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Faith is one of the most powerful elements in human life.
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is a picture gallery of the heroes of faith. It begins with a definition of faith.
We always need a definition that we may know what we're talking about.
Paul's definition is an accurate one when properly understood. "Now faith is the substance [ground or confidence, margin] of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
The American Standard Version renders it thus, "Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen." In the margin it reads, "Now faith is the giving substance to things hoped for, a test of things not seen."
This is a practical rather than a definitive picture of faith.
Faith is accepting a thing as true and acting upon that thing as truth with all confidence. As it relates to God, it's taking God at his word. It's believing His promises. It is personal acceptance of His promises, relying on those promises, and making them the basis of the life.
One phase of faith is confident trust: the other is confident action.
We read of the "full assurance of faith." Such full assurance in the old time worthies resulted in great accomplishments. In the 11th chapter of Hebrews and elsewhere we read of what was done through faith. We look upon those who accomplished such things as, in some way, superhuman.
We're inclined to believe, as the doubters of this world believe that the day of faith in religion has largely passed. In reality that's not true.
There are mighty works of faith being accomplished today. Faith is just as effective today as in any former age.
There are people now who have faith and the might of that faith is manifested in mighty deeds and accomplishments.
Many wonderful things are accomplished by faith today, though the world goes on its way in ignorance of them. Most people think there is little faith today. They overlook the fact that when these worthies of the 11th chapter of Hebrews were living, the people didn't consider their faith as amounting to very much. They were probably entirely unaware of the great accomplishments of faith that were going on around them. In like manner, many people, in fact most people, are ignorant of the wonderful accomplishments of faith that are so prevalent today.
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