Hebrews 11:1-2: Faith: The Substance and the Evidence
2023-06-24
Introduction
Hebrews 11:1 is the one verse in the Bible that seems to define what faith is. One thing I have learned about the Bible is that words that may be used out in the world are used in the Bible, but they do not always mean exactly the same thing when the Bible uses them. This is why the Bible defines things for us, and often gives us parallel passages, restatements, and illustrations to show us what things are.
The word for faith is translated as something else a few times. Here are some examples.
Assurance: “Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). To have faith is to have assurance. It is interesting to see that God gave people this assurance, this faith, by the resurrection of Jesus. More on this in a moment.
Belief: “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13). To have faith is to have belief. These are synonymous.
Fidelity: “Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Titus 2:10). To show faith is to show fidelity.
The corresponding verb form is usually translated believe. It is translated otherwise as following:
Commit to trust: “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11).
Commit: “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men” (John 2:24)
Put in trust: “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4)
However, the most commonly used and basic meaning of faith we use in our vernacular is trust. This is hinted in some of the verbal forms we just saw. Consider these:
“And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did” (John 4:39). The Samaritans heard about Jesus and believed what she said. They trusted it was true and trusted that Jesus was the Prophet, the Son of God. Others had to see for themselves: “And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). They heard Jesus, and they trusted that He was Christ the Savior.
Again, we read, “As he spake these words, many believed on him” (John 8:30). Notice again they are trusting in Jesus after He spoke.
This faith, or trust, is bound up in the preaching of Christ. It results from the preaching of the Word of God concerning Christ. Consider these examples:
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:36-37). They heard the Gospel, and you can see that they believed, asking what they should do as a result of the message.
In the Temple, after Peter and John preached, we read, “Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand” (Acts 4:4). Hearing the Gospel created faith in these worshippers in the Temple.
When Philip preached to the Samaritans, we read, “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women” (Acts 8:12). When Philip preached Jesus, they believed and were baptized.
When Gentiles heard the Gospel, they believed. We get a little more substance with this verse: “And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48). The Word of God ordains people to eternal life, and as a result, people believe.
Consider the Galatians, who started believing in works salvation. “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” (Galatians 3:1-2). Hearing the Word of God causes faith.
Consider Romans 10:13-17. Notice the process:
- Preachers are sent
- Preachers preach the Gospel
- The people hear the Gospel
- The people believe the Gospel
- The people call on the Lord
The Holy Spirit is at work throughout this entire process. “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour” (Titus 3:4-6).
When we see how this process works, we see that faith is something more than what people exercise. If faith were only people choosing to place faith in Jesus, then it can easily be seen as human effort and therefore, dare I say it, “works.” We often make faith “works” in this regard.
Consider these famous verses: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). What if faith were only a human decision? If I believe the Gospel and you don’t, then wouldn’t I have grounds to boast? “Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith” (Romans 3:27).
Considering Ephesians 2:8 again, the verse implies that faith is not of ourselves. It comes down to what the word “that” corresponds to when it says, “and that not of yourselves.” And what about this? “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Romans 3:22). We believe, but what is this faith of Jesus Christ? No, faith is not something that we generate on our own. The preaching of the Word of God accompanied by the power of the Spirit generates faith in a person, provided that the “soil” is prepared to receive it (think parable of the soils).
Now think of faith as a new sense. Consider this: “For we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). The flesh has five senses: sight, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling. God gave us these senses so we can interact with the world. He gave us organs that can perform these senses. We choose to exercise these organs to interact with the world. However, we do not have a way to interact with the spiritual without faith.
However, what about faith? It seems there are two sides. It is both the organ and the sense. We are given faith when we are ordained to eternal life, but we also exercise that faith as a sense.
God gave us eyes to see. However, if we do not use them to look for something, or we close or cover our eyes, then we are not exercising that sense called “sight,” though we clearly have it. Likewise, God gave us faith at our rebirth. However, if we do not continue trust Him and use our faith, it is the same as covering our eyes. We have the organ of faith but do not exercise the sense of faith.
With this very long introduction, we know a lot about faith. However, these introductory verses in this “faith chapter” have much to say, seeing that they explicitly define faith for us.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
According to this verse, faith is defined in two ways. It seems to be restating the same thing in two different ways to give a solid definition. The first is that it is “the substance of things hoped for.” The word “substance” here is translated “confidence” elsewhere. Two verses talk about the confidence of boasting, one being about the Corinthians’ promise to give an offering and the other being Paul of his own life, showing the absurdity of such confident boasting of the flesh.
Consider this verse, which we saw some time ago: “For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” (Hebrews 3:14). The word confidence here is the same as the word substance.
In another verse, it is translated “person”: “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus is the express image of His Father; He is the image of His essence. If you want to see the essence of the Father, then you look upon His Son.
What are the “things hoped for”? These are the same things as the “things not seen.” Consider the following:
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. (Romans 8:23-25)
The resurrection is the thing hoped for. This encompasses everything: We will be with Jesus and like Jesus. There will be no sin and no pain. We will be in heaven, and then see the heavenly Jerusalem descend from heaven. It is everything that is eternal and being in the presence of God.
While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven (2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:1-2).
Regarding the word for evidence, it is used one other time in the Bible. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). The word “reproof” is our word. This is a strong word, for sure. A reproof is a rebuke. Faith rebukes you; it convicts you of the realities of God when everything else within you denies Him.
If you want proof, evidence, and the essence of the promises of God and know Him personally, then faith is what you want. These things can only be discerned by faith, that sense that is given by God that we must exercise. Faith is the convicting, convincing rebuke that the unseen world of God is real and coming.
“You mean faith provides evidence.” No, it is the evidence. Faith is not the unfounded hope of your desires. It is not some “leap of faith” absurdity. It is the power of God and from God given to us for us to use. “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). The righteousness of God, which is from Christ, is revealed from faith. You are given faith, and then you must live by faith. You are given the faith “organ” and you must exercise the faith “sense.”
“I only believe what I see.” No, faith is the “eye” you see God with. It is the “ear” you hear God with.
Hebrews 11:2
For by it the elders obtained a good report. (Hebrews 11:2)
With this God-given faith, these “elders” had a good testimony. The word for elder is the same word for an elder of a church, but given the context, these people are the Old Testament saints, many of which shall be used as examples in the subsequent verses.
The word for “obtained a good report” is translated “bear witness” elsewhere. They were good witnesses to the Lord because of the things they did because of faith. Not only did they know God and His will because of faith, we can see their faith by what they have done.
Consider James 2:14-18. My faith saves me, but does my faith save other people? No, we need to act on faith to help other people in their needs. In James 2:16, we see that for my faith to help another person, I need to give him what he actually needs, which here by implication is food and clothing. How do we see faith of others? We can’t! We can only see the results of one’s faith. We will see this in this coming chapter known as the “faith chapter.”