Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved. 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. Now without faith it is impossible to please God, since the one who draws near to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (11:1-3,6)
Faith is one of the things that is very misunderstood by the average person today. If you listen carefully you can hear people say things like “blind faith” or “a leap of faith”; it is also common for people to talk about the “size” of their faith, whether great or small. All of these concepts are foreign to the biblical concept of faith. Hebrews 11 is often called the “chapter of faith,” because it not only has extensive content on the substance of faith, but it also has a list of concrete examples of what real faith in God looks like when lived out in the world. Faith is how we know what we know, and it is the principle by which we are to live our lives. Without faith, it is impossible to please God.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is not an emotion or an intangible feeling. Instead, it is an actual “reality.” It is something tangible that we hold onto until the promised hope of that faith is revealed. For instance, in the way we know the universe is real because we see it with our eyes, we can also know (by faith) that that God is the creator of that universe. What we know by faith is just as real as what we know by sight—maybe more so. Our faith is not some pie in the sky hope based on our own wishful thinking, but it is a fact based on the reliable evidence we have in the word of God. True faith is not blind, but it is confidence based on facts; facts that have been founded in the word of God and facts that God has demonstrated clearly as He has worked in our personal lives.
What makes faith significant for the child of God is not the size of our faith but the target of our faith. I have can have massive faith in myself and it will do me no good. No matter how much I believe in myself, I am doomed to fail because that faith is a misplaced faith. However, true faith in God is powerful and world-changing; not because it is huge, but because the object of that faith is the eternal God of the universe WHO CANNOT FAIL. Faith in God is not wishful thinking or a “leap” into the darkness. Trusting in Him by faith is to affirm that He is who He says He is. If you have no faith, or if your faith is misplaced, then it is impossible to please Him because you are rejecting His very nature as the God who is worthy of your complete trust.
