Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. (Hebrews 11:1–2)
Humanly, we tend to commend or applaud people for what they do. However, we cannot usually discern the reason why they are doing it. God is not like us. His commendation (and also His condemnation) is not based on outward things that are seen. Both OT and NT agree He is more about our hearts:
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God. (1 Corinthians 4:1–5)
When God looks at the heart, He sees human thoughts and intentions. When we read the Bible, He reveals those thoughts and intentions to us:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
There is good reason for this. He is looking for faith-motivated lives because faith is the reason that He commends His people. On the surface, my actions can appear to be righteous and good, but they can be motivated by all sorts of selfish reasons. If I want to be like the people of old, only by faith will I receive any commendation from the Lord.
He grants all parts of salvation. None of it can be gained by what I do. He grants repentance and freedom:
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24–26)
Anything I do that is good is part of my witness though, because people do tend to evaluate others that way, but God does not measure me by those things. It is as Paul wrote:
We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. (2 Corinthians 5:12)
Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. (2 Corinthians 10:12)
The writer of Hebrews described faith in action, but realized God commends the faith, not the action alone. Again, he says:
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation . . . . By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. (Hebrews 11:1–5)
He summarized by repeating this: “All these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39–40)
Faith commended them. Faith commends me. My works are not like their works, but my faith is the same for it is God’s gift to both those people of old and all who have believed right up to this minute. God does not focus on their mistakes and neither should I. He says “Whatever is true . . . honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise” I am to think about these things (Philippians 4:8).
PRAY: Jesus, I know some who are more concerned about what they do than why they do it. Sometimes I do this too. Grant us awareness of how faith must be the reason for our lives, not what is seen on the surface.
PONDER: today why I do what I do, that faith is pushing me, nothing else, nothing selfish.
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