Living by faith

“All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.” Hebrews 11:13
Hebrews 11 is called the ‘Hall of faith’, because it in the author describes the lives of various people through the Old Testament who were examples of faith. He begins with Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham. Then we read, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth” (Heb. 11:13).
Having faith sets us apart from the world. Faith is what changes our outlook on life so that we are yearning for the things of God, the things He has promised and told us will happen in the future. Ultimately, our faith is in our future resurrection and receiving glorified bodies to dwell with God for eternity. Like the Old Testament heroes and heroines of faith, although we may have a glimpse of things to come, our faith will not be fulfilled this side of eternity. Nor can it be fulfilled in the things of the world – we realise that we too are aliens and strangers on the earth.
Paul writes, “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” (Rom. 8:24). We haven’t reached the end of the story yet. We know that our life here on this world is only the beginning, and that eternity awaits us. This is what it means to live by faith: with our feet on the ground, but with our eyes on eternity.