Faith of a Friend

A Meditation on Enduring in Faith from Hebrews 11 and 12

Chapters 11–12 of the book of Hebrews is a passage of Scripture that causes a reader to pause in wonder, not only because it lays out our one hope across redemptive history but also because of the author’s exposition of the mystery of faith. The section begins with the definition and benefits of faith: “Now, to have faith is to have a grounded conviction about things hoped for, to be firmly convinced of the certainty of events not seen. Indeed, it was because of their faith that our ancestors received God’s approval.”¹Hebrews 11:1-2, BHT Translation. This answers a classic “Sunday School question” neatly: how were people justified before Christ’s atoning sacrifice? Was it perfect adherence to the law given at Sinai? Of course not. People have been deemed righteous from the beginning because they believed in the Promise-Giver’s promises and, by extension, his character. Though they did not have concrete evidence or see the fulfillment of the promises given them, they trusted that God would do as He said He would.

Eve doubted the words of God when asked, “Did God really say…?”²Genesis 3:1 misjudging His character as withholding and not desiring her best.³See Genesis 3:4-6. She then gave the fruit to Adam, who also partook in disobedience. Consequently, the whole human race—and, by extension, creation—was plunged into sin, death, and decay. How immensely powerful that in the face of such seeming disaster, a remnant of sons and daughters of Adam would cling to the hope of a promised Seed,⁴See Genesis 3:15. a Seed who would facilitate their adoption as children of God and rescue and restore all of creation?

The testimony of Eve’s faithful sons and daughters is recounted in glorious and repetitive detail as the chapter unfolds: by faith, Abel…by faith, Enoch…by faith, Abraham…by faith, Moses…by faith, Rahab.⁵See Hebrews 11:4-31. Even on this side of Calvary, however, the remnant of those trusting God with our lives find ourselves in the same position as Abraham, who “went, even though he did not know where he was going.”⁶Hebrews 11:8 We have received an invaluable inheritance in the histories of this great cloud of witnesses and are blessed with apostolic accounts and explanations of the Cross, answering for the necessity of Messiah’s suffering before he comes into His glory. But like our fathers and mothers of old, we have yet to see “the city designed and built by God,”⁷Hebrews 11:10 we “hope against hope,” ⁸Romans 4:18 we “greet from afar” ⁹Hebrews 11:13 and “we groan inwardly, eagerly awaiting our adoption as sons and the redemption of our bodies.“¹⁰Roman 8:16 We have the evidence of Jesus’ firstfruits resurrection, but we have yet to see our own. From the beginning until the present day, people of faith have endured “torture…Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” But they and we have not yet “received what was promised.”¹¹Hebrews 11:35-40; this teaching on faith from Hebrews is surprisingly different from most of the faith teachings we hear from pulpits nowadays.

How then do we navigate the tension of living in a time when promises of God have not yet been fulfilled? The writer does not leave us in suspense but urges us to endure in chapter twelve: persevere through all hardship with patience and godliness because you know that your reward is coming and you will inherit an unshakable kingdom. Or, as the apostle Paul puts it: walk by the faith that is convinced of events yet unseen, not by the present evidence of your eyes.”¹²2 Corinthians 5:7 These encouragements echo the conditions for drawing near to God from the previous chapter, connecting closeness to God with confidence in future grace: “for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek Him.”¹³Hebrews 11:6 At first glance, this might seem to be a mercenary definition. Does having faith mean we follow God for personal profit, focusing on the benefits rather than the Benefactor? The writer of Hebrews clarifies this point early on by demonstrating that the benefits of belief are on the whole not immediate. Affliction is the hallmark of this present evil age. This principle is patterned in the patriarchs and prophets and mirrored in the Messiah’s suffering. After His crucifixion and death, however, Christ was glorified, a sign and seal of our future reward: “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”¹⁴Hebrews 12:2

What was the joy set before Jesus that allowed Him to endure such shame as the crucifixion faithfully? His joy is unbroken fellowship with His people—the reward of a bridegroom King! Jesus said as much in John 17, His High Priestly Prayer: “I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves… I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one… Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, may be with Me where I am… I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”¹⁵See John 17:13-26.

This author and perfecter of our faith¹⁶Hebrews 12:2 had many illuminating teachings about faith even before His farewell prayer. In Luke 18, right after an eschatological teaching, Jesus launches into a parable about prayer and persistence. He ends His parable with these words: “And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”¹⁷Luke 18:7-8 In other words, “Will God, who is just and loving, delay needlessly over the relief of His beloved ones? No! But, when He comes to bring deliverance to His people, will they have remained faithful?” It is the vulnerable question of a friend: will you stay with me—through hell and high water—until the end?

A little later in Luke, the theme of friendship and faith comes to the forefront again in Jesus’ prayers. As the disciples are reclining at the last supper and the painful betrayal of Judas is already set in motion, Jesus confronts another upcoming betrayal in this way: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter answers, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know Me.”¹⁸Luke 22:32 The intercession of Jesus for his friend Peter prevented Peter from permanently breaking faith with his Lord and allowed his restoration and faithful endurance to go to a martyr’s death with humility, confidence, and joy.¹⁹John 21:18-19; though the Bible doesn’t say explicitly how Peter dies, early church tradition says that he died a martyr’s death, crucified upside down.

The question that naturally follows these stirring examples of enduring friendship as faith, a concept at its root relational, is: how did faith come to be understood as an abstract thing, a mental assent to a set of beliefs, and a synonym for a system of doctrine? I would argue that such a shift in understanding has hampered our ability to grow, mature, and endure in this evil age. The authors of Hebrews and the Gospels are not the only ones who made this point. James says in the second chapter of his book, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness—and he was called a friend of God.”²⁰James 2:23 Abraham’s belief, his faith—not in an idea, but in a Man—was a trust between friends whose futures are bound in covenant together. This loyalty, this friendship, was counted to him as righteousness. “And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets….”²¹See Hebrews 11:32–34.

Across the testimony of the scriptures, we are assured again and again that faith is not merely an intellectual assent to truth but a trust between friends. Faith is friendship with God, an affection that feeds enduring, loyal belief in his future promises so that when the Son of Man returns, he might find faithful, obedient, loyal friends on earth. This faith is not something we can muster up through our strength, but we instead hang on by the thread of Jesus’ intercession. He is praying for us as he did Peter, that our faith would not fail, that he might dwell in our hearts in by means of faith,²²See Ephesians 3:17. and we would dwell with him forever when he comes into His Kingdom.²³See John 17:24.

Perhaps Paul’s teaching in his letter to Timothy sums it up best: “The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.”²⁴2 Timothy 2:11 Denial of Jesus reveals us as faithless, and it can go one of two ways: the way of Judas or the way of Peter. Conversely, Jesus’ denial of the ultimately faithless ones is a mark of his own faithfulness to his unfailing character.

So let us then endure in faith, in a friendship with Jesus that clings through all trials. Our faithful God, our unwavering friend, exists, and he rewards those who love him to the end. The author of Hebrews says as much in his conclusion: “Therefore let us be grateful to receive a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”²⁵Hebrews 12:28-30

Footnotes

• 1
  Hebrews 11:1-2, BHT Translation.
• 2
  Genesis 3:1
• 3
  See Genesis 3:4-6.
• 4
  See Genesis 3:15.
• 5
  See Hebrews 11:4-31.
• 6
  Hebrews 11:8
• 7
  Hebrews 11:10
• 8
  Romans 4:18
• 9
  Hebrews 11:13
• 10
  Roman 8:16
• 11
  Hebrews 11:35-40; this teaching on faith from Hebrews is surprisingly different from most of the faith teachings we hear from pulpits nowadays.
• 12
  2 Corinthians 5:7
• 13
  Hebrews 11:6
• 14
  Hebrews 12:2
• 15
  See John 17:13-26.
• 16
  Hebrews 12:2
• 17
  Luke 18:7-8
• 18
  Luke 22:32
• 19
  John 21:18-19; though the Bible doesn’t say explicitly how Peter dies, early church tradition says that he died a martyr’s death, crucified upside down.
• 20
  James 2:23
• 21
  See Hebrews 11:32–34.
• 22
  See Ephesians 3:17.
• 23
  See John 17:24.
• 24
  2 Timothy 2:11
• 25
  Hebrews 12:28-30