Walking in Faith
Our Bible study group recently had a challenge to memorize a passage of Scripture from whatever we are currently studying. I have been studying the book of Hebrews, so I decided to memorize Hebrews 11:1-7. As I studied and meditated on this passage, I noticed some observations about faith that I hadn’t paid much attention to before.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Hebrews 11:1-7
This short passage is full of observations about faith (and it’s barely the beginning of the chapter!). Faith is assurance and conviction for what we hope for. Faith is the reason our Bible heroes gain approval in God’s eyes, and it is what enabled them to live righteously and pleasing to God. By faith we understand that God created everything just by speaking. Without faith that God is and that He is good, we cannot please God. Faith is believing God when he says that if we seek Him, we will find Him, and He has a reward of inheritance waiting for us.
This passage focuses on three people from Genesis who had faith. Through these three men, despite their short appearances in the Bible, we learn a lot about faith. I’d like to share a few lessons about faith learned from these three men:
1: Faith is giving God your best.
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. Hebrews 11:4
In Genesis 4:4 we see that Abel brought God the first, or the best, of his flock. To give God our best is to put our trust in Him, that He will provide for us. This applies to all areas of life, whether we’re talking about money, time, talents, or effort. When we put God first in all areas of life, we are demonstrating an act of love to our Creator, and we are testifying to the world around us about the faithfulness of our God.
2: Faith is walking with God, and faith pleases God.
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. Hebrews 11:5
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Enoch. Genesis 5:21-24 tells us twice that Enoch “walked with God.” And because of his faith and walking with God, Hebrews tells us that he was pleasing to God.
What does it mean to walk with God?
“Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the Lord’s commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good? Deuteronomy 10:12-13
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; Colossians 1:10
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Colossians 2:6-7
Walking with God is living life with Him. It’s loving God, serving Him, obeying Him, pleasing Him in all we do, bearing fruit and growing in Him, and having a firm foundation of faith in Him. A huge part of faith is walking with God. We can say over and over again that we have faith in God, but if we are not willing to walk with Him, to let Him be a part of everything in our lives, then we don’t really have that much faith. And when we walk in faith, it pleases God. I like to think it makes Him smile. 🙂
3: Faith shows reverence for God and makes us heirs of righteousness.
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. Hebrews 11:7
Our reverence for God is seen by the way we respond to Him. To respond to God in faith is to respond to Him with respect. Noah had faith that God would keep His word and chose to act in obedience to God’s directions to build the ark, even though it took about one hundred years before the flood came. Do we respond to God with that kind of faith? Do we have enough respect for God that we will do whatever He says, no matter how crazy it may seem?
Faith also makes us heirs of righteousness. It is through faith in Christ that we are saved, and through Christ we have the promise of eternity and a share in His inheritance.
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:16-17
The best part about faith is that it is not faith in ourselves or in something unsure. Our faith is built on Christ, our solid rock, our Savior who proved His love for us through His death and resurrection.
Looking at the lives of these men has caused me to pause and look at my own faith. Does my faith affect my life? James 2:17 and 26 say that faith without works is dead. It’s easy to want to avoid these verses because they imply that our faith in Christ should change our lives. If faith is walking with God, then my whole life should be affected by Christ. Is my assurance and conviction of God’s promises great enough to influence my behavior, my lifestyle, or is it just surface level?
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that faith requires believing that God is and that He rewards those who seek Him. If I want my faith to grow, I must seek God. Faith is not a stand-alone product; faith is always placed in something or someone. If I want more faith, I need more of God. Growing my faith requires getting to know His character and His ways, and allowing Him to shape who I am, how I live, and what I place my confidence in. I want to be intentional about seeking the Lord this month, getting to know who He is and His promises to me. I want to practice seeking the Lord and His character and growing my confidence in Him instead of in myself or anything else. And I want to be intentional about putting my faith into practice, listening for God’s voice, and obeying His will. Whether His call is to build an ark, or to simply respond to an annoyance with grace, I want my faith in God to influence my walk.
I want to challenge you to spend time seeking the Lord this month, and to ask yourself this question each day: What step of faith is God calling me to today? I believe that if we start making this question a habit, it will change our lives and influence the people around us for the glory of God!
Keep on in the faith! 🙂
With love,
Kelsey
