Faith Does Not Always Mean Triumph

Some church traditions emphasize (overemphasize?) the victory we experience in Christ. Because he rose from the dead, it is often argued, we also get to overcome every challenge and come out as ‘winners.’

While that theme is certainly significant in the scriptures, there’s another side to it. The Bible is clearly NOT all triumphaiistic. It does not gaslight those who experience pain, hardship, loss, and failure. Instead, it claims that these ‘losers,’ too, are living by faith.

So listen in to this remarkable passage from Hebrews 11. The author, after writing about so many ‘wins’ is finally summarizing a few last types of ways that followers of Jesus live by faith:

…who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword… Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword….

These were all commended for their faith - Hebrews 11:33-39

ALL of these were living by faith. That means both those who ‘escaped the edge of the sword’ and those who were ‘killed by the sword.’ What a stunning admission, because you know that people were praying “O God, don’t let my husband get killed by the sword” or “O God save me from getting run through!” and yet God didn’t answer those prayers. And their faith was still just as great a faith as those who said afterwards, “Wow, God, I’m so grateful you saved me from getting killed today.”

Reread that bible passage. What stirs in you today as you look deeply into this holy tension of what it means to live by faith - sometimes getting delivered and sometimes not?