Do you have a “Hall of Fame” faith?
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. (Hebrews 11.4)
Baseball fans must travel to Cooperstown, New York to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. Enthusiasts of Rock music make their way to Cleveland in order to tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, you will not have to travel to Israel to visit the Bible’s Old Testament Hall of Fame. You will find it located in Hebrews 11. There you can revisit the exploits of: Abraham, Sarah, Noah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rehab Gideon, Samson, David, Samuel, and Abel.
At first sight, the “first entry” into Faith’s Hall of Fame is a curious choice. Abel is mentioned in only three Old Testament verses and he is the victim of the first murder recorded in Scripture. His name means “vanity” or “mere breath.” He led no armies, wrote no books, left no wisdom, and had no disciples. He is a “nobody” when compared to other giants of Scripture—but then God delights to make nobodies into “somebodies” in His sight where there is even a kernel of authentic faith.
There are three important things to notice about Abel.
First by faith he worshiped— he “offered God... a sacrifice.” Worship is more important than work, ministry, family, or our witness for Christ. Workers can devote themselves to their labor for numerous reasons— money, success, power, prestige, influence, love, or pleasing others— yet rarely is worship at the top of their motivational list. A worshiper works to exalt God— her labors are a response to God’s call. People sometimes say, “I went to such and such a church but I didn’t get anything out of it.” The question is, “What did you put into it?” First, we worship, then we receive; that’s the proper order of things in the Kingdom of God.
Secondly, by faith Abel was accepted by God— “God spoke well of his offerings.” The story of Cain and Abel’s sacrifices (Genesis 4.3-5) seems unfair at first sight. Yet if we study this passage in its context we soon realize that God had previously shown Cain and Abel what offerings would be acceptable to Him. Faith’s “hall of fame” in Hebrews 11, is comprised of men and women who, by faith, obeyed God’s word to them. So it must have been that Abel, by faith, obeyed while Cain gave the sacrifice he, himself, deemed adequate and good enough.
Some women and men struggle in their walk with God because they don’t feel accepted by him. But perhaps it is because what we offer Him through our worship is unacceptable... God unconditional grace will forgive our sin and God will always save sinners. But God’s grace does not obligate God to accept pretense, rationalized sin, and half-hearted devotion even when it is offered, like Cain, as an act of worship. Can God really accept 2% when he has called us to worship with 10%? Can he accept compromise when he has called us to integrity? Will God accept our double-minded lust when he has called us to single-minded purity? This is not an issue of grace by faith alone, it is an issue of indifference, carelessness, and thoughtlessness masquerading as worship. Worship is not a “bone” we throw to satisfy God. King David understood it well when he exclaimed, “I will not offer up to my God sacrifices that cost me nothing.” (2 Samuel 24.24)
Thirdly, by faith Abel still speaks. Whatever is done by faith, in obedience to God’s word, has the stamp of eternity on it. Our legacy will not be our fortunes. Our ultimate legacy will be our faith that will speak to and guide the generations that will follow our own. They may not remember our name, as we do Abel’s, but God promises that our faithfulness will preach to the generations to come.
Our faith will not be in vain…
