Hebrews 10:32-11:7
Living by Faith

But remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle with sufferings; partly, being exposed to both reproaches and oppressions; and partly, becoming partakers with those who were treated so. For you both had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an enduring one in the heavens. Therefore don't throw away your boldness, which has a great reward. For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

"In a very little while,
       he who comes will come, and will not wait.
But the righteous will live by faith.
       If he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him."

But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the saving of the soul.

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen. For by this, the elders obtained testimony. By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks. By faith, Enoch was taken away, so that he wouldn't see death, and he was not found, because God translated him. For he has had testimony given to him that before his translation he had been well pleasing to God. Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him. By faith, Noah, being warned about things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared a ship for the saving of his house, through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

World English Bible

Hebrews chapter 11 builds a powerful connection between the Old Testament and the New Testament on the topic of faith. So much of the Old Testament focuses on rules and on being faithful to the Law, but the writer of this letter identified hero after hero whose actions demonstrated not just an obedience to the Law but a faith in God that compelled them to serve God in extraordinary ways. It is the same faith shown by Abel, Enoch, Moses, Abraham, and the others that lived in Peter, James, Philip, Paul, and the other New Testament leaders, and the same faith to which we are called.

The early church members receiving this letter needed this encouragement! A few decades earlier, during Jesus' life, Jewish life had been relatively easy. The Roman conquerors let them live out their lifestyle and protected them from attacks by neighboring countries. Following the Jewish religion was respected and encouraged—they were very much in the mainstream.

But when these early believers accepted Christ, the fulfillment of the Jewish religion, the circumstances started to change. The religious leaders had been tolerant at first, but became increasingly hostile as this new sect upset old structures and decried the hypocrisy of powerful religious leaders. The alienation increased when the Jewish community further acceded to the Roman conquerers and identified the followers of the Way as the trouble-makers that threatened the Pax Romana. Many of those hearing this letter faced strong cultural and social pressure discouraging their faith, if not economic hardship and physical persecution. These who had grown up as mainstream Jewish believers had not expected to become martyrs for their faith.

But the writer of this letter sent encouragement that it had always been this way for those who would boldly live in faith. Even as far back as Adam and Eve, the son that lived in faith was killed by the one who would not acknowledge God's claim over his life. Enoch was faithful to God in a time so evil that God would later destroy almost all humanity with a flood. Noah did the absurd when he built a huge ship on dry land. This letter continues with a celebration of heroes of faith who placed their trust in the certainty of God, rather than the certainty of what was around them.

This is the calling of the early church, to believe in the holy that cannot be seen instead of depending on the corrupt and evil that can be seen. Persecution would not compare with the glory that God promised for the faithful, and God would provide for those who lived by faith. Compromise might look so appealing and appear to offer a "reasonable" alternative, but the faithful through the centuries set aside their own reason, and instead, trusted the Wisdom of God.

The power of faith is in the One in Whom we believe. Faith is not wishing or hoping, but committing ourselves to the Power that is the creative and sustaining force of the whole universe. The writer of Hebrews tells us that earthly life is uncertain but that faith is an assurance, a conviction, and the only certainty on which we can depend. Faith cannot be proved with human knowledge, but it is proved as through our faithfulness, God graces us with more and stronger faith. This is exactly what the old saying means, "some things have to be believed to be seen"!