Faith and Our Relationship with God

Have you ever played the trust fall game, where you fall backward trusting that a friend will catch you? It gives you butterflies in your stomach, right? You cannot see the person behind you. There is only one thing left for you to do: trust. Either you fall, or you believe that those arms will be there. Well, that is more or less how the Bible describes our relationship with God: we do not see Him with our eyes, but we bet everything that He is right there, holding us.

The name of this confident bet is faith. And in this lesson we discover a truth that changes everything: faith is not a small detail of the Christian life—it is the front door to a relationship with God. Without it, you cannot even begin.

The text we are going to open is one of the most impressive in the Bible: Hebrews 11, known as the "faith chapter" or the "gallery of heroes." In it, the author first explains what faith is, then shows why it is indispensable, and finally presents a huge line of ordinary people who did extraordinary things simply because they trusted God. Let's step into this gallery.

1. What faith is

Before talking about the heroes, the author of Hebrews pauses and explains what this thing called faith is. And he does so from three angles.

1.1. Firm foundation and proof

Hebrews 11:1 gives the most famous definition: faith is the firm foundation of the things we hope for and the proof of the things we do not see. Notice the two strong words there: foundation and proof.

A foundation is the firm base, that which does not shake. Proof is certainty, conviction. So faith is not an insecure "I think so." It is the conviction that what God says is true, even if my eyes have not seen it yet. When we have this faith that the Holy Spirit generates in the heart, giant things like time, space, and distance become mere details before a God who fulfills what He promises.

❤ For your life. Real faith does not depend on everything going right. When the test results did not come through, when a friend let you down, when a prayer seems not to have been answered yet—that is precisely where faith shows up. It is a firm foundation in the things we do not yet see. Anyone can trust when things are easy; Christian faith trusts in the dark as well.

1.2. Faithfulness as character

Hebrews 11:2 says that by it—by faith—the ancients obtained a good testimony. In other words, faith shaped the character of those people. Why did the ancients become famous in heaven? Because they lived differently from others. They followed principles that God had written not on tablets of stone, but on their hearts.

This shows that faith and obedience walk hand in hand. Having faith is not just believing with your mouth; it is letting that trust change the way I live. The word used in the original carries this idea of faithfulness: I trust God, so I walk with God, the way He pleases.

1.3. Gift of the Spirit

And where does this faith come from? It is not a force that we manufacture on our own through sheer effort. True faith is generated by the Holy Spirit and keeps growing as we draw closer to God, day after day. So much so that the disciples themselves asked Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5).

And it is proven by good works (Ephesians 2:10). The Bible speaks of people like Stephen (Acts 6:5) and Barnabas (Acts 11:24), men full of faith—which is the same as saying full of the presence of God. The closer to God, the more faith grows.

🕊 Our reading. As Pentecostals, we believe that faith is not a cold decision of the head, but a living work of the Holy Spirit within us. It is He who convinces the heart that God is real and that His promises are fulfilled. That is why we pray asking for more faith: it is not forcing the mind to believe, it is opening space for the Spirit to work. Growing faith is a sign of spiritual life.

2. Without faith it is impossible to please God

Now we come to the heart of the Golden Text. Hebrews 11:6 is direct: without faith it is impossible to please Him.

2.1. A relationship of trust

There are people who, in order to be your friend, demand that you be good-looking, popular, or have money. Not God. He asks for one thing only: faith. And faith, here, is not merely believing that God exists—it is following, being faithful, depending entirely on Him.

Why can God demand this? Because He demands only what He Himself has already given us. The Bible says that God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9)—so, in all justice, He also expects faithfulness and trust on our part. It is a two-way relationship: He is faithful to me, I trust Him. And this trust is so important that James warns that anyone who asks God without believing should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord (James 1:7).

It is this faith that gives us certainty that our prayers are heard and that all things—even the bad things—work together for our good (Romans 8:28).

🏛 Fun fact. Hebrews 11 is called by scholars "the Hall of Fame of Faith." Just as a sports museum keeps the names of the greatest athletes, this chapter is God's "trophy room"—except that those hanging on the wall are not the strongest or the richest, but those who trusted Him the most. It is the only "fame" that counts for eternity.

2.2. God rewards those who seek Him

The Golden Text ends with a beautiful promise: God is the rewarder of those who seek Him. A reward is a recompense, a prize.

But watch out for a dangerous confusion. God is not like a genie in a lamp, an ATM, or a computer where you type in the right password and the prize comes out. There are no "magic words" that force God to do what we want. Seeking God is not pushing buttons—it is trusting and walking with Him.

And what is the reward? Often it is not what we asked for, but something much better: His presence, a joy that comes from heaven, and the blessing that He, in His wisdom, knows is best for you. Whoever seeks God out of love always comes out ahead.

3. The gallery of faith

After explaining the theory, the author puts on a parade of examples. It is like opening a giant family album. Let's go through three groups.

3.1. Abel, Enoch, and Noah

These three lived at a time when there was no Bible, no church, and no pastor to teach them. Even so, they were heroes of faith! Abel offered God a better sacrifice than his brother's. Enoch walked so closely with God that he was taken without dying. Noah built a giant ark because of a rain that did not even exist yet—and became a laughingstock, until the flood proved he was right.

What do they have in common? Each one, in his own way, established a pattern of fellowship with God that serves as a reference to this day. They did not have a manual; they had trust.

3.2. Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob

Thousands of years later comes the second group, and what a group! Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob left such a mark on history that God Himself came to introduce Himself as the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob (Matthew 22:32).

And look who is among them: Sarah. At a time when women were treated almost as their husband's property, her name entered this "hall of fame." Why? Because she believed in an impossible dream: having a child in her old age, while being barren (Genesis 11:30). The birth of Isaac was a double miracle—and it came about because Sarah trusted God.

❤ For your life. Do you have a dream that seems impossible? Keep this verse: with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). But be careful—James reminds us that sometimes we ask amiss, to spend it on our own pleasures (James 4:3). The secret is not having faith to force God to do my will; it is having faith to hand my dreams over to Him and trust that He will direct my paths (Proverbs 3:6), in the right way and at the right time.

3.3. Joseph, Moses, and Rahab

The last group is the most surprising because of its mix of people. Joseph, the patriarch who forgave the brothers who sold him. Moses, the deliverer of an entire people. And Rahab, a woman of Canaan who had a past of prostitution.

What a difference among them! And, at the same time, what unity: all three trusted God and saw His glory happen. This teaches something precious: God does not place in positions of prominence the most perfect, but those whose hearts are steadfast in Him (2 Chronicles 19:6; Psalm 113:7). No one in this gallery was perfect. What united them was faith.

And it is this faith that is asked of you and me today: that we lay aside every weight and the sin that so closely surrounds us, and run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

Christ in the Lesson

This entire gallery of Hebrews 11 points to a single name—and He does not even appear on the list, because He is the entire list. Right after naming all these heroes, the author tells us to run the race looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Stop and think about this: Jesus is the author of faith—He is the one who begins faith in us. And He is the finisher—He is the one who carries that faith all the way to the end. Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses... all of them were, without knowing it, trusting in the promise that would only be fulfilled in Christ. They believed in the Savior who was still to come; we believe in the Savior who has already come.

And here is the superiority of Christ that this entire quarter highlights: the heroes of faith were great, but all of them were imperfect, all in need of forgiveness. Jesus is the only one who had perfect faith, perfect obedience, and on top of that died on the cross to give us access to God. The faith of the ancients pointed to Him; our faith rests in Him. The greatest hero of Hebrews 11 is not in chapter 11—He is in verse 2 of chapter 12.

Application

Faith in daily life, not just in emergencies. The lesson warns of a danger: Christians who live "like atheists," remembering God only in moments of desperation. For you, that might mean seeking God only on the night before a test or when trouble hits hard. Faith is trusting every day, not just when you are in a tight spot.

Faith that changes character. Just like the ancients, your faith needs to show up in the way you live: in honesty at school, in respect for your parents, in not following the crowd in what is wrong. Faith that does not change behavior is not faith; it is just an idea in your head.

Faith that hands dreams over to God. You have plans and desires. Great! Present each one of them to God in prayer, asking Him to fulfill whatever is in accordance with His will—and trust the outcome, even when it is different from what you imagined.

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for calling me into a relationship of trust with You. I do not see You with my eyes, but I believe that You are here, holding me. Increase my faith, just as the disciples asked You. May it not stay only in my head, but change the way I live—at school, at home, and at church. Help me to seek You every day, and not only in moments of trouble. And thank You for Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith, the greatest hero of all, who opened the way to You. In His name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Opening class activity (suggested by the quarterly): invite two students. Place one in front and the other behind. Ask the one in front to let himself or herself fall backward, and the one behind to catch him or her without letting the student fall (do this safely, in a suitable space). Then explain: just as the student in front could not see who was holding him or her yet trusted, we do not see God with our natural eyes, but by faith we know that He is always there to uphold us in our falls. Take the opportunity to ask the students what their dreams are and encourage them to present them to God (Proverbs 3:6), reminding them that dreams need to be in accordance with His will (James 4:3).

Five questions for the class:

1. According to Hebrews 11:1, what is faith? Why is it called the proof of the things that are not seen?
2. What is the difference between natural faith (which perceives that God exists) and saving faith (which receives Jesus)?
3. Why does the Bible say that without faith it is impossible to please God? What does God expect from our relationship with Him?
4. Choose a hero from the gallery of Hebrews 11 (Noah, Sarah, Moses, Rahab...) and explain how faith showed up in his or her life.
5. Why is Jesus called the author and finisher of our faith? What does that change for you?