Courageous Faith: Choosing Obedience When It Costs

This article has been adapted from a full sermon entitled, Courageous Faith: Choosing Obedience When It Costs. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of courageous faith and what it looks like in real-life decisions, we encourage you to listen to the full sermon.

Hebrews 11 calls believers to live out a faith that shows up in real decisions—in life and in death. Faith doesn’t always appear heroic or glamorous. Often, it shows up in quiet acts of obedience when the world calls that obedience foolish. The story of Moses and his family in Hebrews 11:23-28 paints a clear picture of that kind of faith—a faith that sees the unseen and trusts God completely.

Moses’ parents faced an impossible situation. Pharaoh had ordered every Hebrew baby boy to be killed, yet by faith, they hid their son. Scripture says they “were not afraid of the king’s edict.” Those words capture the essence of courageous faith: trusting God more than fearing earthly consequences.

Their choice to obey God instead of man models the kind of conviction believers are still called to today—a faith willing to risk safety and comfort for the sake of obedience.

Trading Comfort for Calling

When Moses grew up, he also faced a defining decision about identity and allegiance. Raised in Pharaoh’s palace, he had access to wealth, status, and security. Yet Hebrews 11:24-26 says he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter,” choosing instead to identify with God’s people.

Faith led Moses to trade temporary comfort for eternal purpose. He “considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt,” showing that real faith values God’s approach over worldly reward.

Obedience That Saves

Faith not only believes—it acts. During the first Passover, obedience became the difference between life and death. God’s command to mark doorposts with lamb’s blood may have seemed odd, yet those who trusted Him enough to obey were protected.

Courageous faith does the same today: it listens to God’s Word and responds, even when the obedience feels costly or confusing.

Harriet Tubman’s life reflects this kind of faith. She risked everything to lead others to freedom, trusting that God Himself guided her steps. Like Moses, she saw an unseen reality that gave her courage to act despite danger and opposition.

Faith that sees the unseen will always move toward obedience. It isn’t reckless; it’s rooted in confidence that God’s promises are truer than the world’s threats.

What This Means for Us

Courageous faith isn’t always loud or dramatic. It’s steady, obedient, and anchored in eternal perspective. It chooses God’s will when it’s inconvenient. It says “yes” to obedience when comfort says “no.”

Faith That Endures

Hebrews says Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” That’s the heart of courageous faith. It endures because it sees beyond what’s invisible and holds fast to a faithful God.

May this be true of the Church today—that believers would be known for their faith that obeys even when it costs, faith that sees the unseen, and faith that endures to the end.

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