Faith and works was a shadow of Jesus.

Hebrews 11 is known as the hall of faith.

It talks about all the people of faith in the Old Testament.

In Hebrews 11, it talks about the faith that pleases God.

In all the examples, the people who had faith also had works.

– Abel offered a sacrifice to please God

– Noah built the ark in faith

– Abraham left his land, offered Isaac in faith

– Moses rejected the riches of Egypt and bore the shame of his people (Israel)

– The Jews did great works of martyrdom, suffering, etc. in faith.

Does this mean that we have to do faith and works to be saved?

The answer is no.

Why do we know that?

It is because Hebrews 11 is known as the hall of faith of people in the Old Testament who had faith and works to please God.

But in Hebrews 12, it talks about the author and finisher of the faith, Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12 “2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The people of Hebrews 11 had faith and works.

But they were all a shadow pointing to Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the perfecter of faith.

He is the one who did the faith and works, pleasing God by the death on the cross.

Christ’s death on the cross is greater than all the works of Abel’s sacrifice, the building of the ark, Abraham’s obedience, etc….

It is because it is Christ’s sinless life, His death on the cross, and Resurrection that saves us.

That is why God said to Jesus “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”

God is well pleased with Jesus because He did all the work to save us!!

So now all we have to do is believe in Jesus to be saved.

We are saved by faith without works!

The “faith with works” was only for the Jews until Jesus died on the cross because Jesus is the perfecter of the faith.

The faith and works was a shadow pointing to Jesus and His faithful finished work!

After the cross, Jesus finished the work to give us eternal salvation by grace through faith

That is why the blood of Jesus speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Jesus says it is finished – our sins are forgiven, we are made righteous by His death and resurrection!

We don’t need works to be saved.

We don’t need faith and works to be saved.

We are saved by faith alone – faith without works saves us!