Marcus Dods: "The Faith of Abraham"
Marcus Dods (April 11, 1834 - April 26, 1909) was a Scottish divine and biblical scholar. He was born at Belford, Northumberland, the youngest son of Rev. Marcus Dods, minister of the Scottish church of that town. He studied at Edinburgh Academy and Edinburgh University, graduating in 1854. Having studied theology for five years he was licensed in 1858, and in 1864 became minister of Renfield Free Church, Glasgow, where he worked for twenty-five years. In 1889 he was appointed professor of New Testament Exegesis in the New College, Edinburgh, of which he became principal in 1907.

From The Expositors Bible: Genesis

The Faith of Abraham…
Abraham’s faith is chosen by the author of Hebrews as an apt illustration of his definition of Faith, that it is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  One property of faith is that it gives to things future and which are as yet only hoped for all the reality of actual present existence.  Future things may be said to have no existence for those who do not believe in them.  Men do not shape their conduct with any reference to them.  But when a man believes in certain events that are to be, this faith of his lends to these future things the reality, the “substance” which things actually existing in the present have.  Success in life great depends on foresight, or the power to see clearly what is to be and give it due weight.

What then has your faith done?   What have you ventured that you would not have ventured but for God’s promise?  Suppose Christ’ promise failed, in what would you be the loser?  When the merchant’s ships are wrecked or when his investments turn out bad, he loses not only the gain he hoped for, but the means he risked.  Suppose then Christ were declared bankrupt, unable to fulfill your expectations, would you really find that you had ventured so much upon His promise that you are deeply involved in His bankruptcy, and are much worse off in this world than you would otherwise have been?  If you would be neither much better nor much worse though Christianity were a fable… if you have in nothing become poorer in this world that your reward in heaven may be greater, if you have made no investments and run no risks, then really the natural inference is that your faith in the future inheritance is small.

Consider these references:
Romans 4 James 2:17-26

My dad used to say, “Those who have to talk about how great their faith is are typically the ones who rarely use it!”  I suppose in some way they are trying to convince themselves.  I have to admit being “put to it” as the Scots would say with this last paragraph.  In what area of my life have I so ventured everything upon the fact that “he is…and is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him…”   Let’s be honest, so much of our life is predictable, calculated and safe.  Someone once said, Hebrews 11 could be re-written with the word “risk”.  They ventured their life upon the promises of God and ended up in Hall of Fame of Faith. 

So then, what has your faith done?

MORE ARTICLES ON 'SCOTLAND SPEAKS'

• Alexander Whyte: “Faith and the Intangible”
• Marcus Dods: “The Faith of Abraham”