The Excellency of Faith Heb. 11:1–3
“In Heb. 10:32–36 there is a call to patient waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises. Nothing but real faith in the veracity of the Promiser can sustain the heart and prompt steady endurance during a protracted season of trial and suffering. Hence in Heb. 10:38 the apostle quotes that striking word from Habakkuk, “The just shall live by faith.” That sentence really forms the text of which Hebrews 11 is based. The central design of this chapter is to evidence the patience of those who, in former ages, endured by faith before they received the fulfillment of God’s promises: note particularly vv. 13, 39.” Pink Arthur W.
After quoting that the just lives by faith; he now proved—that faith can be no more separated from patience than from itself. This is to say, ‘We shall not reach the goal of salvation except we have patience, but faith directs us to things far off which we do not as yet enjoy; it then necessarily includes patience.’ Therefore, ‘Faith is the substance of things hoped for’ ” (John Calvin). The apostle illustrates and enforces his exhortation, by bringing forward a great variety of instances, in which faith had enabled individuals to perform very difficult duties, endure very severe trials, and obtain very important blessings. The principles are plainly these: ‘They who turn back, turn back unto perdition. Nothing but a persevering faith can enable a person, through a constant continuance in well-doing, and a patient, humble submission to the will of God, to obtain that glory, honor, and immortality which the Gospel promises. Nothing but a persevering faith can do this as is plain from what it has done in former ages” (John Brown). An early Puritan says: “The parts of this whole chapter are two: 1. a general description of faith: vv. 1 to 4. 2. An illustration or declaration of that description, by a large rehearsal of manifold examples of ancient and worthy men in the Old Testament: vv. 4 to 40. The description of faith consists of three actions or effects of faith, set down in three several verses. The first effect is that faith makes things which are not (but only are hoped for), after a sort, to subsist and to be present with the believer: v. 1. The second effect is that faith makes a believer approved of God: v. 2. The third effect is that faith makes a man understand and believe things incredible to sense and reason” (Win. Perkins, 1595).
- The apostle now takes occasion to show what faith is and does. That faith can, and does, preserve the soul, prompting steadfastness under all sorts of trials and issuing in salvation, may not only be argued from the effects which is its very nature to produce, but is illustrated and demonstrated by one example after another, cited in the verses which follow. We should note that, Heb. 11 is an amplification and exemplification of Hebrews 10:38, 39: the “faith” for the saving of the soul.
- ‘It is the substance of things hoped for’ etc. Faith is here described by its primary and formal acts. The acts of faith are two: it is the substance; it is the evidence. Beza says, —Faith substantiates or gives a subsistence to our hopes, and demonstrates things not seen. As the matters of belief are yet to come, faith gives them a substance, a being, as they are hidden from the eyes of sense and carnal reason; faith also gives them an evidence, and doth convince men of the worth of them; so that one of these acts belongs to the understanding, the other to the will” (Thos. Manton, 1670).
- Faith, whether natural or spiritual, is the belief of a testimony. Here, faith is believing the testimony of God. Faith may be defined primarily, as trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He hath sent Jn. 17:3, who receives Him as Saviour and Lord, and impels to loving obedience and good works. As used in reference to unseen things of which Scripture speaks, faith “gives substance” to them, so that we act upon the conviction of their reality Heb. 11:1–3.
- In this chapter “faith” is far more than a bare assent to anything revealed and declared by God: it is a firm persuasion of that which is hoped for Rom. 4:17-22, 2Tim. 1:12, Heb. 11:13, because it assures its possessor not only that there are such things, but that through trust in the power and faithfulness of God Heb. 11:11-12, 2Cor. 4:13-14, Is.50:5-9, he shall yet possess them. It is reliance-Matt. 8:5-13, Lk. 5:4-7; 1:35-38.
- Faith and confidence are inseparable: As used in prayer, faith is the “confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us” 1John 5:14, 15, Phil. 1:6, 1Jn. 3:21, Eph. 3:12, just so far as I am counting upon the ability and fidelity of the Promiser, shall I be confident of receiving the things promised and which I am expecting. “We believe and are sure” Jn. 6:69.
- The uses of faith give rise to its secondary definitions: (1) For salvation, faith is personal trust, apart from meritorious works, in the Lord Jesus Christ, as delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification Rom. 4:5, 23–25. (2) A working principle of life- OBEDIENCE-Heb. 11:6-8, 1Pe. 2:21-23, Lk. 23:46, RISK-Heb.11:17-19,24-27, Dan. 3:1-6,1 2-17, DETERMINATION to SUCCED at ALL Cost. Act. 20:24, Job. 23:8-25 Ac. 4:19-20.
