What will generations to come read about your life and how you lived BY FAITH in the Lord Jesus? Will it be a good read that tells a story about the faithfulness of God? Or will your life read like a warning label; warning people how NOT to live?
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.”
“By faith” is stated 17 times in chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews. Each one an example of people that had difficult circumstances and walked out their faith in obedience to what God lead them to do. By faith they did extraordinary things that changed their lives and the lives of the people around them. Despite their own fears and doubts, that faith, and obedience changed the world. To this very day, we are changed as we read about people who lived by faith thousands of years ago.
Verse 3: “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”
Verse 4: “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did.”
Verse 5: “By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death.”
Verse 7: “By faith Noah, after he was warned about what was not yet seen and motivated by godly fear, built an ark to deliver his family.”
Verse 8: “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed and set out for a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance.”
Verse 11: “By faith even Sarah herself, when she was unable to have children, received power to conceive offspring, even though she was past the age, since she[f] considered that the one who had promised was faithful.”
Verse 13: “These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth.”
Verse 17: “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He received the promises and yet he was offering his one and only son.”
Verse 20: “By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.”
Verse 21: “By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and he worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.”
Verse 22: “By faith Joseph, as he was nearing the end of his life, mentioned the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions concerning his bones.”
Verse 23: “By faith Moses, after he was born, was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict.”
Verse 24: “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.”
Verse 27: “By faith he [Moses] left Egypt behind, not being afraid of the king’s anger, for Moses persevered as one who sees him who is invisible.”
Verse 28: “By faith he [Moses] instituted the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn might not touch the Israelites.
Verses 29: “By faith they [the Israelites] crossed the Red Sea as though they were on dry land.
Verse 30: “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after being marched around by the Israelites for seven days.”
Verse 31: “By faith Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.”
Verse 32-34: “And what more can I say? Time is too short for me to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the raging of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.”
Verse 35: [By faith] “Women received their dead, raised to life again.”
Verse 39-40: “All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.”
Think over your life, and share a few things you have walked through that you could only have lived through BY FAITH.
Now, looking forward, make a “by faith” statement regarding what you hope for in the future, something you cannot currently touch, but you know BY FAITH, it can be done. What will generations to come, read about your life and how you lived BY FAITH in the Lord Jesus? Is your life be an encouragement or a warning label?
