Four Characteristics of Faith

by David Gibson

To say that faith is a significant theme of the Bible is an understatement. What better place to begin than the great Faith Chapter of the Bible, Hebrews 11. In this chapter, the noun "faith" is found 24 times, and the verb "believe" is used once.

Hebrews 11 could be called "Case Studies in Faith." Here are real people, much like us, who struggled with major problems and overcame them by faith.

What are the characteristics of faith?

• First, faith is the assurance that what we do not see is real (Hebrews 11:1). There are three categories of what we do not see:
  • things in the past, which we did not witness (Hebrews 11:3);
  • things in the present that are invisible to our eyes (Hebrews 11:6); and
  • things in the future (Hebrews 11:7, 10).
• Second, faith acts. It does something. “By faith Abel offered….By faith Noah…constructed an ark….By faith Abraham obeyed….By faith Abraham …offered up Isaac….” (Hebrews 11:4, 7, 8, 17).
• Third, faith enables us to please God (Hebrews 11:2, 6, 39). God is pleased when we show we trust Him.
• And fourth, faith brings a great reward (Hebrews 11:6). God richly blesses those who live by faith, not by sight.

Note the words immediately preceding the Faith Chapter: “‘... but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” (Hebrews 10:38-39).

Believe it!