Journal 2006

Whenever I ask people to define faith, they glibly quote Hebrews 11:1.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

But to me, this sentence is just meaningless words on a page. It wasn’t until I heard the following sermon that it finally clicked. Here’s what pastor said.

Faith is when you hear what God says, and you do it.

1. It’s defined by what God says. (For every entry in Hebrews 11, they heard a command from God.)
2. It’s determined by how you respond. (Check out the verbs in this chapter.)
3. It’s deepened by the challenges you face, your experiences.
4. It’s directed to the rewards He promised.

Faith is NOT simply belief. For example, I can believe that if I step off the edge of a cliff, I won’t fall. That’s stupidity, not faith.

Faith is acting on a command or a promise from God. Faith is standing on the edge of a cliff, and if GOD TELLS ME to step off the edge, I do it in obedience and trust. If I plummet to my death, so be it. He will take care of the results. Or He may have prepared an invisible bridge to the other side (like in Indiana Jones and Last Crusade)—but I wouldn’t have known it was there if I hadn’t taken the first step.

Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:16-28) obeyed God—in faith—and their attitude was, “Even if we die, God will take care of it.” But God chose to spare their lives for a greater purpose. Others, like Jim Elliott and his four fellow missionaries, obeyed and became martyrs—they stepped into faith and obedience and stepped right into the arms of Jesus.

A 2025 Update. I’d like to add that the object of my faith is of prime importance for the outcome. I can always trust God to do what’s best.