Would You Be One of Today’s Faithful Heroes Willing to Give All?

Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews is called the “Hall of the heroes of Faith,” featuring many Bible characters who exemplify a life of unbelievable commitment and faithfulness to God. They gave up all without any reservation and with great courage, despite not receiving and enjoying during their time everything that God has promised to them. 

These heroes could have not done it without the faith that comes only from God. Their faith serves as a great encouragement and such an empowering example to all God’s people who are facing so many challenges today. To learn of their incredible courage and their willingness to sacrifice everything, including their lives will help us see the power and the grace of God. 

Nowadays, It is a rarity to hear and meet Christians with the same commitment, much more willing to sacrifice their lives for the Lord. Many have chosen to choose convenience instead of service and comfort instead of opportunities. We all have the tendency and the desire to live and enjoy what today brings; unmindful of the eternity to face and the time of reckoning ahead. 

Most people only want the promise of eternal comfort and the bliss of heaven, without realizing that God has saved us to serve and be witnesses. Often, we see ourselves simply waiting for the time to escape from this sinful and difficult world. Many are excited to know the wonderful and eternal promises, but missed the abundant life and the opportunities available to us, albeit with much trials and sacrifice. When we do that we are missing the best blessings and the eternal rewards. 

We get easily frustrated and defeated. Is it perhaps because our expectations when we got saved were not immediately met? Too often our faith is near-sighted and cannot see afar off. Is it because we choose convenience to avoid suffering? Praise God, our Savior chose to suffer to provide us eternal salvation. We must be willing to follow His footstep to express our praise and gratitude to Him.

The heroes of Chapter 11, did not even see the sacrifice and the death of Christ on the cross. They only trusted God’s promise of redemption through His shed blood. But they expressed their faith through their obedience when they offered blood sacrifices as a picture of the coming and final sacrifice through Christ’s death on the cross. And that is good enough for them to believe and to give all.

We should be more faithful and committed today because Christ had already fulfilled and paid the price. We already believed by receiving Him as our Savior. Are we only looking towards the comfort of heaven and not to obey and follow Christ in suffering? 

These faithful heroes came from all strata of society. We can see that we are all represented there: Patriarchs, Prophets, Men, Women, sinners, disciples, etc. but none of them have lost their hope for a better place. They continued to look forward with great anticipation at how they lived and served. This they did, even though they only saw it in the distance through faith. 

Conclusion:

Let us draw courage from these heroes of faith, who lived and died without seeing the fruit of their labor on earth and yet they continued to believe in God and his promises. 

Hebrews 11:39 - “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:”

We are now blessed to have the opportunity to make perfect or complete what they started. These are the “better things” that God has provided for us to fulfill. They gave up everything, despite not receiving the promise because their faith was such pure and strong that they were confident that among all God’s people today, some will be faithful and committed to completing and fulfill God’s will. 

Hebrews 11:40 - “God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

The question is, would you be one of today’s faithful heroes willing to exercise the faith and give all?