Hebrews 11:1


Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see ~ Hebrews 11:1

There is no other verse I can think of which declares what true faith is by definition. Eternal life depends on the existence of faith, for it is our goal at the end of life here on earth. Faith gives that reality to the things hoped for. Faith lies in contradiction to what is unreal or imaginary, for faith in fact imparts reality into the thoughts and mind and heart. Though we may not see what we hope for, faith distinguishes between those things which are unreal and illusive, and enables us to feel and act as if they were real. The interesting aspect about faith is that as long as it continues, whether it is well-founded or not, it gives all the force of reality to what is believed. We feel and act as if it were so, or as if the object were before our very eyes. We do not see God, or heaven, or angels, or crowns of glory, but we have faith in them. I may pray that the “mountains” surrounding a situation will be moved by God’s heavenly realm, and I believe it to be so, and the mountains are moved and God intercedes in the situation. I will pray in the power of Jesus’ name, and believe that His name is above all others and this earth and all in it is under subjection to His name, and movement happens. That is faith in what is hoped for and the assurance of what is not seen. A Christian has faith and hope, not because we have seen heaven or angels, or a body raised from the grave, but we do have evidence that God has spoken about these things and that God’s word and nature have convinced us that it is so. We view the promises and unseen things as though they were so because we have confidence in the Lord Jesus as the Saviour of the soul.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments

Popular posts from this blog

Proverbs 18:2

Image
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in sharing their own opinions ~ Proverbs 18:2 If we are going to understand something, we must fully digest it so that when we speak, we speak with wisdom. When we have only half truths in our mind, our words become empty and senseless. We then puff out air rather than understanding when we speak. A wise person will want to improve their mind through learning in various ways from the world around them. A person who delights in spiritual understanding will find peace and enjoyment in reading the Word of God on a daily basis, and in participating with God’s people in a learning and praising environment – the church! We come together in corporate worship with the understanding that not one of us knows all things, but we bend our mind and heart to learn what God has to show and say to us. A foolish person makes a show of what they “know” to please their friends or to save face in front of them. More often a wise person will hold t
Read more

Romans 8:26

Image
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans ~ Romans 8:26 Many days, many times, I have the words for prayer. It comes forth and flows fairly naturally as I converse with my Lord God. I hope in the God I worship to hear me, and to receive my words, as I pray in the name of Jesus and believe in Him, my intercessor. He is my Living Saviour, my High Priest, standing at the right hand of God the Father. But there are times when my pain has been so deep that my words will not come. There are times when my agony is so piercing that what words I may speak would not be enough. And so, in my deep, black moments, I come before my God and let my darkest emotions erupt in sounds that only He can understand. The Holy Spirit within me cries out in my stead, and He becomes my second intercessor. It is not that He is not there with me in all my prayers, but there are times wh
Read more

Isaiah 43:19

Image
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert ~ Isaiah 43:19 When we meet a challenge, we are often found discouraged, lost, even hopeless. Nothing is working, everything seems to be against us. We do not know how to move forward, so we remain curled up in a ball. Then, a glimmer of light shines through! Hope is regained and movement is stirred within. Don’t we become excited when we begin to feel it? God moves like that. We cannot see our way around it, but He can and does. And He makes a way for us out of the calamity of our fears. It is the feeling of springtime after a long winter, or the smell of fresh cut grass. Life stirs within and we move and we see what God saw all the time – the answer to our dilemma. Our desert place becomes an oasis, and we can do what we are called to do. Something totally unexpected happens, something unheard of, but it begins in our life, and we feel the
Read more