Two church members raised by repentant parents. They both know the right things to do. Abel responds by giving all the Lord has asked, because he accepts that he needs a mediator and believes Him, acting accordingly by presenting the typical sacrifice of a lamb. Cain responds partially by bringing what he thinks will suffice, the product of his good works. He doesn’t feel his need, therefore, he doesn’t bring the typical sacrifice. I would call this partial obedience, the kind that obeys what we feel like but not the whole package that God calls for.

Enoch was totally won over by the love of God when he saw the dependency of his new son and his own responsibility as a father. He could see the relationship of his heavenly Father in a new light—and over the rest of his 300 years he learned of and responded more ardently to that love, seeking to shed it abroad, first in his family and home, then to the world outside. His was no self-righteous walk, no hypocritical piety. His children, his wife, his neighbors, the people he worked with—everyone knew that he loved God and that he let that love shine through his own life.

“Of Enoch it is written that he lived sixty-five years and begat a son. . . . During these earlier years Enoch had loved and feared God and had kept His commandments. . . . But after the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his own obligations and responsibility as a son of God. And as he saw the child’s love for its father, its simple trust in his protection; as he felt the deep, yearning tenderness of his own heart for that firstborn son, he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to men in the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may repose in their heavenly Father. The infinite, unfathomable love of God through Christ became the subject of his meditation day and night; and with all the fervor of his soul he sought to reveal that love to the people among whom he dwelt.”1

Here is another hero, a man who knows the voice of God in the midst of a very wicked people. He not only recognizes the voice that gives him instruction, but he follows that instruction in every detail. He willingly puts everything, and I mean everything, into the building of that vessel of protection for the saving of his family. Notice, he worked first for the home and in that first work, he was preaching to the world around him.

Noah wasn’t preoccupied with gaining a position in the local community, or too busy with his secular work to hear and do what God was asking. He went to work to build that home that would eventually save his family, the creatures of God’s making and a history that we should learn from. What is God calling us to do today that will require all of our energy, our finances, our attention? One author equated Noah’s building project to our own time in the call of God to move our families to the country, to have simple homes, grow our own food, educate our children and while so doing, to preach the greatest sermon possible to a seeking world. Are we willing?

“Noah and his family were not alone in fearing and obeying God. But Noah was the most pious and holy of any upon the earth and was the one whose life God preserved to carry out His will in building the ark and warning the world of its coming doom. Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah, lived until the very year of the Flood; and there were others who believed the preaching of Noah and aided him in building the ark, who died before the flood of waters came upon the earth. Noah, by his preaching and example in building the ark, condemned the world. God gave all who chose an opportunity to repent and turn to Him. But they believed not the preaching of Noah. They mocked at his warnings and ridiculed the building of that immense vessel on dry land. Noah’s efforts to reform his fellow men did not succeed. But for more than one hundred years he persevered in his efforts to turn men to repentance and to God. Every blow struck upon the ark was preaching to the people. Noah directed, he preached, he worked, while the people looked on in amazement and regarded him as a fanatic.”2

“Our words, our actions, our deportment, our dress, everything, should preach. Not only with our words should we speak to the people, but everything pertaining to our person should be a sermon to them, that right impressions may be made upon them, and that the truth spoken may be taken by them to their homes; and thus our faith will stand in a better light before the community.”3

Here is another man of faith. He has a heart to listen and to follow God, even when he has no idea where God will take him. It’s interesting how that comes up again, isn’t it? Abraham does what? He follows, not knowing where he is going. How can that be? What about security, planning, goals, investments, jobs, the future?

What about the fact that he was going to have to dwell in temporary structures, among strangers, only able to follow God’s leading, entirely dependent upon God for his future prosperity?

“[Abraham] had no question to ask concerning the land of promise—whether the soil was fertile and the climate healthful; whether the country afforded agreeable surroundings and would afford opportunities for amassing wealth. God had spoken, and His servant must obey; the happiest place on earth for him was the place where God would have him to be.

“Many are still tested as was Abraham. They do not hear the voice of God speaking directly from the heavens, but He calls them by the teachings of His word and the events of His providence. They may be required to abandon a career that promises wealth and honor, to leave congenial and profitable associations, and separate from kindred, to enter upon what appears to be only a path of self-denial, hardship, and sacrifice. God has a work for them to do; but a life of ease and the influence of friends and kindred would hinder the development of the very traits essential for its accomplishment. He calls them away from human influences and aid, and leads them to feel the need of His help, and to depend upon Him alone, that He may reveal Himself to them. Who is ready at the call of Providence to renounce cherished plans and familiar associations? Who will accept new duties and enter untried fields, doing God’s work with firm and willing heart, for Christ’s sake counting his losses gain? He who will do this has the faith of Abraham, and will share with him that ‘far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,’ with which ‘the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared’ (2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18).”4

I am starting to see a real pattern in this Hebrews 11 list. What about Joseph having to learn to trust in God when all the circumstances seemed to be turned against him? Or Moses’ parents taking the risk that they did to save their son’s life? Or Moses giving up all the glorious future in Egypt for his people? They all had one thing in common. They followed God and His instruction no matter what! What about us?

You can go through the rest of the list and see the commitment of hearts to God demonstrated in the life of the victors in Hebrews 11. What a blessing, what a challenge! But just in case you might be feeling a little discouraged with yourself at this time, I would like to look at these heroes in just a slightly different light—the light of their humanity.

We can read of the same people, and realize there were points in their life in which they weren’t listening to God so well; they were not following Him so wholeheartedly. They made mistakes. And this is where Hebrews 11 is also our encouragement.

Do you find yourself over in Egypt instead of the Promised Land, like Abraham? Have you lied to anyone, including God, about what is really going on in your life? Take courage. As we repent, God can lead us onward to where we ought to be.

Have you laughed at God’s prescribed will, as Sarah did? Have you made light of the counsel of God on any given area of life or blatantly disobeyed His instruction? There is hope with repentance.

Have you made decisions which have caused separation of heart and life from God’s ideal like Jacob did? Have you been a deceiver in your religious life?

Have you hurt others with your tongue, your influence, your position like Moses when he killed the Egyptian? Have you run away from pain, sorrow, and trials in order to hide?

Have you lived a life like Rahab, a life that you do not want anyone to know about, a past that is not “righteous”? God can work in and through you anyway.

David, Gideon, Barak, and all others were human and had their faults, but they also had their hope. That hope was not placed upon themselves and the good that they could do. It was placed upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of their faith. And that should be the same for us.

We may have a heart’s desire to do the will of God; we may have failed, we may see things that discourage us, but that is not where our focus should be. Our failings show us that we cannot merit anything for our salvation. We should focus on Christ, His mercy, His love, His power, on that power that could create the world and can recreate us.

“When men learn they cannot earn righteousness by their own merit of works, and they look with firm and entire reliance upon Jesus Christ as their only hope, there will not be so much of self and so little of Jesus.”5

Jesus is everything and self is nothing—this is a very important concept. I have been trying to understand why there was such a reaction to the message of Jones and Waggoner. Is it because “self” didn’t want to be dead? Is it because “self” didn’t want to completely obey all that God was calling for, to be accomplished through His strength? I am thinking that “self” is really subtle and can often wear religious garb, but the test will be as described in Steps to Christ:

“Who has the heart? With whom are our thoughts? Of whom do we love to converse? Who has our warmest affections and our best energies? If we are Christ’s, our thoughts are with Him, and our sweetest thoughts are of Him. All we have and are is consecrated to Him. We long to bear His image, breathe His spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things.”6

When we read the list in Hebrews 11, we find people who understood the following passage. Will we?

“When it is in the heart to obey God, when efforts are put forth to this end, Jesus accepts this disposition and effort as man’s best service, and He makes up for the deficiency with His own divine merit. But He will not accept those who claim to have faith in Him and yet are disloyal to His Father’s commandment. We hear a great deal about faith, but we need to hear a great deal more about works. Many are deceiving their own souls by living an easy-going, accommodating, crossless religion.”7

“While God can be just, and yet justify the sinner through the merits of Christ, no man can cover his soul with the garments of Christ’s righteousness while practicing known sins or neglecting known duties. God requires the entire surrender of the heart, before justification can take place; and in order for man to retain justification, there must be continual obedience, through active, living faith that works by love and purifies the soul.”8

There is another group of faithful servants that deserve mentioning. They are the unnamed. They are those millions who were martyred for their faith, who endured tragic things and unspoken sorrow. Why? Because they would rather die than renounce their faith; rather be tortured than compromise one dot or tittle, rather suffer reproach than be thought well of and miss Heaven.

Are you one of those faithful? Those who are quietly doing their best to honor your Lord and do faithfully that which is set before you? Are you suffering reproach and subtle or not-so-subtle forms of persecution for standing for the right though the heavens fall? Keep on, you are in good company.

As we contemplate all of this, my brother, sister, friend, let us determine to put our wills on the side of Christ, totally, completely, entirely, wholeheartedly. Let us repent of our past mistakes, our wrong motives, our sleepy service, our lack of energetic service and go forward, onward in following our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Then, we too will be added to the list of Hebrews 11 Victors!