Introduction
Today is Back-To-School Sunday, a day when we pray for our students, parents, and teachers as they step into a new academic year.
Today also marks the beginning of our new sermon series, “Running the Race of Faith.” For the next four Sundays, I’m going to focus on Hebrews 11–13 and talk in particular about what faith is and how we live it out in our day-to-day lives.
Our theme verses for this series are going to be Hebrews 12:1-2.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, 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.
What is Faith?
We’ll get more into chapter 12 next week, but for today, we’re going to be thinking about the faith of that great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us and encourages us to keep moving forward in this journey that we call the Christian life.
Hebrews 11 begins like this.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1).
All of us have heard this verse before. Whenever someone asks, “What is faith?” this is the go-to verse. What’s always troubled me about this verse, however, is that it seems to collapse faith and hope into the same thing.
We’ll get back to this distinction between faith and hope, but I first want to clear the ground about what faith isn’t because people commonly get this wrong.
Faith is not Confessing the Creed
First, living by faith is not the same thing as confessing the Faith. We define the Faith as the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. The Faith is something that we confess. But there are lots of people who confess the creeds because that’s what they’re supposed to do in church on Sunday, but they aren’t actually living by faith. And I suspect the opposite is true.
Faith is not a Feeling
Second, living by faith is not a warm, fuzzy sentimentality. It’s not something you experience. It’s something you do. It’s something you live out. Many people experience warm, fuzzy spiritual feelings towards various things that have no connection to Jesus Christ.
Biblical Faith
Somewhere between faith as a subjective experience and faith as an objective creedal statement is biblical faith, and that’s what the author of Hebrews is trying to help us understand.
So, let’s go back to verse 1.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
This word ‘assurance’ is tricky. For those familiar with Christological discussions, it will be familiar. The Greek word is ὑπόστασις, and I want you to see how this author uses this word earlier in this same letter. First, he writes:
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature (Heb 1:3).
The word translated “nature” there is ὑπόστασις. It refers to something’s essential being, its sine qua non (“without which, not”), if you will.
The author uses this word one other time, and this next usage shows just how important the word ὑπόστασις is for our author. He writes:
For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end (Heb 3:14).
We have come to share in Christ if we hold our original ὑπόστασις firm to the end, he writes. And now we start to see the distinction between faith and hope.
Faith and Hope
Our hope is in the promises of God. God has promised a particular future in which sin, death, and the devil are no more, the whole world is made new, and the dead in Christ rise again in a bodily resurrection never to die again. That is our hope, and that is all in front of us chronologically. All of that is still to come. We can’t see it. We can’t touch it. It’s out there beyond us. That’s hope.
But what then is faith? Faith is the ὑπόστασις of hope. Faith is what happens when we are so certain of the promises of God that we start to make decisions in the present in light of God’s promised future.
Faith isn’t merely being confident of God’s future, although that’s part of it. Biblical faith is what happens when we live out that confidence; in other words, faith is what happens when our trust in the promises of God becomes the essential quality of our being and life.
To put that another way, faith is taking God at his word and living accordingly.
Faith is taking God at his word and living accordingly.
Both parts are necessary. This is why James writes:
Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:17).
He continues:
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! (James 2:18–19).
What would it have meant for Abraham to say he believed God but to have stayed in his father’s house? What would it have meant for Noah to confess that he believed God but not to have built the ark?
If Abraham had never left his Father’s house, it meant he didn’t actually believe. If Noah had never built the ark, likewise, it would have meant that he didn’t actually believe what God had told him.
We can’t claim to have faith and then live as if we don’t actually believe what God has said. We might have hope in the future that God has promised, but if that hope isn’t core to who we are, to our essential nature, and affecting how we live, then it isn’t faith.
So again:
Faith is taking God at his word and living accordingly.
The Switch
Now, I could walk us through the great Hall of Faith here in chapter, but “time would fail me to tell of” Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and so on.
What I want you to notice most of all in this list of heroes of the faith is the shift that happens towards the end. What I don’t want you to take away from this Hall of Faith is the notion that if I have faith in God, he’ll solve all my problems and I’ll have my best life now. That is not biblical faith.
Biblical faith means taking God at his word and living accordingly, whether things go well for us or not. Please notice the shift.
The heroes of the faith are those:
who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection (Heb 11:33–35a).
Then there’s a shift.
Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. 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 (Heb 11:35b-38).
In every case, regardless of the outcome, faith for these men and women meant making choices that only made sense if God’s promises were true.
The chapter closes by telling us that all these people were commended for their faith, yet did not receive the fullness of what was promised — because God had planned something better for us. That “something better” is Jesus Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith. We live in the “already and not yet”: God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ, and yet we still wait for their final consummation when he returns. Faith lives in that tension, taking God at his word, and living accordingly.
Faith for the New Year
So as we start a new school year, a new season, or simply a new week, the call is the same: trust in what God has said, and live accordingly. Faith is not showing up to church and confessing the creed. Faith is not reading your Bible or praying and getting a warm, fuzzy feeling inside you. Faith is what happens when you walk out into the world and live your life based on what God has promised.
Now, this applies to all of us, but since it’s Back-to-School Sunday, I want to take a few moments to address some particular groups of people, starting with the most important.
Students — your worth is not measured by grades or popularity. Your identity is in Christ, and faith means living like that is true, even when the world tells you otherwise. As you enter this year, you will face challenges — peer pressure, heavy workloads, moments when you feel alone. Faith doesn’t remove the challenge, but it keeps you walking forward in obedience. My prayer for all of you is that by the end of this school year, not only will you know more, but you’ll know God more and you’ll trust him more.
Parents and grandparents — you cannot control every moment of your children’s lives, but you can entrust them to the faithful God who loves them even more than you do.
Teachers, school staff, and Sunday School teachers — your work is kingdom work. Every lesson taught, every act of patience, every moment of kindness is an expression of faith lived out.
And church — as we will see next week, we are running this race together. The witnesses in Hebrews 11 surround us, not as distant figures, but as fellow heirs of the promises of God. Let us run with endurance, making decisions today that only make sense in light of God’s promised tomorrow.
The God who called Abraham, who saved Noah, who stood with His people in both triumph and trial — that same God is with you this year. So take the next step into the unknown of a new school year with confidence. Not confidence in yourself, but confidence in the One who has promised you a share in his kingdom. And when the race is run, may we hear those words: 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'
As we close, I invite all students, teachers, school staff, and Sunday school teachers to come forward for a blessing.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, your Son, our Lord, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As we begin this new school year, give these students, teachers, and staff the assurance — the certainty — of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. Help them to trust you in every challenge and rejoice in every blessing. Keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of their faith. And may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you this new school year, and remain with you always.
Amen.
Life Group Guide
Intro Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we gather to discuss what it means to run the race of faith, we ask that You open our hearts and minds to Your truth. Help us to understand what genuine faith looks like in our daily lives. May our discussion today not just increase our knowledge but transform how we live. Please guide our conversation and show each person here precisely what you’d like them to learn about taking you at your word and living accordingly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ice Breaker
Think back to when you were in school - what was one thing you were excited about or nervous about at the beginning of a new school year?
Key Verses
Hebrews 12:1-2
James 2:17-19
Questions
Fr. Michael defines faith as “taking God at His word and living accordingly.” How is this different from how you might have previously understood faith?
Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” What are some things you hope for in your Christian life that you can’t yet see?
Fr. Michael distinguishes between confessing faith (reciting creeds) and living by faith. Can you share an example of when you’ve seen this distinction in your own life or someone else’s?
Fr. Michael points out that some heroes of faith experienced triumph while others faced suffering and death. How does this challenge the popular notion that faith always leads to earthly success?
What decisions have you made recently that only make sense if what God has promised is true?
The sermon mentions living in the “already not yet” - where God's promises are fulfilled in Christ, but we still await their final consummation. How does this tension affect how you live out your faith daily?
For parents in the group: How do you balance teaching your children practical life skills while also helping them develop a faith that trusts God's promises?
The pastor says our worth is not measured by popularity or achievements but by our identity in Christ. What areas of your life do you find it most difficult to live according to this truth?
Life Application
This week, identify one area of your life where you’ve been making decisions based on worldly wisdom rather than on God’s promises. Choose one specific action you can take that demonstrates you’re taking God at His word in this area. It might be forgiving someone who hurt you, being generous when finances are tight, speaking truth when silence would be easier, or trusting God with a situation you’ve been trying to control. Write down the promise from God that you’re basing this action on, and share with the group next week how living by faith in this way affected your perspective.
Key Takeaways
Biblical faith is not merely confessing creeds or having spiritual feelings; it’s taking God at his word and living accordingly.
Faith is what happens when we are so sure of God's promises that we make present decisions based on his promised future.
The heroes of faith in Hebrews 11 demonstrated faith both in triumph and in suffering; faith doesn't guarantee earthly success.
Our identity and worth come from Christ, not from achievements, popularity, or worldly success.
We live in the ‘already not yet’ - God's promises fulfilled in Christ but awaiting final consummation - and faith lives in this tension.
Ending Prayer
Lord God, thank you for this time of reflection on what true faith means. Help us to move beyond mere intellectual belief or emotional experiences to a faith that transforms how we live. Give us the courage to make decisions that only make sense in light of your promises. As we go into this week, may we run our race with endurance, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Let our lives demonstrate that we genuinely believe your Word, whether in times of triumph or trial. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross and is now seated at your right hand. Amen.