What does "the substance of things hoped for" mean?

Question

Is it the physical matter of wishful thinking?


And what is "the evidence of things unseen"?
Is it somehow proof of invisible thing?
Does this apply to all faith?

Answer 1

Just as our physical eyesight is the sense that gives us evidence of the material world, faith is the “sense” that gives us evidence of the invisible, spiritual world.

Faith does not contradict reason, though it may go beyond reason. I may objectively prove the Bible is the most unique book ever published, and has impacted society more than any other book. But only faith can prove that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, this is a belief beyond reason, but not in contradiction to reason.

Answer 2

Faith IS the substance of things hoped for.

There is no guarantee that the outcome will be what you wished or believed it would be. We simply hope it will be, based on past record or the testimony of others.

As an example, children have faith that their parents will be there everyday. No guarantees, they just know and accept it as true because they have been there in the past.

We have faith that the people we work for will pay us, that the bank will give us our money when we want it, and that the sun will rise and set everyday. These are based on what they have done in the past.

The same goes with love, we have faith that the one who loves us, does love and care for us. It can not be seen, but it is evident by what they do and have done. We have faith that they will continue to do this in the future.

If someone promises something, you can have faith in them to do what they have said, or you can decide not to risk the chance. The promise itself is unseen and intangible. Faith and belief is required to accept it. The proof is seen afterward.

God has given us certain promises, according to the Bible, because of His love for us. His love for us, and even His existence, is taken on faith. The proof is seen afterward.

There is a living God, who has made a way for us to have a loving relationship with Him. That way is exclusively through His Son, Jesus Christ, as He has promised. The faith required to believe in the possibility that this is true, opens the door to reveal the evidence that it is the truth. You have the testimony of millions of people over thousands of years as proof that this faith is based by what He has done in the past, is presently doing, and will continue to do.

Answer 3

Faith is when we believe that God will fulfill his promises even though we don't see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith.

The invisible or unseen promises of God is I think it means. Faith is to believe in God's character (he cannot lie and is who he says he is) and believing God's promises (he will do what he says).

Whether it applies to all exercised faith, I cannot say. I can have all the faith in the world believing that I will win the lottery, but it probably won't happen because there is no unseen power behind it.

Answer 4

We may easily read the bible and see the prophecy that has already been fulfilled. This is the substance of the things hoped for in the future prophecy of Christ's return. Christ's return is yet unseen, however, the previous evidence of His work let's us know our hope is true.

We have substance in our rebirth, and our new nature, which is a witness of the Holy Spirit that Christ shall one day return to set His captives free. Just as Moses led the children of Israel out of Pharaoh's control, so shall we be led out of the captivity of the world.

Hallelujah

Answer 5

The evidence of things unseen is like this: Take the wind for example, we can not see it but we can feel it and we can see the things it does. So is wind real? I mean we can not see God but we can feel Him and we can see the things He has done, So is God real?

Answer 6

Do you have hopes and dreams?
I do.
"Proof of things unseen," to me, means that God is real, that He is omnipresent, etc., and that my faith is true...even though I cannot see it physically.