Hebrews Eleven
We are MADE to be Women of Faith
All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.
Hebrews 11: 39-40
Read Hebrews 11
Recipe for Faith
There is a TikTok celebrity who recreates obscure recipes that date from the 1800s to the 1960s. A few of his more interesting selections include pinto bean cake and tomato soup cake. As you can imagine, some of the ingredients are unique, and the results are not always pleasant. Hebrews 11 is a similar unexpected recipe on how to please God by living a life of faith (Hebrews 11:6). The King James version of Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” If looking at this from the perspective of a recipe, this verse outlines two unlikely ingredients for faith—substance and evidence. Saying that faith is made up of substance and evidence kind of reminds me of that TikToker’s recipe for water pie. How can those ingredients add up to much? After all, how does what we believe assure us of what we hope for? How does who we trust provide proof of what we can’t see? When we think of proof and assurance, we usually look for something a little more substantial. But sometimes what you put in doesn’t equate to what comes out. I can’t explain the baking magic that makes two cans of pinto beans turn into a yummy dessert. In the same way, I can’t explain how faith works. That’s kind of what makes it faith. We don’t have to understand it. Thankfully, like any good recipe, when we follow the instructions, we also enjoy the results.
Step 1: God Reveals Himself
As the oldest, Sjon-Paul found out about Santa before Brandon. I always said that when my sons asked, I would tell them the truth, and I did. Despite my best intentions and every good effort, the news was heart-breaking to Sjon-Paul. A year or so later, when Brandon asked about Santa, Sjon-Paul chimed in before I could respond. “Don’t ask, Brandon! Don’t ask. Take my word on this. You don’t want to know.” At that time in Sjon-Paul’s life, he thought that an ignorant belief was better than a knowledgeable unbelief. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” From this verse, we know that faith is essential to having a right relationship with God. We also see that faith begins with belief. The original Greek word for faith comes from the root word peithô which means to persuade or be persuaded. The Bible tells us that this type of divine persuasion always comes from God. In other words, without God’s prompting in our hearts, we would not be persuaded to believe that God is who he says he is. Romans 1:18-20 says, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” The first step towards living a God-pleasing life is actually God’s move. He doesn’t want anyone to perish (2 Peter 3:9); so, he makes himself known and invites us to believe.
Step 2: Mix in Life-Changing Belief
When I was in elementary school, I participated in 4-H contests and Girl Scouts activities. Some of those involved cooking. I remember one time when I had to follow a recipe and journal about the results. I can’t remember what exactly I baked, but I do remember that I mixed up the baking soda and baking powder. Needless to say, the recipe did not turn out correctly. If you want the correct results, you have to use the right ingredients. Belief is a synonym for faith. Because these words practically mean the same thing, we use them interchangeably, but the Bible indicates that there is an important difference. God-pleasing faith begins with a recognition of who God is, but it doesn’t end there. There is a difference between a mental assent (head knowledge) and a heart-changing submission. John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” However, James 2:19 says, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.” Obviously, the demons are not saved by their belief in God. So, what’s the difference? James 1:22 says, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” God’s calling combined with our belief results in life of obedience. True belief is life-changing.
Step 3: Expect Heat
Most cakes—in the traditional sense of the word—require an oven. There has to be an application of heat in order for the final product to be obtained. In the recipe for a life that is pleasing to God, it is often the same. For whatever reason, faith often works better under fire. Don’t believe me? Look at history. Christianity often grew the most in times of persecution and hardship not during the times of acceptance and plenty. Hebrews 11 is repository of Biblical examples, men and women who exemplified Godly living. Abel brought the right offering and was accepted. Noah built the boat, and God saved him and his family. Abraham obeyed God, and he and Sarah got a son. We look at these stories and we cheer, “Go God!” It makes sense. 1 + 1 = 2. Faith + Godly living = blessings. After all, we not only believe God exists but that he rewards those who seek him (v. 6). But then, we get to verse 13, “All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised…” What? It gets even more difficult when we reach the end of verse 35. “Others were tortured… Some were jeered at… Others were chained in prison… Some died by stoning…sawed in half…killed with the sword…” These are tough verses to stomach. How can any of this make sense? How can the God who rewards his followers also allow things like this to happen? It helps to remember, like any good recipe, the growth of faith often requires an application of heat.
The Best is Yet to Come
My culinary skills were not acquired until after I got married. After my 4-H mishap, I experimented a few more times and then I threw in the towel. Once, in high school, I decided to try my hand again at baking. It was Dad’s birthday, and I decided to make him a cake. Maybe I took it out of the oven a little too soon, or maybe I didn’t wait long enough for it to cool. Never one to mince words, Dad took one look and said, “A little lop-sided there, ain’t it, Sis?” Lop-sided was a nicer way of saying it looked like a mess. If we look at our lives of faith from an earthly stand-point, we aren’t getting the whole picture. Can you imagine a cake contest where the judges scored the products while they were still in the oven? If you look at a cake while you’re mixing the ingredients, it won’t look like much. If you open the oven and take too many peeks while it’s baking, it’s liable to fall. The only way to judge a cake is when it’s finished baking, had time to cool, and (preferably) been covered with a thick layer of icing. In the same way, we cannot judge the product of our faith while we are still in the fire. It’s easy to do, to look at circumstances and think that God isn’t holding up his end of the deal. But you have to remember, God has something better in mind than what we currently see. If he hasn’t fulfilled a promise yet, don’t be deceived. He will. He is not limited by our timeframes; eternity spreads out before us, and he won’t forget. Just wait ‘til the cake’s out of the oven.
Enough about Cakes
The author knows that the decision to believe in God and commit to Christ will come at a great cost for many of these believers. The persecution that they were and would continue to face was real and hard. He wanted to encourage them to continue strong in the faith. He did this by outlining the lives and testimonies of many saints who went before them—both Old Testament and New Testament believers. The chapter is chocked full of lessons:
The story of Cain and Abel teaches us that we must approach God in the way He defines. Not every act of worship is acceptable to God.
Enoch was a man who walked with God (Genesis 5:21-24). His story reminds us that faith is founded not in the knowledge of God but in a relationship with God.
The stories of Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and the patriarchs remind us that faith is physical, involving our bodies as much as our hearts and minds. It is active, going where God says and doing what God says, when God says. Faith involves courage and obedience even when nothing makes sense.
The life of Moses, Rahab, and the other Old Testament warriors and prophets demonstrate that faith is sometimes uncomfortable, even dangerous, and involves sacrifices in pursuit of heavenly rewards. Faith often results in a fight.
These saints—both named and unnamed—teach us that faith builds character, results in a good reputation, and perseveres when the road is long and hard. Living life of faith means being dependent on God for provision in the here and now and planning for a future we cannot see.
Perhaps the greatest lesson to be learned from this chapter is that faith is not just a feeling. Like the saints of old, our lives of faith should be a light exposing the darkness around us. More than what we say, what we do will live on after we die. Like the men and women in this chapter, our lives tell a story. We are MADE to be women of faith.