33 Eyes of Faith
Meditating on Hebrews 11 has been a rich and enriching experience the past couple weeks. One of the themes that rings repeatedly in our ears is the fact that biblical faith is fueled by the forward look. That is, inherent in true faith is a conscious choice to look beyond what is seen in the here and now to what is unseen, yet promised. As I reviewed this great chapter of Scripture this morning, 33 “eyes” of faith became clear.
- Faith looks to “things hoped for” with/for assurance (v. 1).
- Faith is the assurance/conviction of things not [yet] seen (v. 2).
- Faith sees the invisible, or does not require the seeing of that which is visible to compel it to believe (v. 3).
- Faith offers acceptable sacrifices to God (v. 4; Rom 12:1).
- Faith is the manner in which righteousness is received by God, which pleases Him (vv. 5-6; 7b).
- Faith believes that God is the one, true reality—He is (v. 6b).
- Faith seeks God and is rewarded (v. 6c).
- Faith trusts God’s Word/warnings enough to act in obedience (v. 7).
- Faith follows the Lord’s leading, though we don’t know the specifics of where we are going (v. 8).
- Faith ‘claims’ one’s future inheritance before it is experiential reality (v. 8).
- Faith values one’s future inheritance above what may be gained in the here and now; faith sinks shallow roots into what is seen (v. 9).
- Faith looks to God’s city, not man’s (v. 10).
- Faith considers the impossible as reality if/when it is what God has promised (vv. 11-12).
- Faith ‘welcomes’ the promises of God, having ‘seen’ them from a distance; faith considers them to already by so (v. 13a).
- Faith fuels a true confession of God’s promises, which results in contentment to live as “strangers” in this seen world (v. 13b).
- Faith seeks the promise as if it already belongs to us–these sought “a country of their own,” though it was not their own yet (in experience). If they would have sought what was now their own (the here and now, the seen) they would have been tempted to return to the comfort of what is seen (vv. 14-15).
- Faith pursues the heavenly, not the earthly (v. 16).
- Faith acts in obedience to God’s commands, though the means of fulfillment cannot be humanly understood (v. 17).
- Faith clings to the raw promises of God (v. 18).
- Faith considers the impossible as already done (v. 19).
- Faith confidently spreads blessings yet to come (vv. 20-21).
- Faith instructs based upon the recognition that what God has promised He also will do (v. 22).
- Faith rests in God’s protection, rather than fearing man and acting on the basis of that fear (v. 23).
- Faith chooses to identify with the Lord and His promises, rather than with sin and its pleasures (vv. 24-25).
- Faith considers identification with Christ and His reproach as “greater riches” than anything this world offers as an idolatrous replacement (v. 26).
- Faith looks to the eternal reward (v. 26b).
- Faith sees “the unseen” King as greater—and more worthy of allegiance—than earthly rulers (v. 27).
- Faith obeys unprecedented commands from God (v. 28).
- Faith steps out into great risk (v. 29).
- Faith obeys God, though common sense would direct otherwise or even laugh (vv. 30-31).
- Faith performs acts of heroism, which end up bringing glory to God (vv. 32-35a).
- Faith suffers with assurance of God’s approval (vv. 35b-39).
- Faith considers the unseen promises of God as “better” (v. 40).
May the Lord grant to us that childlike faith that truly believes He is the God of the impossible to the extent that it radically impacts our values, choices, and risks we are willing to take for His glory!
Other articles in this Hebrews 11 series:
