“What Is Faith?” Hebrews 11:1- 4

Everyone exercises some form of faith. People place their trust in many different things—like expecting a car to start and get them safely to their destination, or believing that their doctor is competent and capable. Whether we realize it or not, we all live with this mindset of faith in our daily lives.

“WHAT IS FAITH?”
Hebrews 11:1–4, 6–7, 8

Today, I want to take a moment to talk about the subject of faith.
Everyone has some kind of faith. People place their trust in all sorts of things. For example, when we get into a car, we believe it will start and take us to our destination. We trust that our doctor knows what they’re doing. This mindset of faith is something we all share in one way or another.

The truth is—no one can go through a single day without exercising faith.

But faith isn’t just limited to everyday life; it also exists in the spiritual realm. Each of us, regardless of our background, expresses faith in some form. The key difference between our day-to-day faith and spiritual faith lies in what or whom we are placing that faith in.

Everyone places faith in something or someone.
The Muslim puts faith in the Koran and in Muhammad.
The humanist places faith in their own reasoning and abilities.
The religious person might trust in their own good deeds.
Yet, none of these sources of faith can save—because in each of those examples, the object of the faith is flawed or insufficient.

The strength of our faith is only as strong as the object in which we place it.

The Bible teaches us clearly that we must place our personal faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
— Acts 4:12

Let’s now read from Hebrews 11:1–4:

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks.

I. WHAT IS FAITH?

To truly understand what faith is, we must first clear up some common misconceptions.

Some people believe that as long as they are sincere in what they believe, their faith is valid. However, the Apostle Paul makes a powerful statement in 2 Timothy 1:12: “For I know whom I have believed.” This reminds us that saving faith is not about believing in just anything or anyone—it is about believing in Jesus Christ. Faith must be rooted in the right object. If your belief isn’t centered on Christ, it doesn’t matter how strongly you believe—it won’t lead to salvation.

Hebrews 11 gives us a deeper insight into the nature of true faith. Let’s revisit verses 1-3:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
The word “substance” here can be understood like a subfloor in a building—it’s the unseen support that holds everything else up. Faith is our solid foundation, the unseen support for what we hope for.

Faith is our positive response to God’s Word and will. We exercise faith when we trust what God says, even without physical evidence. We don’t need to see to believe—faith accepts God’s Word simply because He said it. Jesus Himself affirmed this in John 20:29, saying, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

Hope refers to our confidence in the future based on God’s promises, while conviction speaks to our present assurance in things not seen. Together, they form the basis of faith.

“For by it the elders obtained a good report.”
The heroes of faith in the Bible were commended not because of their perfection, but because of their trust in God.

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”
No human witnessed creation firsthand; we accept it by faith. God brought everything into existence from nothing—this foundational truth is explained in Genesis and received by faith.

True faith means trusting and obeying God’s Word regardless of circumstances or consequences. It is both the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. The term “substance” literally means to stand under or support. Faith is what gives believers the confidence to stand firm—it’s the assurance that what God has promised, He will fulfill.

Today, there are essentially two ways people try to approach God:

1. By works – attempting to earn God’s approval through perfect behavior. But no one has succeeded this way—not Adam, Abraham, David, Daniel, or anyone else.
2. By faith – trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Trying to reach God through works is a path of frustration and failure. But faith offers a sure foundation, because it rests not on human effort, but on God’s unchanging truth.