us to our verse of the day. We see this verse quoted quite a bit, and it gives us a direct definition of faith, but is meant to be read in the context of the rest of the letter. At the end of Hebrews 10, the writer wrapped up the description of why the new covenant in Jesus Christ was superior to the old covenant of animal sacrifices (Hebrews 10:1-18). And in verse 39 of chapter 10, there is a reassurance not to "shrink back," but to "have faith." The definition of faith in this verse is meant to tie this command in Hebrews 10:39 to the examples given later on in the chapter.
For example, the writer explains how the actions of important and various biblical people proved both the existence and the validity of their faith. This is important. It's because of these contexts (which are the former evidence outlined in chapter 10, and our future expectations) that are essential when we are interpreting the meaning of this verse.
Let's now dive into the examples of biblical figures in the coming verses, since understanding the context of today's Verse of the Day is particularly important. We're not going to fully explain every example, but I want to point something out. These examples in the following verses demonstrate believers who showed real, saving faith in God. We see with each and every example a demonstration of trust. And this trust is built on what that person knew and held as reassurance that God would act in accordance to His promises.
I want to make this crystal clear: this is not endorsing blind faith, but is reinforcing the opposite. The "assurance" and "conviction" that we see these people have is not blind faith, gullibility, or wishful thinking. And that's not what our faith is either. Each of the people mentioned had good reason to believe in God - as do we. Their faith was not naively accepting of fairy tales or myths; it was acting in full confidence that God would do what He said He would, based on their experiences.
This is the kind of faith that our Verse of the Day and the rest of Hebrews is referring to. A kind of faith that is built on a trust that produces obedience. This kind of faith results in God's approval through our faith in Christ Jesus.
And what's amazing about living in this day and age, is that we have an advantage that some of these individuals didn't have. We get to look back on their example. This perspective should inspire confidence in you that God will make good on His promises - even if we don't see it in our lifetime.
