by Rev. Stanley Collins Glasgow, Scotland
FAITH diorwM GOD
G | od ’ s H all op F ame ” often has been the term used to describe the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. Here we find such things as what faith is, what faith achieves, and how faith triumphs. Whenever you are tempted to discouragement, ta k e heart in these blessed truths. As an example of the importance of these verses, we see that the sixth makes it very clear and plain that without faith it is impossible to please God. Here are thrilling stories of great men and women who exercised im plicit trust in God. As a result, God greatly honored them in life and in death. We see from this portion of Scripture that God did not always deliver His people as we would ex pect. In those circumstances, in His divine economy, they knew the bless edness of Paul’s testimony, “To de part and be with Christ which is far better.” It is erroneous to imagine that if one has enough or sufficient faith, he can avoid everything in life which is unpleasant. The fact is, we can have faith enabling us to over come every obstacle. We can have faith that we might believe the im possible. We can have faith that we might achieve great and mighty things for God. This doesn’t mean, however, that as soon as we get the first ache or pain all we have to do is exercise faith and we will be de livered. The Saviour indeed prom ised, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” The first Biblical character I want to call to your attention is Abel. The Word tells us that by faith he of fered unto God a more excellent sac rifice than Cain. You see, God hon ors, faith, because faith honors God! Cain was so incensed with ha
tred that he murdered Abel in cold blood. It is ridiculous to think that God could not have saved Abel. This was the God who was going to de liver Daniel from the den of lions, and the three Hebrews from the burning fiery furnace. It would have been the simplest thing to intervene, even to strike Cain dead before he had the opportunity of wreaking de struction. This is an illustration of the fact that faith doesn’t lead to a life of sunshine, ease and luxury. Abel’s faith cost him his life. With God, however, living and dying are not as important as they are to us. Time is only for a moment while we are to spend eternity with Him for ever. The second case we want to point out is that of Enoch, this remark able man who walked with the Lord in a day when nobody believed in God. Violence and corruption filled the earth. Men’s hearts were over flowing with evil thoughts continu ally. Yet Enoch walked with God. This saint was one of two men who never tasted death (Elijah being the other who was translated). This was because Enoch exercised faith. The Bible doesn’t even begin to intimate that there was the slightest degree of difference between the faith of Abel and Enoch. He was equally pleased with both. For Abel, how ever, it brought murder, while for Enoch there was deliverance from death. The third case we want to point out was Noah. God warned him of things that were yet to be. While no signs were given specifically, the Lord’s words were sufficient for him. The whole situation, as Noah could see it, was entirely opposed to what the Lord had said. God warned of a 5
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