Faith is a first teaching about Christ (He 6:1). But evidently it is not the gift of faith. The gift of faith is larger than that. For example, the centurion. Jesus, marveled at his faith, saying, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel” (Mt 8:10). Compare this with the examples that Jesus gave to us about those with a small faith.

(a) Disciples who have their priorities out of order. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!” (Mt 6:30).

(b) The fearful apostles of the Lord. “He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?’ Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm” (Mt 8:26).

(c) Peter who doubted. “Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ” (Mt 14:21).

(d) The disciples who could not figure out a figure. “But Jesus, aware of this, said, ‘You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread?’ ” (Mt 16:8).

All of these examples specifically mention the idea of having a “little faith” as compared to a great faith. Additionally, faith is not faith, unless it is “faith toward God” (He 6:1). So in order to have a great faith, that is the gift of faith, it is not about becoming a member of the “optimist club”. It is not about being optimistic vs. pessimistic. It is not simply about confidence or a positive attitude. It certainly is not about being cocky, over-confident, or having an ability to persuade others to believe, buy, or sell things. But it is, properly, about having a “faith toward God”, not anyone else, including ourselves. It is not just an attitude. But “if I have all faith [in the context of gifts], so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2). So just having a great ability, even a great faith, is not both sides of the Christian talent coin. We must develop a complete agape love to accompany our talent.

Greats of Faith Had the Gift of Faith

“By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts” (He 11:4). Cain and his brother Abel both made offerings to the Lord (Ge 4:1-16). God approved of Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. God had no regard for it. There was something not worth respecting about Cain’s offering. It just was not the kind of offering that God would be pleased with. It was not good enough. God told Cain he did not do well in his offering (Ge 4:7). And since he did not do well in his offering, God then told Cain that sin was crouching at his door. You must by faith do very well in your offerings to the Lord in order for Him to approve of them. If not, then sin is crouching at your door. It takes a great faith to offer excellent gifts to God, gifts that truly excel. Do well in your offerings to Him. Give Him some of the best of your increase.

“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death... for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God” (He 11:5). The great thing about Enoch, for our learning, is not the unique and infrequently given reward he received of being taken up to God without suffering physical death (Ge 5:24), but that he walked with the Lord in such a faithful way while he was on the earth that it pleased God. By faith you must please God in your life on earth, before your time is up. Don’t wait to have faith. “Finally, then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” (1 Thess 4:1). Since the Bible says that it is impossible to please God without faith (He 11:6), then God will only be pleased with or approve of people with faith. Those who fail to have faith toward God cannot please Him and therefore will be lost eternally (2 Thess 1:8, 9). So in your Bible study, you must focus primarily on completely understanding the doctrine of faith toward God.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household, by which he condemned the world, and became an heir of the righteousness which is according to faith” (He 11:7). Peter warned us about the coming destruction of the earth by fire and he told us how to be prepared for it, saying, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pe 3:10-13). Are you preparing yourself and your family to be saved from the fire of hell by obeying all of God’s warnings on how to save your soul? There are gospel teachings that you, by faith, must obey in order to be saved from your sins (2 Thess 1:8, 9). What are those teachings? The Bible Study on the Basics was designed to help you to know them well.

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going” (He 11:8). Parents, when you call your child, does he obey you the first time? When God called Abraham, he obeyed the first time. Yet he did not understand fully where he was going. That is faith. When Jesus called to Peter and his brother Andrew, saying, “Follow Me,” they obeyed. But they did not know where they were going. When Jesus called to James and John, saying, “Follow Me,” they obeyed. Did these know where they were going with the Lord? Jonah was called by God to go and preach to a wicked city so that they would repent and be saved. But he did not obey and ended up having to learn a personal lesson on God’s saving power when God had to rescue him from the ocean and then from the belly of a big fish; a three day trip in a fish! A profound lesson. When he finally obeyed God’s calling and preached to Nineveh, he still had the wrong attitude about it and was not satisfied that the city actually repented and was saved. What kind of preacher is unhappy when sinners get saved? Moses was called by God to deliver Israel from slavery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. But Moses was hesitant to obey that calling. So God started to get angry with Moses. Then Moses obeyed and went. What about you? How quickly do you obey what God is calling you to do through the gospel of Jesus Christ? Are you like Abraham, Peter and Andrew, James and John or are you like Jonah and Moses? Be responsive and obedient to what God is calling you to do for Him. Do not rebel against it, but have the right attitude about His work through you to accomplish His purposes. Do not hesitate, but carefully obey God’s calling on your life to do something.

“By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised” (He 11:11). God made a promise to Sarah that would be hard for her to believe, unless she had faith toward God. She was an old woman, but would have a son. She believed the promise, so she received ability from God to have a child. Elizabeth praised Mary for believing in the promise that was given to her by the Lord (Lk 1:45). By faith Paul believed God’s promise of safety despite a terrible situation at sea: A large violent storm that lasted weeks, with darkness during the day; not being able to control the ship’s direction; ending up shipwrecked on a reef near an unfamiliar island bay; the ship being broken up by the waves pounding against it; having to jump overboard and swim to safety on an island. Through all of that Paul believed by faith the promise of an angel that he must stand before Caesar and that God would grant to him all who were sailing with him, including 276 soldiers, prisoners, and sailors. “All of us in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six persons.” (Ac 27:37) [Notice that the writer of Acts, Luke, used the word “us” to indicate that he was one of the persons on that wrecked ship.] By faith Paul said to all those on board, “I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told” (Ac 27:25).

“By faith he [Abraham] lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (He 11:9). And, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them” (He 11:13-16).

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac; and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son; it was he to whom it was said, ‘IN ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE CALLED.’ He considered that God is able to raise men even from the dead; from which he also received him back as a type” (He 11:17-19). Like Abraham, a person of outstanding faith obeys even when it requires offering up the most precious or difficult of sacrifices in order to please God. Are you passing the testing of your faith by offering up what God wants you to offer Him? Like Abraham, even if God does not tell you all of the details as to why you need to offer something to Him, are you by faith going to do it? It may be difficult for you to understand why He wants you to do it and it may be difficult for you to actually do it. But by faith you must pass the test by offering up exactly what He wants you to offer to Him. Your obedience to God is more important to hang on to than anything you own, love, possess, or gained.

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come. By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave orders concerning his bones” (He 11:20-22). Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph pleased God because they had demonstrated faith toward God through the end of their lives. Even though these men were old and about to die, they gave blessings, they worshiped God, and they spoke of the future prophetic events. If you are old and dying, are you still worshiping God, blessing other people, and talking about heaven to others?

Consider Anna. “And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up [to the baby Jesus] and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (Lk 2:36, 37). Anna was very old. But her age did not keep her from being at the assembly place of God’s people; she was there night and day. She took every available opportunity and time to serve the Lord and His people, and this was not in want of pleasure, but in fasting and prayer. What a great example of faith to follow.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the kings’ edict” (He 11:23). By faith Moses’ parents hid their baby boy because the Egyptian government wanted to kill him and all the other Israelite baby boys. Now if the government passes a law to try to get you to do something wicked like killing your child, are you going to by faith, like Moses’ parents, disobey because you fear God and His law over man and his immoral law? But you must not be a fool by disobeying the government when God actually wants you to obey them, like in paying your taxes (Ro 13). God can use the government for good things in your life. Do not rebel against what God believes in. But do not act on the wicked commands of anyone.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were not afraid of the king’s wicked law. When the Babylonian government made a law that required all people in their kingdom to worship the gold idol that king Nebuchadnezzar had made, three men did not obey that wicked command to practice idolatry, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (Dan 3). The punishment for failing to obey this wicked command was death by being thrown into the fire. But these three men had more respectful fear of God and His eternal fire than of the temporary fire of evil men. By faith they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Da 3:17, 18). They let their faith in God be known to the king who wanted to kill them. Faith is something that you must let be known. When you are backed into a corner in your life by evil men, what are you letting be known about your faith in God? These men had courage. But they said that even if God did not save them from the punishment of men, the fire, then they still were not going to act wickedly against their God and worship the gods of men. What about you, will you still show great faith in God even if He will not save you from the hands of evil men? But God saved these three faithful men from being consumed by the fire.

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward” (He 11:24-26). Sin is pleasurable. But when Moses had grown up, he left the power, the prestige, and the riches of royalty in the kingdom of Egypt to become a fellow sufferer in the kingdom of God. He was in control of choosing which lifestyle he wanted to live, either a godly one or one of sinful pleasure. Likewise, you are in control of choosing the lifestyle in which you want to live in respect to God or self.

Joshua told god’s people that they had a choice to make about worship. Joshua said, “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh 24:15). These Israelites were challenged to choose between worshiping the living God or idols. Today you have that same choice to make. Which religion will you practice? Will it be of the God who made the heavens and the earth?

Even Jesus had a choice. Like Moses, Jesus had to learn to refuse and choose. For example, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. He will eat curds and honey at the time He knows enough to refuse evil and choose good. For before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be forsaken” (Is 7:14-16).

“By faith he [Moses] kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the first-born might not touch them” (He 11:28). By faith, Moses kept the Mosaic Age Passover feast and so he was not destroyed. In the Christian Age, you are not required to keep the Passover Feast to be justified (Col 2:16), and so you will not suffer any of God’s wrath when you do not keep it. But you must obey the gospel of Jesus Christ in order to not be destroyed. For example, Hebrews 5:9 says that Jesus is the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him. And 2 Thessalonians 1:8, 9 says that those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel, will pay the penalty of everlasting destruction. So by faith, you must truly know God and also keep the gospel [i.e. the DBR] of Jesus Christ in order to be approved by God, saved from your sins, and have eternal life.

“By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace” (He 11:31). For Rahab said to the spies, “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And when we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Josh 2:10, 11).

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