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The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews is often called the heroes of the Faith chapter. In it one will find a detailed listing of many Old Testament saints that had successfully lived for the Lord. But because the people listed in that chapter had ALL lived before the physical birth of Jesus, a simple question that a person might ask is whether or not someone born after the Lord's Incarnation could have been or can still be a hero of the Faith. To answer that question one must begin by attempting to identify the more distinguishing characteristics of those people listed. Much to the contrary of what many people might think, though, they had NOT all been men. Sara is listed in verse eleven. The word "women" was used in verse thirty-five. So clearly the first point is that gender had NOT been one of the more distinguishing characteristics. However, each person that is included in that chapter had still possessed some very basic common traits .

For example, Hebrews 11:1 which was just quoted above says that faith is the substance of things hoped for even though the evidence for those things is NOT clearly seen. In considering that verse, though, one should note that the Greek word used for "seen" does not limit itself to just what a person can view with his or her eyes. It can also include the other senses of smelling, hearing, touching, and tasting. So the very essence of faith is that it exists in the absence of anything that says that it should exist . An example of evidence NOT seen could have been something like the absence of audible, out loud communications between God and His saints. It is very possible and even likely that the Old Testament saints had NEVER heard with their ears God speaking out loud to them. But if they had not, then that lack of audible, out loud communications would have been evidence NOT seen and would have made their faith in Him even more incredible.

Nevertheless, the Bible does support the belief that the saints had NOT actually heard God speaking out loud to them. The Old Testament uses the words "God said" and "The Lord said" forty-six times and two hundred-and-three times, respectively, for a total of two hundred and forty-nine times. Of all of those times, only one hundred and seventy-eight times had God actually been speaking to human beings. Then only six of those times had He POSSIBLY been speaking to more than one person at the same time after the exit from the Garden of Eden. Twice He had been speaking to Moses AND Aaron. Four times He had been speaking to the children of Israel. But in those latter four instances He had most likely been speaking to them through a prophet rather than to them as a group. Thus, the Hebrew word that was used for "said" in those two hundred and forty- nine cases does NOT automatically mean audible communications. It could have simply meant speaking to one's heart.

So, that fact when combined with the above statement about speaking to ONLY one person at the same time strongly suggests that the Lord had NOT actually spoken out loud to any of the Old Testament saints. However, that conclusion should not be such a great stretch for anyone that is called a hero of the Faith. After all, the Lord does NOT speak out loud to people TODAY . He only speaks to their heart. Therefore, the first distinguishing characteristic is that the Old Testament heroes of the Faith had probably NEVER heard God speaking out loud to them . So they had simply done those things that they had done for Him based ONLY upon how they had felt Him in their heart leading them. But in returning to the original question about the possibility of saints after the Incarnation being heroes of the Faith, the obvious answer is yes. The saints before the Incarnation probably had NOT heard God speaking out loud to them. But the saints after the Incarnation have NOT heard God speaking out loud to them either.

In Hebrews 11:6 which was also quoted above a person cannot please the Lord unless he or she believes that He exists. When one examines the Greek word used for "believe" in that verse, it quickly becomes clear that it means more than just believing in the existence of God. It actually means to commit oneself to Him and to trust in Him. An example might be if someone "believes" that it will rain. If the person TRULY believes that it will rain, then he or she will probably carry an umbrella with them when they go outside. By the same token, if a person TRULY believes in the existence of God, then he or she will be committed to Him and also trusting in Him. That would be the only logical response. By the way, that same Greek word for "believe" was also used in another very familiar verse. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Thus, the second distinguishing characteristic of the heroes of the Faith involves both commitment and trust . The heroes of the Faith had done more than just "believe" that God exists. They had been FULLY COMMITTED to Him and also FULLY TRUSTING in Him.

Hebrews 11:6 also indicates that God is pleased when people "diligently seek" Him. Emphasis in that part of the verse should be placed on the words "diligently seek." The Greek word used for "diligently seek" means to thoroughly investigate something or to crave something. Therefore, the Lord is pleased when a person FULLY INVESTIGATES Him or FULLY CRAVES Him. Consistent with that, Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart ." After the people of Judah had been carried into their Babylonian captivity, the Lord had told them through the Prophet Jeremiah that He would be found by them when and if they diligently sought for Him with all of their heart. So the third distinguishing characteristic of the heroes of the Faith was that they had FULLY INVESTIGATED the Lord and had FULLY CRAVED Him .

In I Samuel 15:22 which was also just quoted above the Prophet Samuel had told King Saul that being obedient to the Lord is more important than offering sacrifices. The king had been disobedient by offering a burnt offering that he had not been supposed to be offering and also one that he had not been qualified to offer. So Samuel had rebuked him for his having taken so much upon himself. Thus, the fourth distinguishing characteristic of the heroes of the Faith is simply to obey the Lord in ALL things to the best of one's ability . So as their acts of obedience, the heroes of the Faith had done what they had felt in their heart the Lord leading them to do. They had probably NEVER heard His out loud, audible voice speaking to them. Most of them had NOT had a Bible to help them along simply because many of them had lived before any of the Scriptures was written. In fact, many of them had even lived before most of the authors of the Scriptures. Nevertheless, despite all of the things that they had NOT had going for them, they had still been faithful to the Lord and they had still accomplished for Him those things that He had wanted accomplished.

So how can a person TODAY be a true hero of the Faith? The answer is by modeling his or her life and behavior after the biblical heroes of the Faith as have been recorded in the book of Hebrews, chapter eleven. A person can start by seeking the Lord with all of his or her heart even though God chooses to NOT speak out loud or to show Himself visually to anyone. He or she can choose to commit himself or herself to Him and to trust in Him. Next he or she can choose to enter into a personal relationship with Him. Finally, he or she can choose to be obedient to Him in all things to the best of his or her ability. As the stories of the heroes are shared in each of the next fifty-one chapters of this text, one should be able to easily see the existence of those same common traits in each person that is discussed.

Life Application : Anyone can take the first step towards being a hero of the Faith by seeking the Lord with all of his or her heart, by committing himself or herself to Him, by trusting in Him, and by entering into a personal relationship with Him.