As Hebrews 11 opens, we have a wonderful description of faith: Confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
That verse is followed, of course, by the great cloud of witnesses – by stories of what God’s people in history have done, by faith.
At times we read this list and are inspired: inspired by Noah, with his ark built on dry ground; by Abraham, setting off to a land as yet unknown; by Moses, his reputation disregarded for the sake of Christ.
We’re inspired by those unnamed brothers and sisters who, in living by faith, faced jeers and flogging, chains and imprisonment. Some were stoned, sawn in two and killed by the sword. The world was not worthy of them.
And then we move on in mission history – on even to little old UFM
We’re inspired by the faith of the three Freds, martyred in the 1930s taking the gospel to an unreached tribe in Brazil.
We’re inspired by the 19 missionaries and children killed in the Simba rebellion in Congo in 1964. And by Margaret Hayes, seven months in captivity to those same rebels, who had been willing to lay down her life to save the lives of others.
We’re inspired – moved – by all of these incredible acts of faith.
And yet friends, don’t we sometimes find ourselves thinking: yes, I’m inspired by them, but am I like them? What I’ve been doing barely merits a column in the UFM magazine, never mind a place with these guys. And so perhaps the inspiration turns to desperation. We reflect on our lives, we consider our works done by faith and they can seem so small.
What do we do with feelings like this – feelings of inadequacy, weakness and guilt, when it comes to our faith?
In mission life it’s so tempting to compare ourselves with others. It happens so often. One mission partner compares their language progress with another, or the good things they’ve done by faith with those in another context. Or, the supporter looks at their good deeds done by faith and feels inadequate as they consider all that God is doing through the mission partner that they support.
At times therefore we need to be reminded all over again of something so fundamental to the Christian life: We’re in God’s family by faith, not by the good things we do by faith.
We’re in God’s family by faith, not by the good things we do by faith.
That’s the clear teaching of Hebrews 11. Before and after that list of incredible things done by faith, is the unmistakable teaching that each person on that list was ‘in’ by faith alone: “This (faith) is what the ancients were commended for.” (v2), “These were all commended for their faith” (v39).
The great cloud of witnesses of Hebrews 11 were accepted, not because of anything good that they had done, but because of everything good that he has done. They’re in by faith in the perfect Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
That’s a very good job, because if these people had got in by the good things they’d done by faith, they’d be in trouble: the drunk and naked Noah, the lying and at times lacking in faith Abraham, the boastful Joseph, the manipulative Jacob … and so the list goes on. Where would they be?
No they are in – we are in – not because of anything good that we have done, but because of everything good that Christ has done.
And what he has done is enough.
And therefore we can be sure of what we hope for and confident of what we do not see.
So friends, as we see signs of that faith, in both simple and profound ways, in our own lives and across the UFM family, be encouraged! We belong to him. He loves us, he’s welcomed us in and by faith, he’s pleased with us.
Michael Prest, Director, UFM Worldwide