Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

IN FAITH THEY DIED, Part 1

This entry was posted on 04-15-2009 and is filed under FAITH.

"It was faith they lived by, all of them, and in faith they died..." (Heb. 11:13, Knox Translation).

Before we close out this study on "The Faith that Saves is the Faith that Obeys" I want to go back to a section in Hebrews 11 (vs. 13-16) where it seems that the writer gives us a succinct synopsis of the faith of all the people mentioned in this chapter. "It was faith they lived by, all of them, and in faith they died..." From Abel to Samuel and all those in between, living by faith was the common denominator. As a result, they all died in faith - and in the faith. The TCNT says "All these died sustained by their faith." A faith that sustains will not leave you in suspense. These people knew where they were going. The Berkley Version says, "Controlled by faith all these went to their death..." Sustaining faith can be the controlling agent in our lives as well. The Williams Translation says, "These people all died victoriously as a result of their faith." This agrees with 1 John 5:4, "And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith."

A faith that is not worth living for is not worth dying for. And vice versa. I hope you will remember these heroes and heroines of faith in Hebrews 11. Whatever weaknesses they had, they all "died in faith." There are only two ways to die: in faith or in unbelief. There are only two ways to live: in faith or in doubt. And remember the definition of faith as found in the very first verse of this chapter. "Now faith is a confident assurance of that for which we hope, a conviction of the reality of things we do not see" (Weymouth). Or as the Amplified New Testament puts it, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality - faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses." Every one of the men and women mentioned in this chapter were prompted, actuated, and urged on by their faith, were sustained by their faith, and died in faith. That's the only way to live...and die.

Prayer/Hymn: "Refresh Thy people on their toilsome way, Lead us from night to never-ending day; Fill our all lives with love and grace divine, And glory, laud, and praise be every Thine" (Daniel C. Roberts)