11Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.G1161G4102G2076G5287G1679G1650G4229G3756G9912Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.G1063G1722G5026G4245G31403By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.G4102G3539G165G2675G4487G2316G1519G3588G991G1096G3361G1096G1537G53164It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel's offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.G4102G6G4374G2316G4119G2378G3844G2535G1223G3739G3140G1511G1342G2316G3140G1909G846G1435G2532G1223G846G599G2089G2980G29805It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—"he disappeared, because God took him." For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.G4102G1802G3346G1492G3361G1492G2288G2532G2147G3756G2147G1360G2316G3346G846G1063G4253G846G3331G3140G2100G23166And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.G1161G5565G4102G102G2100G1063G4334G2316G1163G4100G3754G2076G2532G1096G3406G1567G8467It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.G4102G3575G5537G4012G3369G991G3369G2125G2680G2787G1519G4991G846G3624G1223G3739G2632G2889G2532G1096G2818G1343G2596G41028It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.G4102G11G2564G1831G1519G5117G3739G3195G2983G1519G2817G5219G2532G1831G3361G1987G4226G20649And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.G4102G3939G1519G1093G1860G5613G245G2730G1722G4633G3326G2464G2532G2384G4789G846G186010Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.G1063G1551G4172G2192G2310G3739G5079G2532G1217G231611It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed that God would keep his promise.G4102G2532G4564G846G2983G1411G1519G2602G4690G2532G5088G3844G2540G2244G1893G2233G4103G186112And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.G1352G1080G2532G575G1520G2532G5023G3499G2531G798G3772G4128G2532G5616G285G3588G3844G2281G5491G38213All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.G3778G3956G599G2596G4102G3361G2983G1860G235G1492G846G4207G2532G3982G2532G782G2532G3670G3754G1526G3581G2532G3927G1909G109314Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.G1063G3004G5108G1718G3754G1934G396815If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back.G2532G3303G1487G3421G1565G575G3739G1831G302G2192G2540G34416But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.G1161G3570G3713G2909G5123G2032G1352G2316G1870G3756G1870G846G1941G846G2316G1063G2090G846G417217It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God's promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,G4102G11G3985G4374G2464G2532G324G1860G4374G343918even though God had told him, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted."G4314G3739G2980G3754G1722G2464G2564G4671G4690G256419Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.G3049G3754G2316G1415G1453G2532G1537G3498G3606G2532G2865G846G1722G385020It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.G4102G2464G2127G2384G2532G2269G4012G319521It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.G4102G2384G599G2127G1538G5207G2501G2532G4352G1909G206G846G446422It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.G4102G2501G5053G3421G4012G1841G5207G2474G2532G1781G4012G846G374723It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command.G4102G3475G1080G2928G5150G5259G846G3962G1360G1492G791G3813G2532G5399G3756G5399G935G129724It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.G4102G3475G1096G3173G720G3004G5207G5328G236425He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.G138G3123G4778G2992G2316G2228G2192G619G266G434026He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.G2233G3680G5547G3187G4149G2233G2344G1722G125G1063G578G1519G340527It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.G4102G2641G125G3361G5399G2372G935G1063G2594G5613G3708G51728It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.G4102G4160G3957G2532G4378G129G3363G3645G4416G2345G84629It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.G4102G1224G2063G2281G5613G1223G3584G3739G124G3984G2983G266630It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.G4102G5038G2410G4098G2944G1909G2033G225031It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.G4102G4204G4460G4881G3756G544G1209G2685G3326G151532How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.G2532G5101G3004G2089G3004G1063G5550G1952G3165G1334G4012G1066G5037G913G2532G4546G2532G2422G1138G2532G5037G4545G2532G439633By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,G3739G1223G4102G2610G932G2038G1343G2013G1860G5420G4750G302334quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.G4570G1411G4442G5343G4750G3162G575G769G1743G1096G2478G1722G4171G2827G3925G24535Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.G1135G2983G846G3498G1537G386G1161G243G5178G3756G4327G629G2443G5177G2909G38636Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.G1161G2087G2983G3984G1701G2532G3148G1161G2089G1199G2532G543837Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.G3034G4249G3985G599G1722G5408G3162G4022G1722G3374G1722G122G1192G5302G2346G255838They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.G3739G2889G2258G3756G514G4105G1722G2047G2532G3735G2532G4693G2532G3692G109339All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.G2532G3778G3956G3140G1223G4102G2865G3756G186040For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.G2316G4265G5100G2909G5100G4012G2257G3363G5048G5565G2257G5048G3363G5048
Ashburn, VA
For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.G4102
