Thursday, October 17, 2013

What is Faith? Part 9 of 31

TEXT: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect" (Hebrews 11:1-2, 39-40).

IDEA: God commends those who "live by faith."

PURPOSE: To help listeners grasp why faith pleases God and draws His commendation.

What does it mean "to be commended by God"?

I. God sees whether or not we are faithful, and He is pleased when we live by faith.

By living out faith in the unseen God, these men and women in Hebrews 11 chose the path that established them as appropriate examples for first-century hearers who were now faced with choosing the difficult path of faith.

From "righteous Abel" to the prophets and faithful in the intertestamental period, they all won their record of faith.

Hebrews 11:2 and 11:39 form an inclusio (bookends) marking the beginning and end of the passage laden with examples of people commended for their faith.

II. But while they were commended for their faith, not all received what had been promised.

Some obtained some promises, but none received the promise in the sense of seeing its fulfillment.

They have obtained a good name through faith, but they still had to wait for the final blessing made known by the gospel.

They lived and died in prospect of a fulfillment to them that gave them power to press upstream against the current of their environment, and to live on earth as citizens of that commonwealth whose foundations are firmly laid in the unseen and eternal order.

Their record is on high, though they are known to us for our instruction and encouragement.

Now the promise has been fulfilled: the age of the new covenant has dawned.

Christ has come and by His self-offering and His high-priestly ministry He has obtained perfection for them and for us. "With us in mind, God has made a better plan, that only in company with us should they reach their perfection" (NEB).

The "better plan" which God made includes the better hope (Hebrews 7:19), the better covenant (Hebrews 7:22), the better promises (Hebrews 8:6), the better sacrifices (Hebrews 9:23), the better and abiding possessions (Hebrews 10:34), and the better resurrection (Hebrews 11:33) which is their heritage and ours.