As an introductory
Please be mindful, as I have mentioned before, that this is an introductory series. Like all my series about theology, etc., they are usually never exhaustive. They are intended to spur you into thought and learning more of God; ultimately for you to fall in love with Christ. Now, onward in our study!
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1
Our goal here is to figure out what this means. When the Bible says faith is “the assurance of things hoped for,” we must not look over this too quickly. What does that mean: assurance? If I am reading this correctly, faith is more than simply some sort of object of influence we have control over (which will be discussed in the next post by guest blogger, Don). Rather, faith would be something that would have influence on us.
The assurance of things hoped for
For without it, we have no assurance in what is hoped for, correct? If faith substantiates hope, then this must be looked at objectively. It is connotative to hope; things hoped for. What is hoped for? The things of God? Yes. The entire chapter of Hebrews 11 is devoted to describing how faith is essential to pleasing God and knowing that He is the creator of all. Why would these matters, well, matter?
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11
Why would God do this: put eternity in the hearts of men? Well, I would say that this is where we find purpose, meaning, relevance, desire, and longing. We, as people, have an inherent quality about us that causes us to be drawn towards an eternal reality. How does this relate to faith? It relates in the way that all these things give us the amazing attribute of hope. We hope. Hope is a wonderful thing. It pulls us through the hard times, and even through the good. It offers perspective otherwise lost. Hope gives drive. Hope gives assurance. Hope gives a sense of peace.
Faith and hope
Remember that “faith is the assurance of the things hoped for. . . .” Faith is what adds the assurance to the things hoped for in God. This is why it cannot be of ourselves because the things hoped for in God are not of ourselves, therefore we cannot and are unable to produce the faith that is necessary for salvation, because salvation is not of ourselves.
That is what faith is. It substantiates hope, and gives assurance to the things of God that are seeded in our hearts. We are longing for something other than this world, and only faith enables us to have those things realized in our hearts, thereby giving assurance to the hopes that lie within us for the things of eternal value.
- Jonathan J.
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