What Is Faith?

Hebrews 11:13 KJV
[13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

The book of Hebrews reveals a perspective on faith that this generation often misses. While we tend to define faith as a strong belief in what we expect to receive during our lifetime, the Bible presents faith as a steadfast belief in God's promises that persists until our final breath, without wavering. According to this passage, faith doesn't falter—it remains true to the end, even if what we hoped for never materializes in our lifetime.

Several figures mentioned in this passage lived by faith and died without witnessing the fulfillment of God's promises. Abraham, through his obedience, was promised descendants as numerous as the stars, yet he never lived long enough to see this multitude. Nevertheless, the Bible tells us they embraced these promises until their death. This teaches us that God's promises may not unfold within our lifetime—sometimes they extend to generations after us. While we expect God's promises to happen immediately, He may have a different timeline. Yet the purpose of revealing His promises to us is that we embrace them with unwavering confidence.

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So what is faith in the context of Hebrews 11? The passage defines it as the substance of things hoped for and the **evidence of things not seen. Two words stand out: substance and evidence. "Substance" means what makes something real, and "evidence" means proof or results. Combined, they mean "what makes real the results of unseen things." Replacing these words in the definition, we get: "Faith is what makes real what we hope for—the proof of things we cannot yet see." In essence, faith is the total of what we do in pursuit of our hopes, producing results even when they're invisible. Even if there are no tangible results in the end, if your faith never wavers, the Bible says you've lived a life of faith—and only through faith can one please God.