The Promises Of The God Of Abraham, Isaac And Jacob Are To Come!

As we continue looking at the New Testament's warnings, we come to Hebrews chapter 11. Here Paul gives examples of the saints of old and how they 'died in faith". They trusted God's promises. This chapter is so encouraging as these saints were sinners as we are, but no sin is mentioned! Only their good deeds and their faith! They are clean and washed in the blood of Messiah.

We see these people who died having faith, did not receive what God has promised. True believers alive today have have not received what has been promised either. Countless of our brothers and sisters from the past have suffered, been tortured and killed. We suffer and realize this is not our home and we look for a heavenly city prepared by God!

The saints of the past are waiting for us to complete God's plan.

Hebrews 11 ISV

13All these people died having faith. 

• They did not receive the things that were promised, 
• yet they saw them in the distant future and welcomed them, 
• acknowledging that they were strangers and foreigners on earth. 
• 14For people who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 
• 15If they had been thinking about what they had left behind, 
• they would have had an opportunity to go back. 
• 16Instead, they were longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. 
• That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, because he has prepared a city for them.

Moving ahead we see that God's people have suffered. I myself take great comfort in the fact that their suffering shows us suffering is normal for those who have faith. 

32And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. 33Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, received promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34put out raging fires, escaped death byq the sword, found strength in weakness, became powerful in battle, and routed foreign armies.35Women received their dead raised back to life. Other people were brutally tortured, but refused to be ransomed, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36Still others endured taunts and floggings, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned to death, sawed in half, and killed with swords. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins. They were needy, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world wasn’t worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and from caves to holes in the ground.

39All these people won approval for their faith but they did not receive what was promised, 40since God had planned something better for us, so that they would not be perfected without us.