SESSION 4 VICTORIOUS FAITH The Point My faith in God makes me victorious. The Passage Hebrews 11:1-6 The Bible Meets Life Many people treat faith as a hopeful wish. We have faith our sports team will do well this year. We feel confident about certain people and we say we have faith in them and then they let us down. Even when those individuals have the best intentions, they can still let us down. Faith is only as good as what, or who, it is based on. We can experience a victorious faith when it is grounded in Jesus Christ. The Setting Hebrews 11 has encouraged many believers in times of persecution and suffering. The word faith occurs 27 times, while the expression by faith occurs 22 times in the chapter. Chapter 10 concluded with exhortations that the righteous will live by faith (Hebrews 10:38) and believers are described as those who have faith and are saved (v. 39). Figures of the past who by faith pleased God and were approved by God are used to motivate believers and to encourage them to persevere. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 49
What does the Bible say? Hebrews 11:1-6 (CSB) Our ancestors (v. 2) In Hebrews 11 the Greek term refers to people who lived a long time ago. 1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by it our ancestors won God s approval. 3 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. 4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith. 5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. 6 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. 50 Session 4
THE POINT My faith in God makes me victorious. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Invite your group members to discuss Question #1 on page 37 of the PSG (Personal Study Guide): What are some things you can t see but you know are there? Allow time for each person to respond. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 38): It s hard to know what to believe anymore. The Internet is filled with news on topics that range from politics to medicine to conspiracies, and all the writers tout their stories as truth even though the facts they are promoting contradict each other. If you doubt what you read, someone may offer this jewel: I know it s hard to believe, but just accept it as true. Take it on faith. Really? Is faith just jumping blindly into belief or is it something more? TIP: Compile a list of your group members phone numbers for a quick way to connect with those who have been absent and send out group information. Notes SAY: Faith isn t just believing something without evidence. Hebrews 11 shows us real-life examples of people who faced overwhelming situations and yet lived faithfully through them. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Divide your group into subgroups of three to five individuals each. Invite group members to discuss the following question in their subgroups. Ask: What are some significant life events or decisions young adults face today? Give groups a few minutes to discuss, then allow volunteers from each group to share their responses. Share that while young adulthood is packed with milestones and choices, we can establish deep roots of faith in God now that will lay a foundation for our lives. GUIDE: Call attention to The Point on page 38 of the PSG: My faith in God makes me victorious. PRAY: Transition into the discussion with prayer. Spend some time praising God for the specific things He has done recently in your church or small group. Display Pack Item #4 to use with the Live It Out section on page 58. PLAYLIST PICK: Thy Will By Hillary Scott & the Scott family BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 51
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Hebrews 11:1-3 (CSB) 1 Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 2 For by it our ancestors won God s approval. 3 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. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Hebrews 11:1-3. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 39): Since the Christian life is a life of faith, let s be real clear on what faith is. The writer of Hebrews explains it this way: we believe in what we can t see because of those things we can see. Verse 1 describes how faith works and what it does. Faith gives us confidence. Faith has substance. It s an assurance based on the reality of what God has done and said. Faith is an inward conviction. We trust God and know He will do what He says He will do because He always does. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How can what we see in creation fuel our faith in the unseen God? DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 39 of the PSG: What helps you have faith in God even though you can t see Him? SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 39): We can trust in a God we can t see because of all He s created that we can see. For example, the universe exists. It s here for us to touch, see, and explore. While we would all agree the universe exists, not everyone knows why it exists. Is the universe merely a giant cosmic accident? Or is there some purpose or plan? Christians know the answer to the why question because of our faith. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God (v. 3). He did it to provide a place where we could enjoy a relationship with Him. TRANSITION: Faith allows us to trust wholly in God. The next verses teach us that it also leads us to worship Him. 52 Session 4
THE POINT My faith in God makes me victorious. Hebrews 11:1-3 Commentary Faith leads us to trust and rely on God. Verse 1: The word is in now faith is has led many Bible students to identify Hebrews 11:1 as a definition of faith. Other Bible students prefer to view the emphasis as being more on what faith does rather than what faith is. What faith does is give reality to what is hoped for and provide the proof of what is not seen. That is, faith, at the present time, gives the believer a reality to build his or her life on, on the basis of the unseen of those things hoped for but which God has not yet brought about. Faith provides to the believer the proof or evidence for the existence or reality of things that cannot be demonstrated through sense perception or which God has promised will occur but have not yet happened. It provides proof of what is not seen. Believers know that faith is founded on objective reality, for faith grabs hold of the immutable promises of the God who cannot and does not lie (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalms 89:35; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). Because believers are so convinced that the unseen realities grasped by faith are permanent and real, they walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 4:18; 5:7). Verse 2: Our ancestors refers to the fathers mentioned in Hebrews 1:1 and to all these in 11:39. All the Old Testament heroes of the faith mentioned in Hebrews 11:4 38 had one thing in common a faith God commended. Won God s approval literally is witness or getting a good report. God approved of them and witnessed, or testified, to their true faith, as detailed in the Old Testament record. As such, they stand as examples worthy of imitation by all believers with the implication that if we live our lives based on this kind of faith, we too will receive divine commendation. Before we accepted Christ by faith, we could not have a good report. But now, we have become victors by receiving that good report through faith in Christ. By it refers to the kind of faith explained in verse 1. Verse 3: Just as faith lays hold of what has not yet happened and convinces the believer of the reality of it (Hebrews 1:7,8,20), so faith accepts the reality of the unseen and otherwise unprovable past. We accept by faith that creation came out of nothing but God s spoken Word. As believers, we stand in a long line of continuity with those who have built their lives on unseen truth and reality. Faith leads us to trust and rely on God. Here we accept by faith creation out of nothing but God s spoken word. The writer obviously was referring to Genesis 1:1 2:1. God, who created everything by His spoken word, also has redeemed believers through Jesus Christ, God s ultimate promise fulfilled in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 11:39 12:2). True faith acknowledges that God is both Creator and Redeemer. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 53
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Hebrews 11:4 (CSB) 4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was approved as a righteous man, because God approved his gifts, and even though he is dead, he still speaks through his faith. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Hebrews 11:4. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGE 40): After the writer described faith in verses 1-3, he gave us several examples of people who demonstrated such faith. These heroes of faith were people just like us who saw God working in their world and found ways sometimes dramatic and courageous ways to join God in His work. The first real-life example of faith comes from the life of Abel. Abel s story, recorded in Genesis 4:1-10, includes the tragic event when Cain killed his brother Abel. Why did Cain kill his brother in a jealous rage? God accepted Abel s offering, but he did not have regard for Cain and his offering (v. 5). Abel was careful to choose the best of his flock to offer to God (v. 4). Cain seems to have been careless in what he chose to offer to God (v. 3). It wasn t the offerings themselves that made them acceptable or unacceptable; it was the attitudes behind those offerings. ALTERNATE QUESTION: When has your faith fueled your worship or sacrificial giving? DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 40 of the PSG: What s the relationship between faith and genuine worship? SAY: Faith is a response to who God is, what He says, and how He has worked. Abel expressed that confidence and trust his faith through his worship. His faith in God affected the way he made his offering. TRANSITION: Faith leads us to worship, but it doesn t stop there. Our trust in God allows us to respond in obedience that is pleasing to Him. 54 Session 4
THE POINT My faith in God makes me victorious. Hebrews 11:4 Commentary Faith responds in worship to God. Verse 4: Genesis 4:3-5 details how Cain and Abel brought offerings to the Lord. That Abel s offering was a better sacrifice probably does not refer to what was presented or to the amount presented but to the worshiper s heart attitude. Three times in this verse it is stated that Abel acted by faith or through his faith. In verse 6, the writer made it clear that without faith it is impossible to please God. Abel by his faith was approved as a righteous man. This verse brings together righteousness and faith. One cannot have the former without the latter a truth emphasized in Habakkuk 2:4 (an Old Testament text the writer of Hebrews quoted in 10:38). Jesus Himself called Abel a righteous person (Matthew 23:35) and the apostle John also identified him as righteous (1 John 3:12). But be clear on this Abel was not righteous in his own self. No, he was righteous because God declared him righteous because Abel had faith in God and obeyed Him. Although Abel is dead, he still speaks through his faith. It is Abel s example that still speaks. His example shows us what it means to trust God and live with righteous integrity even in the face of hatred, violence, and death. Dead people are not silent. They do tell tales. Abel still witnesses to us: he calls us to emulate him and persevere. That Abel still speaks also reminds us that, while Abel is dead to life on earth, he is alive through God. Abel is the first example of those who focused their lives on the better country (Hebrews 11:16). Abel s faith didn t end in disappointment. While Abel s life was cut short, how he expressed his faith in God in his life still teaches the whole world what faith is and does. Abel s life of faith teaches us right at the start of the list that faith leads one to worship God. Abel s faith led him to bring a sacrifice that God approved. It pleased God. Abel s faith led him to be truly righteous, and Abel s faith offers us a true witness or testimony to the life that pleases God. Abel not only shows us that true faith leads us to worship God, it shows us there is a right way to worship the Lord that involves a proper heart attitude. Cain s actions show us what happens when one approaches God in the wrong way and the tragic consequences that this can have in one s life and the lives of those around that person. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 55
10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Notes Hebrews 11:5-6 (CSB) 5 By faith Enoch was taken away, and so he did not experience death. He was not to be found because God took him away. For before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God. 6 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. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Hebrews 11:5-6. SUMMARIZE THE PSG (PAGES 41-42): The writer of Hebrews referred to Enoch for his second example of a person who lived by faith. In Genesis 5:21-24 we learn that Enoch was the father of Methuselah, and then when Enoch was 365 years old, he was not there (Genesis 5:24). God took him away (Hebrews 11:5). He never died. He simply went from walking with God in this life to walking with God in eternity. That s all we re told. SAY: Verse 6 delivers the two important truths about faith: we cannot please God without faith and God rewards those who seek Him. DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 41 of the PSG: What characteristics describe a person who walks with God? ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is faith necessary for pleasing God? DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 42 of the PSG: What kinds of rewards do we experience when we exercise faith? DO: Divide group members into subgroups of three or four people. Instruct subgroups to complete the activity on page 43 of the PSG together. EVERYDAY FAITH: Which of the following images best depicts your understanding of what it means to follow God in faith? Explain. (Note: The PSG contains three images: two people discussing Scripture, a person repelling down a cliff, and a person following a path.) 56 Session 4
THE POINT My faith in God makes me victorious. Hebrews 11:5-6 Commentary Faith responds with obedience that is pleasing to God. Verse 5: The account of Enoch s life is found in Genesis 5 (vv. 18 24), a chapter that details the family lineage of Seth, the son of Adam. Verse after verse ends with then he died. Except Enoch! Of him it says that after his 365 years, Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him (v. 24). Enoch did not experience death; he was directly translated, or was taken away, to heaven into the presence of God. That Enoch was not to be found, a reference to Genesis 5:24, means people searched for him. Enoch pleased God by his faith. Genesis 5 does not mention Enoch s faith, but it does state two times that he walked with God (Genesis 5:22,24), implying his intimacy with God and his steadfast commitment to Him. Verse 6: To please God we must be persons of faith. Notice that here in verse 6 the writer offered both the negative and positive sides to his declaration. Negatively, without faith pleasing God is impossible. Positively, one must believe. Belief is necessary, but not just belief in and of itself or mere wishful thinking. Faith must have an object it is the object of faith that is important. Such belief includes the firm conviction that God exists and that He rewards those who seek him. True faith has both a present and a future orientation: God exists and He rewards. Those who have true faith affirm God is personal and active on behalf of the faithful in the present, and they live in confidence that He will reward them in the future. True faith affirms the existence of the God who has spoken and acted throughout history (1:1 2). This is the invisible God. True faith believes in the existence of what cannot be seen (11:1). True faith also believes this unseen God rewards those who seek Him. To seek God describes those who rely on and trust God and His promises. The term emphasizes the singular determination to devote oneself to God and His service. 1 The rewards are not earthly and material but heavenly and eternal (10:34 36). God is both the Rewarder and the reward itself! The one who draws near to him, which is parallel to those who seek him, is used in Hebrews to refer to believers who have a direct approach to God and an ongoing relationship with Him (4:16; 7:25; 10:22; 12:22). 2 For anyone to draw near to God, faith (belief) is the key. And this faith the faith that responds with obedience is pleasing to God. 1. William L. Lane, Hebrews, vol. 47B in Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word Books, 1991), 338. 2. Peter T. O Brien, The Letter to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2010), 405. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 57
5 minutes LIVE IT OUT Notes LEADER PACK: Display Pack Item #4, Heroes of Faith. Bring your group s attention to this poster and share that Abel and Enoch were just two of a long line of faithful men and women who followed God in obedience. Discuss the people listed on the poster and how their actions demonstrated their faith. SAY: How will you express faith in God this week? GUIDE: Lead group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 44 of the PSG. Step out in faith. Say yes to one thing you know God wants you to do this week. Regardless of how big or small of a step you think it is, any step of obedience honors God. And, obedience in one situation makes it just that much easier to trust God in other areas of life. Find out the full story. Read the Old Testament stories of the men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11. Read about their lives and find out how they expressed confident trust and faith in God. With each of their lives, ask yourself what you can personally learn from them. Get practical advice. Have coffee or lunch with a mature Christian and ask them what they ve learned about trusting God through the ups and downs of life. Wrap It Up SAY: Faith isn t just believing something without evidence. No, faith is confidence and trust in God; it is a response to who God is, what He says, and how He has worked. This is what we believe: God can be fully trusted. Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid. MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife 58 Session 4