Hebrews 11:1-40

BY FAITH.

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BY FAITH

A chair can serve as a straightforward illustration of faith. Does the chair’s ability to bear a person’s weight depend on the individual’s faith or the construction of the chair itself?

Sitting on a chair is an act of faith, and the chair will support the person’s weight regardless of their faith. There’s no need to gather around and analyze the person’s faith, exclaiming, “Look at this man’s faith! How remarkable!” Instead, the focus should be on the weight-bearing specifications of the chair, its manufacturer, and the materials used.

Faith teachers often emphasize having faith in faith itself, suggesting that the crucial factor is not the chair but the amount of faith exerted. They may teach that faith has the power to move God’s hand. However, this notion contradicts the message in Hebrews 11:39-40.

³⁹And these all were commended for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. ⁴⁰For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us.

The heroes of faith highlighted in this chapter didn’t make life-changing decisions merely to showcase their faith; rather, those decisions were the natural outcome of their faith, which was rooted in their knowledge of God. Similarly, a person’s understanding of a chair automatically produces faith in its reliability.

So, if “faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see,” the crucial question is: what are we hoping for that is currently unseen?

If your hope is for the forgiveness of sins through Christ’s sacrifice and communion with God in the innermost sanctuary, then you can indeed be sure of this hope. However, if your hope is centered on the blessings of the flesh, you may hope, but certainty becomes elusive.

Nghi Nguyen

- Scripture quoted by permission. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.