HEBREWS ELEVEN (part one)

I am starting another series. This time on Hebrews chapter eleven. Hebrew eleven is a list, a roll call of
honor, of men and women that believed God and performed miracles, wrought righteousness and got
deliverance.
Before we begin, I have to explain the difference between believing and faith. In the Greek the word is
pistis. It is used for both believing and faith. It is only by the study of the Bible that we can differentiate
between the two. You see, there was a time that there was no “faith.”
Galatians 3:23 (KJV)
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed.
It says clearly “before faith came.” So there was a time before there was any faith. That time, as we will
see, is before the Day of Pentecost, when for the first-time people were born again of God’s spirit.
Let’s look further at Galatians chapter three.
Galatians 3:22-29 (KJV)
22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given
to them that believe.
Here we see the usages of faith and believing being different. Same Greek word just translated different.
Faith is what we receive when we do Romans 10:9,10. The natural man can believe and receive the holy
spirit.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be
revealed.
Before the Day of Pentecost the only people with a covenant relationship with God were the Jews and
part of that covenant relationship was for them to obey the Law of Moses.
The words “shut up” mean to be shut off from. No one had access to that faith of Jesus Christ until it
was made available.
24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
The words “to bring us unto” are wrong. The Law couldn’t bring people to Christ. No, no, no! “To bring
us” are in italics in the King James Bible showing us that the translators added these words. They are
void of authority and we can delete them, as we should. The word “unto” is the word UNTIL! The Law
was our schoolmaster UNTIL Christ. Therefore, we no longer are justified by the blood of goats andBulls! Jesus Christ accomplished our justification once and for all by the shedding of his blood. When we
are clothed with that holy spirit of promise we are justified by the faith of Jesus Christ.
25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
That is absolutely right! We no longer have to do all the commandments contained in the Law because
we are freed from the Law!
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye
are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The seed of Abraham that it is talking about here are those who believe. Abraham believed God and it
was imputed unto him for righteousness. (Romans chapter four)
Romans 4:13 (KJV)
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through
the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
Romans 4:16 (KJV)
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all
the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham;
who is the father of us all,
Let me sum this up. No one before the Day of Pentecost had faith. They could believe, but, they couldn’t
have faith. After the Day of Pentecost the natural man of body and soul can believe and when a person
gets to the point that they believe and confess with their mouths Jesus as lord and believe in their heart
that God raised him from the dead then, in that instant, they receive faith. So, as we look at Hebrews
chapter eleven you will see that the word “faith” is used repeatedly. You will, also, see that all of these
people lived before the Day of Pentecost. Therefore, the Greek word “pistis” should be translated
“believing” and not “faith.”
Now let’s go to Hebrews chapter eleven.
Hebrews 11:1-7 (KJV)
1 Now faith (believing) is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
The literal translation of this verse is “believing is the title deed to things prayed for, the
evidence that they are yours before they are seen.”
No one ever gets anything by hoping. Hoping is only for things not yet available. Believing
appropriates things that are available NOW. An analogy of this is two people standing in a trainstation one is a hoper and one is a believer. They are both waiting for the train to Boston. They
are both hopers to start because they are anticipating something that is not yet available.
However, when the train rolls in and then leaves the only one that got on is the believer because
believing appropriates things that are available NOW. Even though the train to Boston showed
up and allowed people to board the hoper stayed on the platform waiting, still anticipating, the
trains coming. Most people are hopers because they don’t know what is available from God
NOW, so, they hope God will help them. They hope for deliverance.
Deliverance is available. All we have to do is study the Bible to see what is available and get on
the train! BELIEVE and appropriate!
2 For by it (believing) the elders obtained a good report.
The word “obtained” is not in the Greek text and the words “good report” should be translated
“bear witness.” By believing the elders bear witness. Bear witness of what? They bear witness of
the power of God in the life of an individual that believes His promises!
3 Through faith (believing) 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.
That’s right! God spoke the universe into being.
Genesis 1:3 (KJV)
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Genesis 1:6 (KJV)
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters
from the waters.
Genesis 1:9 (KJV)
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the
dry land appear: and it was so.
Genesis 1:11 (KJV)
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit
after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
Genesis 1:14 (KJV)
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the
night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
Genesis 1:20 (KJV)
20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and
fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Genesis 1:24 (KJV)
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing,
and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.People take the Bible for granted when it says it is a living word. The same God that spoke the
universe into being is the same God that had His living word written down for us! How
important and how powerful is that Word must be!