Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
I. SIMPLE DECLARATION
“Faith is”
A.Some deny such a thing as faith, but
the Bible declares "faith is." Faith is real.
B. Show me faith.....can’t see faith.
It is like the wind; cannot see the wind but you see the effects of the wind. You can see the result of the wind. The same is true of faith; you cannot see faith but you can see the effects of faith.
Faith is like calories; you can’t see them, but you can see the results.
II. SCRIPTURAL DEFINITION
Verse 1 presents us with the only definition of faith to be found in the entire Bible. To this one definition we must give some careful attention.
A. Bible faith defined
Faith is defined in a two-fold way:
1. “SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR”
Faith is so real it gives substance. The promises given to the Old Testament saints were so real to them, because they believed God, that they based their lives on them.
Faith is not a wistful longing that something may come to pass in an uncertain tomorrow. True faith is an absolute certainty, often of things that the world considers unreal and impossible.
If we follow a God whose audible voice we have never heard and believe in a Christ whose face we have never seen, we do so because our faith has a reality, a substance, an assurance that is unshakable.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were confronted with the choice of obeying Nebuchadnezzar, whom they could see very well, or God, whom they had never seen. Without hesitation, they chose to obey God. Moses (27) also was confronted with obeying a King he could see, or a God whom he had never seen.
Man's natural response is to trust his physical senses, to put his faith in the things he can see, hear, taste, and feel. But the man of God puts his trust in something more durable and dependable than anything he will ever experience with his senses.Faith is a present essence of a future reality. Faith is a capacity to see the unseen. It is the substance of the unseen reality before it becomes a seen reality.
Faith gives a surety. John 6:69 “we believe and are sure.” Faith furnishes my heart with a sure support.
2. “THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN”
Physical eyesight examines evidence of visible things; faith enables us to see the invisible.
Physical eyesight produces conviction or evidence of visible things; faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible.
Faith means we are confident of what we hoped for and convinced of what we do not see.
Faith enables the believing soul to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen.
Faith enables the men and women in this chapter to see the invisible, choose the imperishable, and do the impossible. All the examples in this chapter are related to “things hoped for” or “things not seen.” George Muller, “Faith is the assurance that the thing which God has said in His Word is true, and that God will act according to what He has said in His Word. This assurance, this reliance on God's Word, this confidence is FAITH.”
Faith enables to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.
2007-03-06 08:48:33
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answer #1
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answered by Preacher 4
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sorry, the Holy cannot be reduced to soundbites.
2007-03-06 16:39:25
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answer #2
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answered by ? 4
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