Scripture explains thoroughly the meaning of the word it used in the first verse of Hebrews 11:1 (faith) in the rest of the chapter when it repeatedly demands faith be accompanied by action and since that faith from a human standpoint is always defined as faith toward God, what action can be made toward God but one of obedience in response to him as shown in the lives of the great men listed in remaining verses of the chapter. why even verse two states that the worlds were framed by faith. Even God’s faith was not empty and void of the power to “do” something.
God is god and man is man. When God speaks to man, he does not make lateral statements to an equal that are open to discussion as if we can give him counsel. Every statement from God condescends to man (his creation). Faith is our response to the dialogue that God has opened with man. Not a dialogue of reasoning, but of commanding. Anything that comes from God can’t be anything less than directive and commandment. Nothing that comes from God to man can be anything less than law because of the relationship of God to his creation and thus nothing of man’s response can ever be classed as anything less than obedience or disobedience. Faith is our response and thus faith toward God is obedience.
– J Burns