And what a record they won!—these men of old. They didn’t sit idly waiting for their hopes and expectations to come to pass without any effort on their part. It was a case of faith in action—a confident, daring, aggressive faith.

“It was by faith that Abraham obeyed his call to go forth to a place which he would receive as an inheritance” (v. 8). His faith impelled him to go forth on a bold adventure. “He looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (v. 10). He didn’t sit and dream of that city, waiting for it to materialize by some magic--he went out to find it!

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (vv. 24-25). He dreamed of delivering his kinsmen from bondage. He didn’t just dream--he acted! Presently he is seen leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, leading them toward the land of promise.

Look back through ages, and you see a vast host of daring heroes, “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens” (vv. 33-34). What a challenge to us!—this record won by faith.

It is not enough to be inoffensively good, we must be aggressively good.

“Deal courageously, and the Lord shall be with the good” (II Chron. 19: 11).

Goodness and courage—that is what God wants of us. He stands back of those who are aggressively and courageously good.

“My knights,” said King Arthur, “are sworn to vows of utter hardihood.”

So are the knights of God. For all who fight under His banner, the order of the way is “Deal courageously!”

Present conditions in the world are a challenge to our faith. To meet this challenge, what we want is faith in action—a daring, aggressive faith.