Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." v6. “But without
faith it is impossible to please him: for the that cometh to God must believe
that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Faith – What is
faith? The Bible answers this question in verse one of this same chapter,
Hebrews 6. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and also the evidence of
things not seen. A comparable word for the word substance here is also confidence,
so we could also read it as the
confidence of things hoped for. The word evidence here is also translated reproof in II Timothy 3:16 referring to scripture being profitable
for reproof, or evidence. It’s proven and tested. So we discern that faith is
not blind faith. It is believing in the proofs or evidences of things not seen.
Faith, specifically in Hebrews 11:6, is believing that God exists and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek and depend on Him. Seek means “to
seek out for one’s self, to beg or crave; to demand or require”.
The important part
about faith is recognizing that we are completely and utterly helpless in the
flesh, and to please God requires a total dependence upon Christ for any and
all power. It means to literally beg for and crave God’s power. It means to go
to God and boldly demand or require that He step in and give strength to live
the daily Christian life, knowing that He is the only one capable of meeting
His own requirements. Beyond this, it is believing and trusting that God has
already granted our request, and thanking God in faith for his provision in our
life! Without this, scripture reminds us, it is impossible to please God!
This faith, however
important, is many times one of the forgotten truths of the Christian walk. Yet
Peter mentions it as if it should be a given, and it should. He says in II
Peter 1:5 that we need to add to our faith, yet many times we try to add
morals, wisdom, patience, and godliness to our lives without having the base of
faith that God demands to please Him. All our effort is in vain if not in the
power of the Spirit through faith in the finished work of Christ. As leaders of
the faith, we must make sure of our faithfulness, literally if we are full of faith, for without
the power of Christ through faith, we are utterly hopeless.
Next week we will look at the practical adding of faith in our lives.
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