THE LOGIC OF FAITH. Hebrews 11:17-19 In the first part of this chapter, we learn what faith is. In the remaining part, we learn what faith does. In a variety of circumstances, these patriarchs believed God’s promises, which is why this “hall of Faith” was so important to the Jewish believers. They were discouraged and doubting, but when they read about the different ways faith worked in those who lived before them, they could see that God would work through them, too. We are also challenged to live and act in faith despite what might be ahead of us.
The writer of Hebrews was guided to write about the ultimate test of faith at the beginning of this list of people of faith. To be told by God to offer his only begotten son, Isaac, through whom the promises of God were to be fulfilled, would have been the supreme test for a father. Such a sacrifice would go against every human emotion and natural response. How would God fulfill His promises? How could his seed be passed on through Isaac, who was not even married and had no children?
How does faith behave under such a supreme test? This test was meant to show how works justify faith. Abraham likely did not go up that mountain with a spring in his steps and a song in his heart. He was not filled with joy and satisfaction, but his strength to obey God’s command came from reasoned conviction grounded in the most solid foundation – the word and promises of God. He would have three days on the journey to think through what God had said: “In Isaac shall thy seed be called;” “I will make of thee a great nation;” “In thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” The promises had been made by God and ratified by a covenant with God.
How could this have happened if Isaac were dead? It couldn’t, so the logic of faith assured Abraham, “I will do what God told me to, and He will do what He promised!” God would have to raise Isaac from the dead, but can He? Yes! Would He? Yes! However, this whole event could be easily misunderstood by people without faith or with little faith, so it had to be private and personal between him and God – no bystanders or onlookers.
How delighted God must have been with Abraham when he didn’t hesitate to do what God told him without questioning God’s motives. Whether he knew why God wanted this offering or not, he would do what God said. It wasn’t until after the sacrifice of Isaac that God made plain why He wanted this offering. This event, the virtual death and resurrection of Isaac, has moved millions of believers to worship Father and the Lord Jesus Christ with a special understanding that comes from being taught a spiritual truth from a human perspective.
We learn from this severe trial of Abraham that if we are going to experience the deep roots of faith, we must be prepared to enter into death itself to be alive to God. The deeper we are willing to go, the more we will know the mighty power of God in our lives. When our trust is in the Lord without hesitation or reservation, we will experience the fullness of God's blessings.
Sarah’s faith was her confidence in the living God, who can give life beyond the barriers of nature. She waited on God, who, in grace and faithfulness, gave her the strength to bear Isaac. Abraham’s faith went further because he trusted God to restore a life that would be taken away. He learned that when God gives life, it remains subject to death by nature, and that only through death can life come and deliverance from the power of sin and death.
God gave us life when we were born in sin and shaped in iniquity. When we were born again, we died to sin and were made alive to God, who gave us the gift of eternal life through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. He took our place as the perfect sacrifice, and now we, with Him, enter into the fullness of what life really is. We know we are incapable of doing what pleases God in the flesh and that surrender to the will of God is necessary. The Holy Spirit in us enables us to do God’s will and please Him.
Faith in the living God who raised us from the dead gives us power to live by faith, to take His yoke upon us, and to learn from Him. He who led Abraham will lead us into the place of blessedness when we allow God to be our life. We take the place of death; we trust in Him with our hearts. He gives us life out of death, and God is glorified in life and in death. Spiritual logic, the logic of faith, assures us that nothing will separate us from God, His love, and His promises.
It is to be expected that faith will be tested [v.17-12:2] to reveal the reality of those who profess to be people of faith. True faith is justified by works [v.17-19]. Abraham was thrust out of Egypt and all that he had [Gen.12:20; Gen.13:1] – “Abram went up out of Egypt.” He “went up” [13:1] and “went on” [13:3], glad to be out of Egypt. The most severe testing Abraham experienced, and perhaps the hardest test recorded for any person of faith, was the offering of Isaac [Heb.11:17; Gen.22].
Abraham is a type (in Genesis 22) of God the Father, who offered His Son on the cross of Calvary for our sins. By faith, Abraham offered his son, in whom the promises were given. It wasn’t Isaac’s life that God desired; it was Abraham’s heart. Abraham didn’t fail the test, for he was willing to give God his son. He gave God everything. In his life, there was no idol – nothing to break communion with God. This was demonstrated on Mt. Moriah. Abraham’s faith was a total commitment of all he had to God. This is what God wants from us today.
THE PRACTICE OF FAITH. Faith is not mere wishful thinking as we look forward to the unknown. Active faith moves one to lively action when we are shown evidence of the will of One in whom we have placed implicit trust. And it is our earnest desire to obey Him, doing for Him what we must. To leave one's "comfort zone" and move far away is not merely an adventure. If one has been called by his Lord and Savior, it is his responsibility to venture. By taking careful steps of faith each day, he soon is able to trace the footprints of One who has gone before and who guides him to this place.
Faith is not speculation or merely an anxious hope that things will turn out right. Rather, faith in our Lord assures us that we are walking with Him in the light. He knows the end from the beginning, and the outcome is under His control. Faith on the part of a believer yoked to Him brings rest to a restless soul. Practical faith is simply living with full confidence in God. Each action of faith is to be guided unerringly by God's unchanging Word. We experience the word of faith resonating in our souls, and when we move forward in faith, we can reach the goal.
To live by faith is comforting when we are sure this is the way to go. Each action done according to God's will is one we can know. It pleases Him in whom we put our faith. He is faithful to the end. We rest in quiet confidence that He is with us wherever He will send us. How gracious it is of our God to give us the strength we need for each day. There are times when special strength is given to do a work in an unnatural way. When our faith is unwavering in God, by His power, He can bring to pass that which is far beyond the normal, because it is a God-appointed task.
When life's challenges are so great that we are tempted to throw up our hands in despair, if we are willing to rest in the Lord, we will find the strength to bear each burden. Nothing is too hard for the Lord, and His strength and grace never fail. In faith, we can trust Him to accomplish His work through us, whatever that task entails.