Great Examples of Faith
"Faith
shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we
cannot see. Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a
good reputation.
By 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.
It 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.
It 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. And 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.
It 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.
It
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. And 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. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal
foundations, a city designed and built by God.
It 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. And 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.
All 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. Obviously
people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can
call their own. If they had longed for the country they came from, they
could have gone back. But 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.
It 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, even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom
your descendants will be counted.” Abraham 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.
It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.
It
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.
It
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.
It 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.
It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share
the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting
pleasures of sin. He 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. It 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. It 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.
It 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.
It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
It
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.
How 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. By faith these
people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had
promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched 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. Women 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.
Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others
were chained in prisons. Some 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. They were too
good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in
caves and holes in the ground.
All these people earned a good
reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that
God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that
they would not reach perfection without us."
1. What is Faith?
2. By faith we understand ................................................................
3. Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than ......................... did.
4. Abel was a ..............................................
5. Abel still speaks to us by his example of .............................
6. Why was Enoch taken up to heaven without dying?
7. Enoch disappeared because .......................................
8. Enoch was known as a person who pleased ...........................
9. It is impossible to please God without .........................
10. It was by faith that Noah built an .................................
11. Noah ........... God, who warned him about things that had never happened before.
12. By his faith Noah .......................the rest of the world, and he received the ............................
13. Did Abraham obey God?
14. God called him to ......................................................................
15. When Abraham reached the land God promised him, he lived there by ...................
16. By faith Abraham offered who?
17. Abraham sacrificed his only son ...........................
18. By faith why is Moses important?
19. By faith the people of Israel went right through the .....................
20. By faith the people of Israel marched around ..............................
21. Why was Rahab the prostitute saved?
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