Faith gives us testimony

Hebrews 11:2 - For by it (faith) the elders obtained a good report.

What made the Old Testament heroes so pleasing to God? Was it their awesome deeds? Their ability to gain wealth (Abraham), their ability to climb the corporate ladder and find success for themselves and their countries (Joseph)? Perhaps it was their leadership abilities (Moses), or their piety (Enoch)?

No. What made the Old Testament heroes (and the New Testament heroes for that matter) pleasing to God was their faith. It was by faith they obtained a good report.

Now faith, remember, is a deep-rooted trust or conviction of the truth of anything. In regard to God, it is a deep-rooted trust or conviction that God exists, that He saves and condemns. In regard to Christ, which is necessary to having a proper faith in God, it is the deep-rooted trust or conviction that He lived a sinless life, is God in the flesh, and that He paid the penalty for the sin of the world when He died on the cross. A proper faith in God involves also having a deep-rooted trust or conviction that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9-13).

Of 'course, we could sum all of this up by quoting Hebrews 11:6, "but without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him."

It is interesting that the first two individuals mentioned in Hebrews 11 are Abel and Enoch. The scriptures record that it was Abel's faith, his deep-rooted trust in God that led him to offer a more proper sacrifice. It was Enoch's trust in God that led him to walk with God 300 years before being raptured (i.e. translated). Very little is written about either one in Genesis, but they are the first pointed out in the hall of faith. (Of course, they are also some of the first people living).

The rest of the men and women mentioned in Hebrews 11 are honored for their faith, not their deeds. It was their faith that led them to perform their deeds. Each one had something that happened in their life that gave them the testimony that God was pleased with them.

If we are to have a testimony that will help us to reach the lost world, we have to please God. In order to please God, we have to have faith. The absence of faith leads to the absence of a testimony, which renders our evangelical work fruitless.

So trust God. If you do, you will have no trouble answering God when He calls you to do something extra-ordinary. Who knows, maybe you'll even get inducted into a future hall of faith by hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant."