Hebrews 11:1-3

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  For by it the people of old received their commendation.  By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Faith is the means by which we are saved from our sins.  It is also the way that we are able to walk in our Christian life in a way that is pleasing to God.  This chapter will provide numerous examples of faith along with the challenges and rewards of the faithful.  This introduction to the chapter helps us understand the faith that will be the subject of this chapter.  

THE DEFINITION OF FAITH: There are two words here that provide a clear understanding of what faith is: assurance and conviction.  Those who have faith must, by definition also have hope.  God has made many promises about how He is going to redeem us and the world in which we live.  These promises from God are the source and content of our hope.  Faith is simply the assurance of those hopes even though we have not seen all of the promises fulfilled.  That is where conviction comes into play with faith.  All the promises of God will take place at some point in the future.  The object of our faith is always the Lord our God which allows us to have conviction about the truth of His promises because of the steadfastness of His character.    

THE DESTINATION OF FAITH: God has promised to reward those who exercise faith in Him.  Previous generations have been commended by God because of their faith.  Their stories are found in Scripture along with God’s affirmation of their faithfulness.  Faith is not only a better way to live our lives on earth; it also has far more significant eternal implications.  God’s approval and the eternal rewards He promises are far more valuable than anything available on earth.  We cannot see those rewards now but by faith we are called to live in light of them.

THE DEMONSTRATION OF FAITH: Our conviction and assurance about the creation of the universe demonstrate how faith works.  We can see that the universe in which we live exists.  However, we were not there to see the universe come into existence.  God has told us in His Word that He spoke it into existence.  The elements of creation were not in existence prior to the creation.  He made them from nothing simply by speaking the things we now see into existence.  Just has God’s Word created the universe, God’s Word has made promises.  We must be assured and convicted that they will come to pass.

APPLICATION: Be assured and convicted that all the promises of God will come true no matter how bleak things may look in the present.  Live in light of the rewards God has promised and use them as motivation to stand firm in the face of difficulty.  Observe the beauty of creation and use it as a means of building our confidence in the Word of God.

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