Hebrews chapter 11 is still part of God’s Word. It is inspired by God just like the rest of the Bible. In this chapter, God defined true faith and gave many examples of people who lived by faith. It is impossible to read and study chapter 11 and find any justification for the heresies pumped out by the Charismatic crowd.
In verse 1 we are given the definition of faith. We learn here that true Biblical faith has substance. It has a source that is real. True faith is the substance of things hoped for. What are the things hoped for? We will see that as we go through this chapter. The Bible tells us over and over again that the hope of man is God, and the culmination of that hope is in Heaven. The only way to realize that hope is through true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God tells us further that faith is the evidence of things not seen. God gave many examples of Old Testament saints who trusted in God even if they did not see the promises come to pass in their lifetime. They believed God for real things because they had all the evidence they needed to trust God. They knew He cannot lie.
In verse 2 we read that the elders obtained a good report by faith. They did not obtain this good report by works. They obtained it by faith. The entire book of Hebrews is about exalting Jesus Christ to His rightful place. He is better than all. He alone provides salvation. There is no other Saviour and there never will be another Saviour. We must accept that by faith just like the Old Testament saints accepted that by faith.
In verse 3 God began to give examples of this faith by starting where He started His Word to man. He began His written Word with Genesis 1. That chapter is all about creation. In our text, God stated that through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. There was no need for the feeble response against evolution in the 1800s. The Word of God was just as true then as it is now. There is no reason for the feeble response to creation now either. Theistic evolution was wrong then and it still is now. The idea that dinosaurs lived and died out long before man came on the scene is a lie. We know that because God says so. God challenged Job with the reality of dinosaurs in his time. He knew how strong they were. He knew how vicious they could be. Job needed to believe in the wisdom and power of God.
The false teaching that a child in the womb is a “fetus” and not a human being is a lie. If it is just a fetus, then there is no problem in removing that for whatever reason. Since it is a human being, we have no right to murder that living person. Just because it is developing in the womb, does not make it less of a person.
In our text, God stated that Biblical faith accepts the fact that things that are seen were not made of things which do appear. You and I cannot make anything out of nothing. We need raw materials to make something. However, God made the world out of nothing. He put the stars in their place and they do not threaten the existence of man. The Sun shines 24/7 and it remains up there in the sky. It is not going to come crashing down all of a sudden. God caused a world wide flood once and there will never be another one. We know that because God says so. God is all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present at the same time. Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things and He is also the sustainer of all things. He is the Saviour of mankind. He is the Great High Priest. We reject the lies of Catholicism and any other religion that wants to teach works salvation.
The fires that burned in Jasper last weekend were not the result of mother nature. They were the result of ungodly environmental plans that worship the creature rather than the Creator. They are saying that the root of the fire in Jasper goes back at least 25 years. For many years now, governments have discouraged people from burning wood. Dead wood is being left in the forest and it is fuel for a fire. Wood is a good source for heating. God gave it to us for that purpose as well as for building. The pine beetle is the result of the curse that is upon the earth due to the fall of Adam. Man’s obsession with the worship of the creature rather than the Creator is multiplying the problems and God is also judging our wicked nation.
In verse 4 we read of Abel. Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain because Abel believed what God had declared. God showed Adam and Eve that the death of an animal was required to provide the coats of skins they needed as a covering for their sin. Obviously God showed them the necessity of the shedding of blood to cover their sins. Obviously Adam and Eve taught their sons this as well. God never leaves man without the knowledge he needs. The problem with Cain was that he chose to distort God’s law and the result was that his offering was unacceptable. Abel was not made righteous by his offering. He obtained witness that he was righteous. Abel’s actions proved that he believed in God. James tells us that faith without works is dead. Abel believed God and he demonstrated that he believed God. Cain rejected God and he demonstrated that he rejected God.
To this day we still read of the righteousness of Abel. Even though Abel died young, yet his testimony lives on. God saw to it that we would have that witness as long as the earth stands.
In verse 5 we read of the faith of Enoch. Enoch walked by faith and God took him out of this world because he had this testimony that he pleased God. The result of that was that Enoch was taken out of this world early. Enoch gives us a picture of the “rapture”. It is a picture of the being “caught up”, to be with the Lord.
The many examples that God gave of men of faith show men who did not follow the natural way of man. They were different. They chose to follow God because they believed in Him.
In verse 6 we are reminded that without faith it is impossible to please God. If you are walking in fear as the Catholics and many others are, your motivation for doing what you do is fear. I was in a store yesterday and the clerk was wearing a necklace with a cross on it. There was an image on that cross. I did not have opportunity to ask the person who they believed was on that cross, but most likely they would believe that it is Jesus on that cross. That is the problem for the Catholics and others who follow that doctrine. They have a dead Saviour. They think that wearing a cross like that or having one in their house or elsewhere, is going to strengthen the possibility of them getting through purgatory sooner. They can never please God with all that.
The person that comes to God must believe that He IS. Not that He was, but that He IS. He is the ever present God. Since He is the ever present God, He is also able to reward those who diligently seek Him.

Romans 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.