Hebrews 11:1-7

1: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2: For by it the men of old gained approval.

3: By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. 
4: By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks. 
5: By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 
6: And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. 
7: By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

*** 

Paul just said that we are not of those who shrink back into destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. After all this talk about faith and hope in Christ, he next addressed what faith is. It is an assurance and a conviction. It’s an assurance of things hoped for, and a conviction of things not seen. Paul went back to the beginning to show that faith has been around since then. The men of old gained approval by it, so it's not a new thing introduced by Christ. Faith gives us understanding as to how the worlds were made by the Word of God. What is seen was not made by something that was already here. The physical world was not made by a physical thing already in existence. It came from something invisible, something spiritual—the Word of God (John 1:1-3).

Paul gave specific examples throughout this chapter of the faith of certain people and what occurred because of their faith. By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God giving him a testimony of righteousness (Genesis 4:4). This testimony still speaks even though he’s dead. History—the stories of our ancestors—still speaks and testifies of their lives and their faith.

By faith Enoch was taken up without dying because of his witness that he pleased God (Genesis 5:21-24). By faith Noah reverently built the ark after God warned him of what was to come, obtaining salvation for himself and his household, and becoming an heir of the righteousness which is by faith (Genesis 6:13-22). These all obtained righteousness by faith. Their life and their actions, their witness and testimony being that which pleased God—evidence of their faith in Him.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him. Our lives and actions are the evidence of our faith in Him. They are the offering, the sacrifices so to speak, that we bring to Him. They are the evidence that we believe Christ has made us righteous so we can approach God—we can draw near to Him knowing that not only does He exist, but He rewards those who come to Him. We may enter His presence and not be eradicated by the light of His holiness. Jesus’ blood has cleansed us so we may enter in. This kind of faith pleases Him.


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