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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover how the life of faith in Christ is superior to living for the things of this world.

Key Verse

Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Introduction

We’ve already seen that Christ is superior in who He is. Christ is also superior in what He has done. In the final chapters of Hebrews we see that the life of faith is superior as well.

Hebrews teaches that we are to live differently because of what our High Priest has done. He has cleansed us, so we should live as people who are cleansed.

Consider these powerful words from the apostle:

Hebrews 10:19-25: Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

This passage calls us to do three things because of what Christ has done for us. First, we are to enter into His presence with confidence (verse 22). Second, we must hold fast to the truth without wavering (verse 23). And third, we should draw together in fellowship and love. How do we do these three things? In this lesson, we’ll see that we accomplish this by living with faith, hope, and love because of what Christ has done for us.

• Live with faith
• Live with hope
• Live with love

Live with Faith

Chapter 11 is the great faith chapter of the Bible. We learn what faith is and how faith should be demonstrated in our lives.

First, we learn what faith really is. Faith looks ahead to the fulfillment of God’s promises, even when we cannot see those promises fulfilled yet.

Hebrews 11:1-3: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Think about this amazing truth: The world came into existence by the word of God. His promises will be fulfilled with the same certainty and power. What we see around us—the mountains, the oceans, the stars—all came from the invisible word of God. If God can create everything we see from nothing, surely He can fulfill the promises He has made to us.

What is the foundation of faith? Hebrews 11:6 teaches that we must believe two essential things about God:

Hebrews 11:6: And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

We must believe that God is real. We must also believe that God is good—that He rewards those who seek Him with sincere hearts.

The rest of the chapter gives examples of faith from the Old Testament. Examples are given from every period of Israel’s history to show that faith has always guided God’s people through every generation.

➤ The period before the Flood
Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain because he offered it by faith (11:4). Enoch walked with God so closely that God took him to heaven without dying (11:5-6). Noah built an ark to save his family when there wasn’t even a cloud in the sky, trusting God’s warning about the coming flood (11:7).

➤ The period of the patriarchs
Abraham left his homeland without knowing where he was going, simply because God called him to do so (11:8-10). Even when Abraham and Sarah were too old to have children, they trusted God’s promise and received Isaac in their old age (11:11-12). Abraham was even willing to sacrifice Isaac, believing that God could raise him from the dead if necessary (11:17-19). Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all blessed their descendants by faith, looking ahead to God’s promises even as they were dying (11:20-22).

➤ The period of the Exodus
Moses chose to suffer with God’s people rather than enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin in Pharaoh’s palace (11:23-28). The Israelites crossed the Red Sea on dry ground by faith (11:29). Even Rahab the prostitute was saved because she believed in God and helped the Israelite spies (11:31).

➤ The period of the judges and kings
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets all accomplished great things through faith (11:32-35). (Notebook Moment: Which of these Old Testament heroes encourages you most, and why? What can their example teach you about trusting God in your current circumstances?)

Finally, Hebrews speaks about the martyrs to show that saints of every period have lived by faith, even when it cost them their lives:

Hebrews 11:35-40: Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Each of these saints believed God even though they didn’t see the complete fulfillment of His promises in their lifetime. We too should live by faith as we wait for the Second Coming of Christ and the fulfillment of all God’s promises.

Live with Hope

Hebrews also teaches that we should live with hope. Faith and hope are closely connected—we can hope in God because we trust in Him completely.

Christ is our greatest example of hope. He looked ahead with joy to the fulfillment of His work, even when that meant enduring the cross:

Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Notice what motivated Jesus to endure the cross—”the joy set before him.” He could see beyond His present suffering to the eternal joy that would come from our salvation. This is the kind of hope we need to cultivate in our own hearts.

We should maintain hope even when God brings discipline into our lives:

Hebrews 12:4-9: In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!

This discipline is meant to refine us and make us more like Christ:

Hebrews 12:10-11: They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

We should also maintain hope despite the worldliness around us. Our hope should look beyond this world to the promises of God:

Hebrews 12:14-17: Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

Hebrews gives us one more warning about the importance of maintaining hope by listening carefully to God’s voice:

Hebrews 12:25: See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

Live with Love

Hebrews also teaches that we are to live with the love of Christ. Again, we see Jesus as our perfect example:

Hebrews 12:1-3: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Jesus taught that our love is a demonstration of our faith:

John 15:10, 17: If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love… This is my command: Love each other.

The greatest love of all was the love Christ had for us. Hebrews teaches that Christ laid down His life as the perfect sacrifice for sin. We should live in the love of Christ:

John 15:13-14: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.

(Notebook Moment: How does understanding the depth of Christ’s love for you change the way you want to love others? What practical steps can you take this week to demonstrate Christ’s love to someone in your life?)

The love that flows from faith and hope isn’t just an emotion—it’s a way of life that affects how we treat other people. When we truly grasp what Christ has done for us, we cannot help but love others with the same sacrificial love He has shown us.

Conclusion

Hebrews concludes with more practical directions for living godly lives and holding onto the truth. The book summarizes its message in a beautiful benediction that ties together everything we have learned:

Hebrews 13:20-21: Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(Notebook Moment: As you reflect on this entire lesson, which aspect of living the superior life—faith, hope, or love—do you most need to grow in right now? How can you apply what you’ve learned to become more like Christ in that area?)

Once again we see that the command to live a holy life is based upon the perfect work of Jesus Christ. We don’t live with faith, hope, and love in order to earn God’s favor. We live this way because Christ has already secured God’s favor for us through His sacrifice on the cross.

The superior life isn’t about following a list of rules or trying to be good enough for God. The superior life flows naturally from understanding what Christ has done for us. When we truly grasp His love, when we understand the hope we have in Him, when we trust in His promises by faith—then living for Him becomes not a burden but a joy.

This is why the book of Hebrews is so encouraging for believers in every generation. No matter what challenges we face, no matter how difficult our circumstances become, we have a superior High Priest who has provided us with a superior way of life. Let us live with faith, hope, and love, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

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