A Better Way – Faith

Hebrews 11:1-16

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  [Heb 11:6]

Jesus is better!  He is better than the prophets [1:1-3]; better than the angels [1:4-2:18]; better than Moses [3:1-4:13]; better than Joshua [Heb 4:8]; and better than Aaron [4:14-6:20].  Jesus is superior!  He is a superior Priest [chaps. 7-10]; He ministers from a superior order, i.e., the order of Melchizedek, a Priest and King [chap. 7]; He ministers from a superior covenant, the New Covenant [chap. 8]; He ministers from a superior sanctuary, the heavenly sanctuary [chap. 9]; and He is that superior sacrifice who takes away sin, even cleansing our consciousness [our minds] of sin.  The Person of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man, is superior to all others.

Now beginning at Hebrews 11, after the doctrine and theology has been laid out in chaps 1-10, the application, the better way, “By faith,” is revealed.  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him,…”  You see, one can learn and know doctrine, yet it profits nothing unless he believes and lives by faith.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen [ref. Heb 11:1].  All of Chapters 1-10 we must believe, and go on to living by faith.

Faith is the better way.  In this life we walk by faith, not by sight.  There will be a day when faith turns to sight, but until we see our Lord face-to-face, we walk [live] by faith.  Faith is a superior life, and this the Hebrews writer shows through numerous examples of Old Testament saints.  He begins with “righteous Abel,” and ends with the testimony of the prophets, the bookends of our Old Testament scriptures.  And then at the end of the chapter he joins us, those who have received the better covenant [the New Covenant] by faith:

“And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” [Heb 11;40]

Let us apply what has been revealed.  By faith we shall enter in, behind the veil, into the Holy of Holies.