What does it really mean to live by faith? For many of us, faith seems like a simple concept—believing that things will work out, maintaining a positive mindset, trusting that God has a plan. And while that's beautiful, there's so much more depth to genuine, biblical faith than we often realize.
The book of Hebrews, particularly chapter 11, has been called the "Faith Hall of Fame" because it chronicles the lives of men and women who demonstrated extraordinary trust in God. These weren't people who had it easy or who simply thought positive thoughts. They were individuals who saw the invisible, walked through impossible circumstances, acted on God's promises, and endured unimaginable hardships—all because they believed God was who He said He was.

By Faith We See
Hebrews 11:1-3 tells us that "faith shows us the reality of what we hope for. It's the evidence of things that we cannot see." This is where faith begins—with seeing beyond the physical realm into spiritual truth.
We typically gain understanding through our five senses: sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. These help us navigate the natural world. But spiritual understanding comes differently—through revelation from God Himself, which we receive by faith. The human mind alone cannot fully grasp spiritual truth. It takes a heart renewed by the Holy Spirit to understand what God is showing us.
Faith isn't blind or foolish. Scripture gives us abundant evidence of why we can trust God, especially through Christ. True faith is built on what we already know about God's faithfulness and extends to what is yet to come. It looks forward in hope, staying obedient even in hard times because it's confident that God will keep His promises.
By faith, we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command—that what we see now did not come from anything visible. This foundational truth reminds us that God's ways transcend our natural understanding. He operates beyond the limitations of our physical reality.

By Faith We Walk
The second section of Hebrews 11 (verses 4-16) introduces us to Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah—people who demonstrated lifelong trust in God. Their stories are remarkably different, yet unified by one common thread: unwavering faith.
Abel honored God by offering his best, and though he was killed by his brother, his faith still speaks to us today. Enoch walked so closely with God that he was taken to heaven without dying. Noah trusted God's warning about a flood that had never happened before, building an ark while others mocked him. Abraham left his home without knowing where he was going, trusting that God would lead him to the right place.
These figures believed in God's promises even when the results seemed impossibly far away. Abraham was promised descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore—yet he was asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. His faith was so strong that he reasoned God could raise Isaac from the dead if necessary, because God had made a promise.
Their lives remind us that we, too, are travelers on this earth, journeying toward God's eternal kingdom. Our hope and security are not based in this world but in the better home waiting for us. Like Abraham, we're called to trust God completely, bringing everything back to Him, believing He will fulfill His promises in His perfect way and timing.

By Faith We Act
Faith isn't passive. It requires action. Hebrews 11:17-31 shifts focus to people who trusted God even through hard times and struggles, demonstrating their faith through obedience and action.
Moses is a prime example. He chose to suffer with God's people instead of living in luxury as part of Pharaoh's household in Egypt. He valued God's promises more than temporary pleasures. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own all the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his great reward.
Every believer faces this same choice: to stand with God and His people, even when it might bring rejection and suffering, or to chase temporary pleasures that can lead us away from the Lord. Our choices in this life have eternal results. Moses gave up short-term comfort for an everlasting reward because he had strong faith and a clear vision of God's promises.
The chapter also recalls the crossing of the Red Sea, the walls of Jericho falling down, and the rescue of Rahab—all showing how faith and obedience lead to victory. These weren't people who merely believed in their minds; they acted on what they believed, even when it didn't make sense.

By Faith We Endure
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of faith is endurance. Hebrews 11:32-40 and into chapter 12 presents stories of people who overthrew kingdoms, shut the mouths of lions, quenched flames of fire, and escaped death by the sword. But it also tells of those who were tortured, jeered at, whipped, chained, stoned, sawed in half, and killed with the sword.
Some were rescued. Others weren't. But their faith never failed.
This is perhaps the most sobering truth about biblical faith: it doesn't guarantee an easy life. True faith means God will give us strength and His presence in the middle of our struggles, but it doesn't mean we'll be exempt from suffering.
All these faithful people earned good reputations because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God promised during their lifetimes. God had something better in mind—a plan that included future believers, including us, so that together we would reach perfection through Christ.

Keeping Our Eyes on Jesus
Hebrews 12:1-2 brings it all together: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to this life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up, and let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith."
Faith is like making pancake batter. You can't just pour the mix in and let it sit—it will harden and clump up. The only way to keep it smooth, regardless of the mixture, is to keep mixing, keep it moving. Our faith works the same way. It isn't meant to sit still. When things get tough and make no sense, we need to keep stirring—praying, trusting, worshiping God, showing up—even when we don't feel like it.
Mixing isn't always easy, especially when the ratio seems off or life throws too much at us. But the more we stir, the more we press through, the more God strengthens us. When we stop mixing, our faith starts to separate. Doubt sinks in. Joy dries out. Moving keeps faith active and ready for the next step.

The Greater Reality
Living by faith means living in the greater reality of who Jesus is. He is the fulfillment of every promise, the completion of every hope, the answer to every question raised by the faithful men and women who came before us.
By faith, we see beyond our circumstances into God's eternal purposes. By faith, we walk as strangers and foreigners in this world, knowing our true home awaits. By faith, we act in obedience even when it costs us. And by faith, we endure, knowing that our present sufferings are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed.

Jesus is greater than anything else in this world. He is the great fulfillment of faith—and He invites us to fix our eyes on Him and run the race set before us with endurance, knowing that the best truly is yet to come.