A Guide to Enduring Faith

Hebrews 11 presents a powerful list of faithful men and women who lived by faith despite facing significant challenges. The chapter opens defining faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” These children of God were not seeking rewards in this life but rather in the life to come. Hebrews 11:10 highlights Abraham, who “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

Regarding Abraham and others, the writer further explains, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had the opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.” (Hebrews 11:13-16) 

Looking for an eternal city, seeing the fruition of promises out of our lifetime, embracing them and confessing that this world is not my home, enables the child of GOD to endure and not grow weary in well doing. These Hebrew Christians could endure the race set before them and face their trials by remembering their identity and their ultimate destination.

The greatest example we can follow is Jesus. The Hebrew writer instructs his readers to look unto Jesus, “…the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:2

Jesus endured the temporary pain of the cross by focusing on what lay ahead. He would take His place at the right hand of God’s throne. But this was not for His own sake—it was for us. He left the glories of heaven, came to earth, and took on human weakness.

His anticipation of being enthroned at the right hand of the Father was not a selfish joy, but a joy rooted in knowing that His mission was complete. Sitting at the Father’s right hand signified that He had accomplished the task given to Him, resulting in Salvation. In other words, He knew that His sacrifice provided forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life for you and me, and this brought Him immense joy. To remain faithful to Christ, we must keep our eyes fixed on what lies ahead.