The Faith of Our Forefathers

If you have a copy of God’s Word, could you turn to Hebrews 11, New Testament, to the book of Hebrews, and the 11th chapter? I appreciate those who have responded regarding the needs of our sister, Darlene Simmons. I will reach out to you as I try to organize those who can help sit with Darlene or take her to your home for part of the time, once a week. We want to help her daughter during this season and try to work out some details there, find a place for her. But in the meantime, she is with her daughter, who has a son that cannot be left alone. Just the circumstances there tie Ashley very much, so help is needed while he’s at school. If you can take that responsibility, I appreciate it. If you’d rather help by bringing Darlene to church on Sunday evenings, we were doing that for a while before she was taken to Anderson—really too far to assist. But since she’s back in the Greenville area, if someone would like to, I can help with the arrangements. If you want to pick her up and bring her to church in the evening time, I can help with those arrangements as well. We’re trying to focus on how we can help Ashley during this time, and helping for a few hours during the week would be of great help.

So thank you to those who have already indicated they will help. This is what we do, isn’t it? We’re memorizing Romans 12, which speaks about the body being one, many members working together, endeavoring to help as part of our responsibility. May the Lord help us more and more.

Hebrews 11 is where we are as we continue in our study in Hebrews. I’m slowing down a little before we get into the meat of this chapter, which gives us a catalog of triumphant saints—those who trusted God, lived for God, and finished well. This is what we all want. But we’re in the opening section of Hebrews 11, and I’m going to look just at verse 2. It’s very short, but I think it helps set the context of what we will be looking at in the coming weeks with the Lord’s help.

So, we’ll read from verse 1 through verse 6:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and by it, he being dead yet speaketh. By faith, Enoch was translated that he should not see death and was not found because God had translated him. For before his translation, he had this testimony: that he pleased God. But without faith, it is impossible to please Him. For he that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”

This, men and women, is the Word of the living God. You are to receive it. You are to believe it.

And the people of God said, “Amen.”

Let us pray.

Lord, help us as we come around this Word, around this truth. We come not just to offer our praises, but in worship, to hear what You have to say to us. Thank You again for all that You have done and all that You are doing. We’re asking You again to hear our prayers. Surely every Christian here joins with me in asking that You would come with power and use Your truth to strengthen and help every one of us. Suppress sin, deliver us from its power, make us more like Jesus Christ, and move our hearts in the direction where they ought to be moved, in love for God, in love for our neighbor, that we might honor the Lord. Deliver us from being Christians in name only. Make it real in all our lives. Come now, I ask for the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Learning from the lives of others is a practice sanctioned by the Word of God. It’s part of the reason why we have occasions like Reformation Weekend, where we are reminded of history, the details of history, and the individuals involved in history in order to be encouraged, to be provoked to love and to good works. These examples help us as we endeavor to live for the Lord. So, with that said, I’m encouraging you to come to all the services next week. Various individuals will be put before us as we consider, even the relationship between Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield on Friday evening, and going on from there with the things the Lord will have us put in remembrance.

In this portion, you have it. In this chapter of God’s Word, Hebrews 11, individuals are named. They are named because we can learn from them. They become examples in various ways. They are far from perfect, as we will see, but we can still learn from them. The context of the argument from the previous chapter is to show that people may draw back—that they may turn away. We see this, and the apostle’s exhortation is to prevent this. Hebrews 10:38 says, “The just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him.” There’s no delight, no favor, no acceptance before God if you draw back. But we are not of those who draw back unto perdition but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Patience is key. Patience in this world as believers, having, maintaining a patient hope. Hebrews 10:36 brings that clear: “You have need of patience.” This world doesn’t make it easy to continue as believers. It doesn’t put it before you and say, “We have no problem with your faith and trust in Christ. We’re in favor of that. We delight in that. We support that.” Quite the contrary. We are not going to be carried to the skies in flowery beds of ease. It’s not going to be an easy journey for any of us, and so we have need of patience. This is how the justified live. They live patiently, waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises, even for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 37 tells us that there is no salvation without a faith that endures. The reason genuine believers keep moving forward is that their faith makes it so they can’t do anything else. This faith has been described for us in Hebrews 11:1: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” It substantiates the reason why we live. We have these promises, expectations, things we anticipate. And faith says it shall be. Though there’s great friction and pressure that pushes back against us, we carry on.

I mentioned last week that the faith of Hebrews 11 is not limited to salvation in the narrow sense. It’s not solely focused on justifying faith, such as what is described in Romans 5:1, where justification is by faith alone. Rather, it extends to sanctifying faith. The faith that justifies endures, it carries on, it proceeds throughout our life. The most important attribute you will ever acquire in your life is an enduring faith in Jesus Christ.

Now think about it. What’s more important? What is more important for you or me to possess or acquire than an enduring faith in Jesus Christ? You can win the whole world and lose your soul. You can have all that the world might promise. But if you don’t have an enduring faith in Jesus Christ, you will perish. That’s the warning of Hebrews 10: if we draw back, if our faith peters out, then we are lost. The justification of the believer, the faith that they possess that justifies, is a faith that will hold to the testimony of God even unto death.

This passage later on speaks of those who were “sawn asunder.” Many have said that traditionally, this refers to the prophet Isaiah, though we don’t know for sure. He’s not the only one who has been sawn in half for their faith and trust in God. But this is what this faith produces—it produces to that end, to that extreme, if you like. We will believe the testimony of God, even unto the destruction of the flesh.

That’s the kind of faith that doesn’t draw back, doesn’t waver, doesn’t wilt—it endures. It keeps going on. And though our lives may be taken from us before we obtain what we hope for, yet we will stand unmoved. That’s what Hebrews 11:13 points out regarding some of the ones mentioned: “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” They died in faith. They died before these things came to pass. They were still believing, still trusting God.

The text we’re looking at this morning, Hebrews 11:2, is really the positive of what is put in the negative in Hebrews 11:6: “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him.” Without faith, if there’s the absence of faith, we cannot please God. We can’t obtain a testimony that God honors or, as Hebrews 11:2 puts it, we can’t obtain the good report. But what this chapter focuses on are these individuals—these elders, as they’re designated in Hebrews 11:2—who obtained a good report. They did please God. They did what God required of them. And that’s our focus this morning: this positive side. It’s a positive encouragement—the elders who obtained a good report.

By their faith, the elders obtained a good report. This is a text that we could use as a springboard into history and jump into the reformers and other aspects of our Christian heritage and history. We might look at those who obtained a good report, but we don’t have the divine testimony of those outside of Scripture. Here, we have individuals named, and we can be confident they actually obtained a good report.

The faith of our forefathers is what we are considering this morning. And I have two heads. Very simple: their testimony and their legacy.

First, their testimony: “For by it,” that is, by their faith, “the elders obtained a good report.” These “elders” refer to the patriarchs, the saints of the Old Testament, those of a bygone era. This is being written in the first century AD, and the apostle is looking back to people who lived BC—those who lived through the centuries recorded for us in the Old Testament Scriptures. They obtained a good report. That’s their testimony. These elders, these patriarchs, these Old Testament saints obtained a good report.

There are differing aspects of this faith seen in the individuals referred to. As we go through this chapter, I just want to lay this before you briefly. I won’t build upon it or spend much time here, but if you look at the references given in relation to the individuals mentioned, some of the references focus on acts of faith, while others focus on the effects of faith.

When we think about acts of faith and the effects of faith, you might wonder, “What’s the distinction?” They’re not separable—you can’t separate acts from effects—but there is a distinction. For instance, going into battle is an act of faith, but the courage necessary to do so is the effect of faith. The effect of faith pushes them forward, making them enter into the fray, doing whatever God has called them to do for His glory. So, the act is going into battle, and the effect is the courage that enables them to do so.

You’ll also find words that imply ideas like courage or hope, and that’s the effect of faith. But you’ll also see the activity, what they did, and that distinction is important. There’s another aspect covered here, and that’s the consequences of faith. The consequences of faith sometimes refer to temporal rewards and sometimes to eternal rewards. I won’t go into detail, but if you look through the chapter, you’ll see that.

Acts of faith, effects of faith, and consequences of faith—what happens for some of these individuals? Some of them obtained temporal rewards, something they were looking for in this life, a fulfillment of something here and now. Others were looking for something very much in the future, and that was the consequence of their faith.

These elders, then, are put before us as those who obtained a good report by their acts of faith, the effects of their faith, and the consequences of their faith.

As we consider their testimony, the first point is that faith is the foundation of their testimony. The elders’ faith is the foundation—it was by faith that they received their commendation. Their faith wasn’t simply, as we talked about last week, mental assent. It’s not just agreeing with facts; it’s something much more than that. It is an active trust in God that has practical implications.

There are people who say, “I trust God,” but when it comes to the details of their life, they question God or even deny Him. They say, “I trust God,” but then, when persecution comes, they won’t stand. Perhaps in their work environment, they witness something repulsive, something wicked, and they have an opportunity to speak or act. I’m not saying that you always have to voice your opinion on every matter, but let’s say you’re asked for it. Or perhaps something sinful is happening before your eyes, and someone is being harmed. Well, your faith, when you say, “I trust God,” should compel you to action—to intervene, to say, “Stop that.” Because faith is active, it must act. If it’s not active, then it’s empty. If it’s not active, it’s vain.

This is what we see in Hebrews 11. These people possessed a faith that moved them to action. It meant that, like Moses, they had to count the cost. The text speaks of Moses not fearing the king. Could he have feared Pharaoh? Absolutely. Could he have feared the consequences of one of the most powerful men on earth? Definitely. But his faith moved him to act. He had to do the right thing.

Faith must act. If you have a kind of faith that does nothing and costs you nothing—a faith that blends in like a chameleon, always finding a way to conform to the world—then you do not have biblical faith. And this kind of empty, inactive faith is widespread. It’s widespread right here in Greenville, South Carolina. It’s widespread across the nation—Christianity that never sacrifices, never stands up for the truth.

These people in Hebrews 11 suffered. The apostle is addressing people who are suffering. So, if the apostle pointed to people who trusted God but always found ways to avoid difficulty, seeking the path of least resistance, there would be no comfort in that. There is no comfort in a Christianity that avoids conflict and hardship, especially when God has made it clear what needs to be done.

I’m not saying you should have a martyr complex and run headlong into persecution. But when the Bible is clear, and your conscience testifies to you what is right, and yet you find a way to avoid it, there’s no comfort in that. These Christians in Hebrews were counting the cost. They were suffering economically; they were suffering rejection from their families and communities. They faced the possibility of their very lives being taken, and they had to weigh all of this. So, the comfort comes from the fact that the people the apostle refers to here—beginning with Abel—stood for God, even though it cost Abel his life.

These elders had a faith that gave substance to their hopes, that gave evidence to things not seen. Their faith moved them to action, often in the face of significant trial and difficulty. They believed in promises of a future they had not yet seen, whether it was the promise of a heavenly homeland, like Abraham, who looked for a city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10), or the promise of Joseph, who believed that his descendants would inherit Canaan and, thus, gave commandment concerning his bones (Hebrews 11:22).

Joseph was so certain of God’s promise that, even though he was dead, he gave instructions about his bones. He wanted to ensure that his bones were relocated when the time came, because he knew that God would fulfill His promise and take His people back to the Promised Land. Faith made these promises real to them. Joseph was sure that God had given that land, and because of that, his bones didn’t belong in Egypt—they belonged in Canaan.

It’s important to note that their faith was the condition of their salvation, not the cause. The reason God honors the faith of these elders is not because of what their faith produced, but because they trusted in God’s primary promise of the Messiah. These men were looking forward to something, and that comes out in the testimonies that are given. They were looking to God’s promised one.

If we look at Abel, why was his offering distinct? Why did God testify that Abel was righteous while Cain’s offering did not receive approval? There are a number of factors involved, but one of the key reasons is that God had taught Adam and Eve that by the sacrifice of another, they could receive acceptance before Him. God clothed Adam and Eve with animal skins after their sin, showing the necessity of a substitutionary atonement. Abel, trusting in this, brought the firstlings of his flock and sacrificed them.

Men have to believe—God has appointed faith as the ordinary condition of receiving salvation. But while faith is the condition, it is not the cause. Faith cannot remove sin. Faith is the conduit that lays hold on Christ, who is the cause of salvation. Faith grasps Christ, and it is in Christ that we find the grounds of our salvation. So, the elders obtained a good report by their faith, but it was not merely their faith that saved them—it was Christ.

Their faith was always looking to Him, even if they didn’t fully understand it with the clarity we now have. That’s what makes this chapter relevant—because their faith was the same as ours. It wasn’t different. Some people have this idea that the Old Testament is almost irrelevant because they didn’t have Jesus and the cross hadn’t happened yet. They believe their faith must have been in something else, or that God had orchestrated a different way of salvation.

There are various flavors of this idea, but I want you to understand that the relevance of Hebrews 11 can only be substantiated if their faith was the same as ours. The faith they exercised, and the grounds they had, are the same as ours. Abel wasn’t looking to himself or to his father, Adam. He wasn’t merely giving mental assent to religion. Abel was depending on a substitute. He trusted in God’s covenant promise that there would come One to stand in his place, to be a mediator between God and man.

If we abandon this idea, Hebrews 11 makes no sense. These Old Testament saints were different from us only in the sense that they looked forward while we look back. The cause of their salvation, the grounds of it, was always God’s grace in Jesus Christ. They looked forward to the Messiah; we look back to His finished work. And their faith in God’s promise was just as sure as ours is now, because it rested on God’s unchanging character.

You might ask, “How could they have hope if Jesus hadn’t yet died?” I would counter by asking, “What does that depend on?” Does it depend on historical events playing out, or does it rest on the promise of God? When God promises something, it is as sure as if it has already happened. There’s no increased security in it having taken place versus God declaring that it will happen. When God says something will happen, it’s as certain as if it has already occurred.

So, they looked forward to Christ, and we look back, but our faith is fundamentally the same. If anything, we might say we have even less of an excuse because we have more light. We know that Jesus has come, that He lived, died, and rose again. So when it comes to enduring faith, to standing firm, we have more reason to persevere because we are blessed with the full revelation of God’s plan.

So, the elders’ faith is the foundation of their testimony, and God’s witness is the confirmation of their testimony. Their faith was confirmed by God. “For by it, the elders obtained a good report.” From whom? From God. God gave them this commendation.

You could think of it in two ways. There is an inward confirmation, where God witnesses to them within their own souls that they belong to Him. First John 5:10 puts it this way: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.” This refers to the Spirit of God testifying within that we are God’s children. There’s a sense of covenant acceptance, where God assures us that we are His people and He is our God.

This is a foundational principle throughout Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, this is the constant promise: God is our God, and we are His people. It’s repeated over and over to encourage the patriarchs, and it undergirds all of God’s dealings with His people. We find this in Leviticus 26, in 2 Corinthians 6, and all the way to the end of Revelation—this covenant relationship is central.

So, inwardly, God testifies within our souls that we are His people. But there is also an outward confirmation—God gives a good report of the individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11. God bears witness to their faith, as we see in verse 4 with Abel: “By which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts.” Enoch also had this testimony before his translation that “he pleased God” (v. 5). God gives this testimony, and it is recorded in His Word for our benefit.

God is affirming these people because their faith mattered to Him. And why is their faith so important? Because the whole concern of the apostle in Hebrews is to warn against unbelief. If you go back to Hebrews 3:18-19, you’ll see this concern: “To whom sware he that they should not enter into His rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” The warning is clear—unbelief keeps people from entering God’s rest.

The Israelites in the wilderness had the gospel preached to them, but the Word did not profit them because it wasn’t mixed with faith. The same gospel was preached to them as to us, but they didn’t believe it. The apostle’s primary concern throughout Hebrews is unbelief—believing the wrong things, or failing to believe God’s promise of salvation through His Son.

The good report that the elders received from God was based on their faith. They believed the same gospel we believe, even though they had to look forward to Christ. They trusted in God’s promises concerning the Messiah, and that’s why their faith was credited to them as righteousness.

These elders, though flawed, had one thing right: they had a relationship with God based on faith, not on their own merit, but on the merit of another—on God’s promise of the Messiah. That’s the essence of the gospel for them, and for us.

So, what must you do if you want to obtain a good report from God? It’s simple: believe in the Son. Believe in the Son, and you will have life. If you do not believe, you will not see life, for the wrath of God abides on you (John 3:36). Bottom line—believe in the Son, and you will be justified before God. All the other particulars of Christian doctrine, all the responsibilities and duties of the Christian life, rest on this foundation: faith in Jesus Christ. Believe in Him, and you will live. Reject Him, and you will perish.

Now we turn to their legacy. Not only did these elders have a testimony, but they left behind a legacy. Their faith still speaks. As it says of Abel in verse 4, “he being dead yet speaketh.” Their lives of faith inspire us and encourage us to walk by faith as they did. Their legacy is one we are to take to heart. Their faith demonstrates how holding to even unfulfilled promises is part and parcel of the Christian life. We hold on to things yet to be fulfilled, such as the promise of the Lord’s return, which was mentioned back in chapter 10:37. We are still waiting for that to happen. We, like the saints of old, live in hope of promises yet to be fulfilled.

Their legacy speaks across time, and that’s why Hebrews 12 begins by saying, “Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses…” (Hebrews 12:1). These elders form part of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us. Their faith, though tied to their time, speaks across generations. They lived in their context, serving in their generation, but their faith transcends their time. It stands as a witness to us of the reality of true faith in the midst of a fallen world.

Their legacy teaches us to persevere. It shows us that, in the midst of trials, suffering, and persecution, faith endures. Their faith didn’t waver, it didn’t wilt, it didn’t come up short. They trusted the promises of God, even though many of them didn’t see those promises fulfilled in their lifetime. Abraham saw Isaac born, but he didn’t live to see the multitude of descendants God had promised. Joseph didn’t see the Israelites return to Canaan in his lifetime, but he believed God would fulfill His word. Their testimony calls us to persevere and keep pressing on, even when we don’t see the fulfillment of God’s promises immediately.

As we make our way through this chapter, this is the constant reminder: we must have a real, evangelical faith and persevere in it, no matter what. Even when your own brother rises up in offense against you and threatens your life, like Cain did with Abel, you must stand. This is the only way to be justified—by faith alone, in Christ alone.

So, we are connected to these saints of old. We are to learn from them and trust God as they did. We are part of a larger story, a grand narrative that is still being written. God isn’t just the God of their time; He is the God of our time. He is the God of this generation, and you have been called for such a time as this. You may look at the world around you, at all the difficulties and challenges, and feel like you belong to another era. Perhaps you long for the days when things seemed simpler or better. But God has placed you here, now, for His purposes. Don’t imagine that things were so much better in the past. Every generation has had its challenges, and the faith that endures is the same faith that endured back then.

The legacy of their faith points us to Christ. This is fundamental. They trusted in the Messiah, the Christ who was to come. All the promises they received were tied to Him, and the same is true for us. We look back to His finished work, and they looked forward to it. Whether we are looking forward or backward, all our faith centers on Christ.

That’s why, when God made promises to Abraham about his descendants, there was more going on than just a promise of physical offspring. As Paul writes in Galatians 3, when God told Abraham, “So shall thy seed be,” it wasn’t just about numerous descendants—it was about Christ. Abraham’s faith wasn’t in the stars or in his descendants—it was in the One through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. That’s what made his faith significant. It was faith in the coming Messiah.

So, when we read about Moses forsaking Egypt, we see that he did it because he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater than the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:26). Moses was motivated by faith in the Messiah, just like Abraham and Joseph and the others.

We are often so dull in our understanding, but all these individuals—these elders—had a forward-looking faith that pointed to Christ. That’s why their faith is so important, because this has been the argument of the apostle all along. The entire book of Hebrews is about urging believers to keep trusting in Christ. The apostle has been saying that Jesus is greater than the angels, greater than Moses, greater than the Levitical priesthood. He fulfills the priestly role in a way that no one else could. And in Hebrews 11, the point is that these individuals had faith in God’s promises concerning the Messiah, and their faith endured.

The final point is that the legacy of their faith perseveres. This is the key takeaway—why this chapter is so relevant. Why point to these people? Because they kept believing through their struggles. Abel became the first martyr. Enoch lived in a wicked generation. Noah faced incredible opposition and ridicule as he obeyed God’s command to build the ark. Abraham was isolated and had to face the difficulties of his surrounding circumstances. All of them faced struggles, but their faith persevered.

This is the message for you, Christian, this morning. I don’t know what you’re going through today, but I do know this: Satan’s goal is to undermine your faith. When Jesus told Peter, “Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat,” Jesus prayed for him, “that thy faith fail not” (Luke 22:31-32). Satan’s primary target is your faith. He knows that if he can shake your faith, everything else will crumble. So, his attacks are often aimed at pulling you away from God’s Word, from fellowship with other believers, from worship, and from the very things that strengthen your faith.

Satan will try to manipulate your time, make you tired, distract you with the cares of this world. He wants you to neglect the Word of God, to stay away from church, and to abandon the fellowship of the saints. His goal is to undermine your faith.

But thank God for Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith! How many times have you been sustained when your faith was faltering? It is Christ’s prayer that sustains you, just as He prayed for Peter. He prays for you, that your faith would not fail.