What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read the following?
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:1-2
My first thoughts were “the ancients were commended for” , at the time this was written the ancients would more than likely had been the Israelites. They were freed from their slavery in Egypt by God. They displayed their confidence in the hope and assurance of the promise land that had not been seen before by them but promised to them. So likewise as the ancients, we have been freed from slavery by God. We can display our confidence in the hope and assurance of heaven that has not been seen by us but promised to us (those that are Believers) because God has told us so in His Word.
But we need to read the rest of the chapter to fully understand. This whole chapter is about Faith In Action. Verses 3 through 38 is an account of “the ancients” who were commended for their faith. But verses 39 and 40 also tells us that none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better. What is that something better? It is Christ. Just like the ancient’s faith knew a Messiah would come because they were told by the prophets. Our faith in Christ is believing what He has told us in His Word about our life in Him and His Second coming. Keep the faith and shine for our Lord.
In His Love, Crisi