Does Anyone See Your Faith?
Hebrews 11:1 is often quoted as the answer to “What is faith?” Over the years many have rightly said, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” For me that verse became the go-to answer that needed no explanation, for never had I given one, neither had I been asked for one. I had fallen into a trap with this verse. I knew what it said, but I failed to understand what it meant, and what it still means today. Faith is called two things in this verse:
- Substance – substantial nature, essence, actual being, reality (underlying structure, often in contrast to what merely seems to be)
- Evidence – proof, proving[1]
These two words can only be applied to something tangible, something real. Faith is the reality, the actual being of things hoped for. Faith is the proving and proof of things not seen. Proof wins court cases because the jurors and the judge can see, touch, smell, hear, or taste it. It’s something real.
This understanding of faith explains the rest of the chapter. Hebrews 11 is filled with people from the Bible whose faith was reality, whose faith offered proof that all could see. We’re talking about the works they did in obedience to God.
Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice. Noah built an ark. Abraham left his home and offered Isaac to God. Moses’ parents hid him as a baby. Moses forsook a royal life in Egypt. Are you seeing the pattern? Those who are held up as faithful in Hebrews 11 are held up as such because their faith wasn’t just a thought, it was real. Their faith was proven by their obedience to God, and most obeyed in the face of extremely difficult and painful circumstances. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Does anyone see your faith? While Jesus does caution against performing works of righteousness to be seen by men (Matt. 6:1-18) He also teaches us that we are to let our lights shine before men “that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). These two teachings do not disagree, but instead they teach us to do good works because they are pleasing to God (not to be seen by men), and do them publicly so that people will glorify God. In other words, let people see the substance of what you hope for, let them see the evidence of things not seen. Let them see your faith, because invisible faith isn’t faith at all.
26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead. - James 2:26 (NASB95)
[1] Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature 2000 : 315. Print.
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