Hebrews 11
11To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.G1161G4102G2076G5287G1679G1650G4229G3756G9912It was by their faith that people of ancient times won God's approval.G1063G1722G5026G4245G31403It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.G4102G3539G165G2675G4487G2316G1519G3588G991G1096G3361G1096G1537G53164It was faith that made Abel offer to God a better sacrifice than Cain's. Through his faith he won God's approval as a righteous man, because God himself approved of his gifts. By means of his faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.G4102G6G4374G2316G4119G2378G3844G2535G1223G3739G3140G1511G1342G2316G3140G1909G846G1435G2532G1223G846G599G2089G2980G29805It was faith that kept Enoch from dying. Instead, he was taken up to God, and nobody could find him, because God had taken him up. The scripture says that before Enoch was taken up, he had pleased God.G4102G1802G3346G1492G3361G1492G2288G2532G2147G3756G2147G1360G2316G3346G846G1063G4253G846G3331G3140G2100G23166No one can please God without faith, for whoever comes to God must have faith that God exists and rewards those who seek him.G1161G5565G4102G102G2100G1063G4334G2316G1163G4100G3754G2076G2532G1096G3406G1567G8467It was faith that made Noah hear God's warnings about things in the future that he could not see. He obeyed God and built a boat in which he and his family were saved. As a result, the world was condemned, and Noah received from God the righteousness that comes by faith.G4102G3575G5537G4012G3369G991G3369G2125G2680G2787G1519G4991G846G3624G1223G3739G2632G2889G2532G1096G2818G1343G2596G41028It was faith that made Abraham obey when God called him to go out to a country which God had promised to give him. He left his own country without knowing where he was going.G4102G11G2564G1831G1519G5117G3739G3195G2983G1519G2817G5219G2532G1831G3361G1987G4226G20649By faith he lived as a foreigner in the country that God had promised him. He lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who received the same promise from God.G4102G3939G1519G1093G1860G5613G245G2730G1722G4633G3326G2464G2532G2384G4789G846G186010For Abraham was waiting for the city which God has designed and built, the city with permanent foundations.G1063G1551G4172G2192G2310G3739G5079G2532G1217G231611It was faith that made Abraham able to become a father, even though he was too old and Sarah herself could not have children. He trusted God to keep his promise.G4102G2532G4564G846G2983G1411G1519G2602G4690G2532G5088G3844G2540G2244G1893G2233G4103G186112Though Abraham was practically dead, from this one man came as many descendants as there are stars in the sky, as many as the numberless grains of sand on the seashore.G1352G1080G2532G575G1520G2532G5023G3499G2531G798G3772G4128G2532G5616G285G3588G3844G2281G5491G38213It was in faith that all these persons died. They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth.G3778G3956G599G2596G4102G3361G2983G1860G235G1492G846G4207G2532G3982G2532G782G2532G3670G3754G1526G3581G2532G3927G1909G109314Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own.G1063G3004G5108G1718G3754G1934G396815They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return.G2532G3303G1487G3421G1565G575G3739G1831G302G2192G2540G34416Instead, it was a better country they longed for, the heavenly country. And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them.G1161G3570G3713G2909G5123G2032G1352G2316G1870G3756G1870G846G1941G846G2316G1063G2090G846G417217It was faith that made Abraham offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice when God put Abraham to the test. Abraham was the one to whom God had made the promise, yet he was ready to offer his only son as a sacrifice.G4102G11G3985G4374G2464G2532G324G1860G4374G343918God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that you will have the descendants I promised."G4314G3739G2980G3754G1722G2464G2564G4671G4690G256419Abraham reckoned that God was able to raise Isaac from death - and, so to speak, Abraham did receive Isaac back from death.G3049G3754G2316G1415G1453G2532G1537G3498G3606G2532G2865G846G1722G385020It was faith that made Isaac promise blessings for the future to Jacob and Esau.G4102G2464G2127G2384G2532G2269G4012G319521It was faith that made Jacob bless each of the sons of Joseph just before he died. He leaned on the top of his walking stick and worshiped God.G4102G2384G599G2127G1538G5207G2501G2532G4352G1909G206G846G446422It was faith that made Joseph, when he was about to die, speak of the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, and leave instructions about what should be done with his body.G4102G2501G5053G3421G4012G1841G5207G2474G2532G1781G4012G846G374723It was faith that made the parents of Moses hide him for three months after he was born. They saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's order.G4102G3475G1080G2928G5150G5259G846G3962G1360G1492G791G3813G2532G5399G3756G5399G935G129724It was faith that made Moses, when he had grown up, refuse to be called the son of the king's daughter.G4102G3475G1096G3173G720G3004G5207G5328G236425He preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while.G138G3123G4778G2992G2316G2228G2192G619G266G434026He reckoned that to suffer scorn for the Messiah was worth far more than all the treasures of Egypt, for he kept his eyes on the future reward.G2233G3680G5547G3187G4149G2233G2344G1722G125G1063G578G1519G340527It was faith that made Moses leave Egypt without being afraid of the king's anger. As though he saw the invisible God, he refused to turn back.G4102G2641G125G3361G5399G2372G935G1063G2594G5613G3708G51728It was faith that made him establish the Passover and order the blood to be sprinkled on the doors, so that the Angel of Death would not kill the first-born sons of the Israelites.G4102G4160G3957G2532G4378G129G3363G3645G4416G2345G84629It was faith that made the Israelites able to cross the Red Sea as if on dry land; when the Egyptians tried to do it, the water swallowed them up.G4102G1224G2063G2281G5613G1223G3584G3739G124G3984G2983G266630It was faith that made the walls of Jericho fall down after the Israelites had marched around them for seven days.G4102G5038G2410G4098G2944G1909G2033G225031It was faith that kept the prostitute Rahab from being killed with those who disobeyed God, for she gave the Israelite spies a friendly welcome.G4102G4204G4460G4881G3756G544G1209G2685G3326G151532Should I go on? There isn't enough time for me to speak of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets.G2532G5101G3004G2089G3004G1063G5550G1952G3165G1334G4012G1066G5037G913G2532G4546G2532G2422G1138G2532G5037G4545G2532G439633Through faith they fought whole countries and won. They did what was right and received what God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions,G3739G1223G4102G2610G932G2038G1343G2013G1860G5420G4750G302334put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners.G4570G1411G4442G5343G4750G3162G575G769G1743G1096G2478G1722G4171G2827G3925G24535Through faith women received their dead relatives raised back to life. Others, refusing to accept freedom, died under torture in order to be raised to a better life.G1135G2983G846G3498G1537G386G1161G243G5178G3756G4327G629G2443G5177G2909G38636Some were mocked and whipped, and others were put in chains and taken off to prison.G1161G2087G2983G3984G1701G2532G3148G1161G2089G1199G2532G543837They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were killed by the sword. They went around clothed in skins of sheep or goats - poor, persecuted, and mistreated.G3034G4249G3985G599G1722G5408G3162G4022G1722G3374G1722G122G1192G5302G2346G255838The world was not good enough for them! They wandered like refugees in the deserts and hills, living in caves and holes in the ground.G3739G2889G2258G3756G514G4105G1722G2047G2532G3735G2532G4693G2532G3692G109339What a record all of these have won by their faith! Yet they did not receive what God had promised,G2532G3778G3956G3140G1223G4102G2865G3756G186040because God had decided on an even better plan for us. His purpose was that only in company with us would they be made perfect.G2316G4265G5100G2909G5100G4012G2257G3363G5048G5565G2257G5048G3363G5048
Columbus, OH
