The Reward of Faith

• Posted on sdgale
• in 'CHOP Talk' Blog
• on February 15, 2013
• Comments Off on The Reward of Faith

“Whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.”  That statement invites us to adventure in the Christian life.  Much like Indiana Jones, we set out on pursuit, with the expectation of unparalleled treasure.

God tells us there is reward in seeking Him.  Before we turn to the reward, we want to understand the pursuit, the seeking.

The verse quoted above finds itself spread out as a map among the exploits of saints of old.  Vignettes of Abel, Enoch, Noah, Moses, Abraham, David and others line the way.  Each is presented in the exhibit of faith that is Hebrews 11.  Each illustrates the opening verse of the chapter, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

The map of Hebrews 11:6 speaks of reward and urges us on in our journey of faith, as it did these saints.  Faith is the God-bestowed ability to perceive realities unseen by the physical eye.  It is by faith seeking is carried out.  Faith animates us, filling the sails of Christian endeavor.

The word “seek” in Hebrews 11:6 is interesting.  It conveys more than the notion of the casual hunt of a child’s game of hide-and-seek.  The word carries a sense of urgency and determined purpose.  It is sometimes used of demanding an accounting, like an interrogator of a criminal.  It wants to know the truth.

The word “seek” also suggests an ongoing pursuit, as though it will be a lifelong endeavor.  Truth will be gained but never exhausted.  There will always be more to know, to discover, unearthed by careful searching out.

We are told the saints of old never received what was promised (Heb. 11:39).  The things they saw at a distance, they never arrived at in fullness.  While we may see the objects of our faith more clearly than they, as shadow has given way to the reality of God’s redemption in Christ that cast it, we too walk by faith.  There is more to come.  And so, the adventure continues. The pursuit remains.

But what is the reward to which the map of Hebrews 11:6 points us?  That’s the captivating question, isn’t it?  Is our pursuit worth it?

A number of answers fit.  The first is the transformation of faith itself.  If faith apprehends the unseen, it stands to reason that when faith becomes sight we will have arrived.  The things hoped for will be realized.  Just as a father’s promise is believed by his child, the reward will come when that promise is kept.

The second answer is not unlike the first.  One of the vignettes that line the way of faith is of Moses in Pharaoh’s court.  Unlike the yoke of slavery borne by his fellow Israelites, Moses was raised in the privileged circumstance of Pharaoh’s household. Yet here is how faith found expression in Moses:

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Hebrews 11:24-26

What reward do we await?  Paul informs us that God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3).  While we partake of these riches of His grace now, it is in some respects as a minor enjoying an allowance while awaiting his inheritance.  Yet there will come a day when we will receive the fullness of that inheritance procured for us by our Savior.  For now, we press on in faith.

But I think the third answer presents us with the grandest expression of our reward.  Faith to sight and first fruits to harvest are correct, but they are swallowed up the glory of the third.

Our map in Hebrews 11:6 held the key.  We are told that God “rewards those who seek Him.”  God Himself is our reward.  Each day affords us the opportunity to increase in the knowledge of Him, to grow in communion with Him, to discover the vastness of His love and sufficiency of His grace.

We don’t have to wait until faith gives way to sight.  We don’t have to wait until we are absent from the body.  Right now, each day we can grow to know our God and Father.  The reward is not merely amassed for us at the destination of our journey of faith.  It is accumulated in the endeavor of the seeking itself.

Peter, in writing about the hope that belongs to us as Christians, a hope referenced in the definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1, suggests to us that the reward of faith in not just then, but now; not just a possession but a Person.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9