| “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) |
One day two little children were playing on a hillside when they noticed that the sun was
beginning to set. One said to the other, “See how far the sun has gone! A little while ago it
was right over that tree, and now it is low in the sky." " But Dad told us that it’s not the sun
that moves; it’s the earth.” The other little boy said, “The sun did move, I have seen it
move, and the earth did not move, because I have been standing on it all the time. I know
what I see.” The first little boy said, “Well, even if the sun seems to move, and the earth
seems to stand still, I still believe what Dad said.” And so this is the way it is with mankind.
Some accept only what their senses reveal to them, and others believe the Word of God.
As the children of God, the only way that we can please God is by faith, The Bible says in
(Hebrews 11:6) “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Faith is the key to the life of the Christian. We must live and walk by faith. Since faith, then,
is so important, it is the duty of every child of God to find out what faith really is. Now let us
consider from out text two things that reveal to us the nature of faith.
Let us read the text again. It says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the
evidence of things not seen.” We see a twofold definition of faith here, and it is these two
things we want to look at. Now let us consider two things here concerning the word
“Substance.”
beginning to set. One said to the other, “See how far the sun has gone! A little while ago it
was right over that tree, and now it is low in the sky." " But Dad told us that it’s not the sun
that moves; it’s the earth.” The other little boy said, “The sun did move, I have seen it
move, and the earth did not move, because I have been standing on it all the time. I know
what I see.” The first little boy said, “Well, even if the sun seems to move, and the earth
seems to stand still, I still believe what Dad said.” And so this is the way it is with mankind.
Some accept only what their senses reveal to them, and others believe the Word of God.
As the children of God, the only way that we can please God is by faith, The Bible says in
(Hebrews 11:6) “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to
God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Faith is the key to the life of the Christian. We must live and walk by faith. Since faith, then,
is so important, it is the duty of every child of God to find out what faith really is. Now let us
consider from out text two things that reveal to us the nature of faith.
Let us read the text again. It says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the
evidence of things not seen.” We see a twofold definition of faith here, and it is these two
things we want to look at. Now let us consider two things here concerning the word
“Substance.”
We see this same principle in the life of Abraham. Here in (Hebrews 11:8) it says, “By faith
Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Abraham was called
of God to leave his homeland and go into a land that God would later show him. He didn’t
know where he was going, but God had promised that He would go with Abraham and lead
Him into the land. Abraham believed God and acted accordingly. His faith was evidenced by
the fact that he took God at His Word and obeyed. He didn’t need to see where he was
going. He trusted in God. The substance of Abraham’s faith was in the promises of God.
The evidence of his faith is in his obedience to God.
Our faith is to be in the Person of God. In Him we are to trust at all times, and in all things.
When bad things are happening, and we have feelings of doubt and concern, we still must
trust in God. Again our faith is not in the things that happen, or the feelings that we may or
may not have. Our faith is in God. We take God at His word and live by that no matter what
comes or goes. This was the faith of Job. His faith rested in God through the hardest test I
have ever read about. He lost all his possessions, all his children, and lost his health, but
listen to these words of Job in (Job 1:20-22) “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and
shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, naked came I
out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD
hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged
God foolishly.” Taking God at His word and acting on it is faith, and this faith is what
pleases God. This faith will bring us peace and joy, even during the storms of life that come
our way from time to time. We should not look at the storms and let doubt and fear cause us
to question God. We must always remember that our faith is resting in the promises of God
and not in the circumstances of life. We don’t deny that the storms come, and neither do we
bury our face in the sand concerning the trials, troubles, and temptations we face. These
things are real. They are real as can be. But our faith is in God who has promised us that He
would be with us through all these things, and that we will have victory through Him.
Clarles Spurgon once said, “A little faith will bring your soul into heaven, a great faith will
bring heaven to your soul.” Beloved, let us take God at His word no matter what the
circumstance are. It pleases God when we trust Him, when we take Him at His word. Again,
remember, true faith is not in feelings and happenings, but in God.
Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an
inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” Abraham was called
of God to leave his homeland and go into a land that God would later show him. He didn’t
know where he was going, but God had promised that He would go with Abraham and lead
Him into the land. Abraham believed God and acted accordingly. His faith was evidenced by
the fact that he took God at His Word and obeyed. He didn’t need to see where he was
going. He trusted in God. The substance of Abraham’s faith was in the promises of God.
The evidence of his faith is in his obedience to God.
Our faith is to be in the Person of God. In Him we are to trust at all times, and in all things.
When bad things are happening, and we have feelings of doubt and concern, we still must
trust in God. Again our faith is not in the things that happen, or the feelings that we may or
may not have. Our faith is in God. We take God at His word and live by that no matter what
comes or goes. This was the faith of Job. His faith rested in God through the hardest test I
have ever read about. He lost all his possessions, all his children, and lost his health, but
listen to these words of Job in (Job 1:20-22) “Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and
shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, naked came I
out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD
hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged
God foolishly.” Taking God at His word and acting on it is faith, and this faith is what
pleases God. This faith will bring us peace and joy, even during the storms of life that come
our way from time to time. We should not look at the storms and let doubt and fear cause us
to question God. We must always remember that our faith is resting in the promises of God
and not in the circumstances of life. We don’t deny that the storms come, and neither do we
bury our face in the sand concerning the trials, troubles, and temptations we face. These
things are real. They are real as can be. But our faith is in God who has promised us that He
would be with us through all these things, and that we will have victory through Him.
Clarles Spurgon once said, “A little faith will bring your soul into heaven, a great faith will
bring heaven to your soul.” Beloved, let us take God at His word no matter what the
circumstance are. It pleases God when we trust Him, when we take Him at His word. Again,
remember, true faith is not in feelings and happenings, but in God.
The Things Hoped For
Substance means “the ground; the basis; the confidence; the assurance upon which faith
rests.” The ground, that is, the substance of the Christian faith is the Word of God. All of
our faith rests upon the promises of God. Christian faith is not a blind leap in the dark. Faith
has a sure foundation. God does not ask us to believe in something unless He gives us a
promise to base our belief on. When God makes a promise we can have complete
confidence and assurance that He will keep His promises. It’s impossible for God not to
keep His Word. Oh, my friends, there can be no surer foundation upon which to base our
faith. So faith is not a blind leap in the dark, it is belief and trust in the promises of God.
That’s the substance of faith.
rests.” The ground, that is, the substance of the Christian faith is the Word of God. All of
our faith rests upon the promises of God. Christian faith is not a blind leap in the dark. Faith
has a sure foundation. God does not ask us to believe in something unless He gives us a
promise to base our belief on. When God makes a promise we can have complete
confidence and assurance that He will keep His promises. It’s impossible for God not to
keep His Word. Oh, my friends, there can be no surer foundation upon which to base our
faith. So faith is not a blind leap in the dark, it is belief and trust in the promises of God.
That’s the substance of faith.
The Meaning of "Substance"
The substance of Noah’s faith is seen in the fact that he believed God when God told him to
build the Ark, because He was going to destroy the world by a flood. The evidence of Noah’
s faith is seen in his fear and obedience to God. We see in (Hebrews 11:7) “By faith Noah,
being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the
saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith.” Now Noah was warned of things not seen yet and he
believed God. God had spoken and Noah believed God and obeyed. This is the evidence of
Faith. This shows us that true faith is always followed by works. Noah acted on the word of
God. He took God’s warning as fact and acted on it. Faith has a substance, which is the
facts given to us from God’s Word. Faith has evidence which is acting upon the facts.
build the Ark, because He was going to destroy the world by a flood. The evidence of Noah’
s faith is seen in his fear and obedience to God. We see in (Hebrews 11:7) “By faith Noah,
being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the
saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the
righteousness which is by faith.” Now Noah was warned of things not seen yet and he
believed God. God had spoken and Noah believed God and obeyed. This is the evidence of
Faith. This shows us that true faith is always followed by works. Noah acted on the word of
God. He took God’s warning as fact and acted on it. Faith has a substance, which is the
facts given to us from God’s Word. Faith has evidence which is acting upon the facts.
| The Nature of Faith |
Illustrated by Noah
The Christian’s faith is in God who has given us many great promises. These promises are
the things we hope for. These things hoped for will come to pass regardless of the
circumstances in our daily lives. These things hoped for are not resting on the circumstances
of life, but they are resting on the promises of God. There are two areas of God’s promises
concerning the things we hope for. There are the promises for our present, and there are the
promises for our future. Let us consider the promises for our present.
First, we have the promise of God’s presence with us as we walk through this life. The Lord
said in (Matthew 28:18-20) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.” And we see in (Hebrews 13:5) “Let your conversation be
without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” The Lord Jesus Christ is our divine Companion and we
need never fear the things that the devil, or this world can do to us. What a privilege to have
the Lord with us in all things. All others may forsake us, but the Lord Jesus will never leave
us. Even in the hour of death He will be there. The Bible says in (Psalm 23:4) “Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” These promises are the substance of God’s divine
presence. These promises are the basis of our faith.
Second, we have the promise of God concerning His providence. The Bible says in (Romans
8:28) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.” What a promise this is! All things work
together for our good. All the heavenly host, all the events of this life, all things work
together for our good. There are times when things seem to work against us, but in the end
we can see that they have been for our good. It’s good to know that God is working and
watching over us to our good. When things seem to go wrong, we must always remember
that our faith is resting in the promises of God, and not in the events and circumstances of
life. Our faith is in God, not in feelings and happenings.
Third, we have the promise of God’s protection. The Bible says in (Romans 8:32-39) “He
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is
God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we
are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Beloved, we can be no more safe
than that! God has justified us, He loves us with an everlasting love that nothing can separate
us from. We will face many hardships and trials as we travel through this life, but God is
with us and will protect us. Even if we are taken in death, He will safely and gloriously take
us home to heaven, to the place that the Lord Jesus has prepared for us. Remember what He
said in (John 14:1-3) “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Beloved, these promises
are the ground, the basis upon which our faith rests. This is not blind faith. This is faith
based on the promises of God. No matter what life’s circumstances may bring, these
promises cannot be broken. They are the promises of God.
.
Fourth, we have the promise of God concerning our provisions. God will supply everything
that we need. The Bible says in (Philippians 4:19) “But my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Here is an inexhaustible source of
provisions. Whatever we need to live and serve the Lord, God will provide. He will provide
our physical, material and spiritual needs according to his riches in glory. This means that
God has enough to go around without ever running short. We have this promise from the
Word of God. Beloved, this is the basis of our faith. Faith is the substance of these things
that are hoped for in the present, the here and now.
But now let us look at the things hoped for concerning God’s promises for the future. First,
we have His promise concerning the Rapture. The Bible says in (I Thessalonians 4:16-18)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words.”
What a joy this is. Soon we will hear a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of
God, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then we that are alive and remain will be caught
up together to meet the Lord in the air. This will the greatest moment yet for the church. We
will see the Lord Jesus in all His glory and majesty. We will see all our loved ones who have
gone on before us. Beloved, this is the promise of God. Our faith is based on this promise.
We shall not be disappointed.
Second, we have the promise of the resurrection. Jesus said in (John 11:25) “Jesus said
unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live:” And we see in (II Corinthians 4:14) “Knowing that he which raised up
the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” What a joy
it is to know that if we go through the door of death, we will be resurrected by the Lord
Jesus Christ to everlasting glory in His presence. We will get a new glorified body like the
body of Christ, as we see in (Philippians 3:20-21) “For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working
whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Now here again we see that the
promise of the resurrection is based on the promises of God. This is the substance of things
hoped for. The substance is our confidence, our assurance, based on the grounds of God
promises.
Then third, we have the promise of a reunion. One day we will see all of our loved ones who
have been saved and gone on before us. We will see all the saints of God. We will have a
reunion such as never before. The Bible says in First Thessalonians 4:16, that the dead in
Christ shall rise first, and we that are alive and remain will be caught up together with them
to meet the Lord in the air. Caught up together! What a time that will be! And the Lord Jesus
tells us in (Matthew 8:11) “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and
west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”
Now beloved, these are just a few of the promises of God that are given to us. It’s upon
these promises that our faith is resting. These promises are the substance of our faith. Again,
our faith has substance. It is not a blind leap in the dark. It’s not blind faith. It’s confidence
and assurance in the promises of God that are given to us in His Word.
Now we come to the second thing in our text that describes the nature of faith. It says that
faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Now since our
faith is not a blind faith, but has substance, and this substance is confidence and assurance in
the promises of God, there has to be an evidence of faith.
> If then, there is evidence, there has to be facts. Here again we see that the facts are
the promises of God concerning things not seen. God tells us things, and they are so whether
we can see them or not. Faith takes God at His word, no matter what we see or do not see.
The evidence of faith is simply this: God has spoken, we believe, and as a result we walk
and act accordingly.
the things we hope for. These things hoped for will come to pass regardless of the
circumstances in our daily lives. These things hoped for are not resting on the circumstances
of life, but they are resting on the promises of God. There are two areas of God’s promises
concerning the things we hope for. There are the promises for our present, and there are the
promises for our future. Let us consider the promises for our present.
First, we have the promise of God’s presence with us as we walk through this life. The Lord
said in (Matthew 28:18-20) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to
observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even
unto the end of the world. Amen.” And we see in (Hebrews 13:5) “Let your conversation be
without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will
never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” The Lord Jesus Christ is our divine Companion and we
need never fear the things that the devil, or this world can do to us. What a privilege to have
the Lord with us in all things. All others may forsake us, but the Lord Jesus will never leave
us. Even in the hour of death He will be there. The Bible says in (Psalm 23:4) “Yea, though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” These promises are the substance of God’s divine
presence. These promises are the basis of our faith.
Second, we have the promise of God concerning His providence. The Bible says in (Romans
8:28) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.” What a promise this is! All things work
together for our good. All the heavenly host, all the events of this life, all things work
together for our good. There are times when things seem to work against us, but in the end
we can see that they have been for our good. It’s good to know that God is working and
watching over us to our good. When things seem to go wrong, we must always remember
that our faith is resting in the promises of God, and not in the events and circumstances of
life. Our faith is in God, not in feelings and happenings.
Third, we have the promise of God’s protection. The Bible says in (Romans 8:32-39) “He
that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is
God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is
risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we
are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these
things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us
from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Beloved, we can be no more safe
than that! God has justified us, He loves us with an everlasting love that nothing can separate
us from. We will face many hardships and trials as we travel through this life, but God is
with us and will protect us. Even if we are taken in death, He will safely and gloriously take
us home to heaven, to the place that the Lord Jesus has prepared for us. Remember what He
said in (John 14:1-3) “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in
me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” Beloved, these promises
are the ground, the basis upon which our faith rests. This is not blind faith. This is faith
based on the promises of God. No matter what life’s circumstances may bring, these
promises cannot be broken. They are the promises of God.
.
Fourth, we have the promise of God concerning our provisions. God will supply everything
that we need. The Bible says in (Philippians 4:19) “But my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Here is an inexhaustible source of
provisions. Whatever we need to live and serve the Lord, God will provide. He will provide
our physical, material and spiritual needs according to his riches in glory. This means that
God has enough to go around without ever running short. We have this promise from the
Word of God. Beloved, this is the basis of our faith. Faith is the substance of these things
that are hoped for in the present, the here and now.
But now let us look at the things hoped for concerning God’s promises for the future. First,
we have His promise concerning the Rapture. The Bible says in (I Thessalonians 4:16-18)
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet
the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another
with these words.”
What a joy this is. Soon we will hear a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trump of
God, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then we that are alive and remain will be caught
up together to meet the Lord in the air. This will the greatest moment yet for the church. We
will see the Lord Jesus in all His glory and majesty. We will see all our loved ones who have
gone on before us. Beloved, this is the promise of God. Our faith is based on this promise.
We shall not be disappointed.
Second, we have the promise of the resurrection. Jesus said in (John 11:25) “Jesus said
unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead,
yet shall he live:” And we see in (II Corinthians 4:14) “Knowing that he which raised up
the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” What a joy
it is to know that if we go through the door of death, we will be resurrected by the Lord
Jesus Christ to everlasting glory in His presence. We will get a new glorified body like the
body of Christ, as we see in (Philippians 3:20-21) “For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working
whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.” Now here again we see that the
promise of the resurrection is based on the promises of God. This is the substance of things
hoped for. The substance is our confidence, our assurance, based on the grounds of God
promises.
Then third, we have the promise of a reunion. One day we will see all of our loved ones who
have been saved and gone on before us. We will see all the saints of God. We will have a
reunion such as never before. The Bible says in First Thessalonians 4:16, that the dead in
Christ shall rise first, and we that are alive and remain will be caught up together with them
to meet the Lord in the air. Caught up together! What a time that will be! And the Lord Jesus
tells us in (Matthew 8:11) “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and
west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.”
Now beloved, these are just a few of the promises of God that are given to us. It’s upon
these promises that our faith is resting. These promises are the substance of our faith. Again,
our faith has substance. It is not a blind leap in the dark. It’s not blind faith. It’s confidence
and assurance in the promises of God that are given to us in His Word.
Now we come to the second thing in our text that describes the nature of faith. It says that
faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Now since our
faith is not a blind faith, but has substance, and this substance is confidence and assurance in
the promises of God, there has to be an evidence of faith.
> If then, there is evidence, there has to be facts. Here again we see that the facts are
the promises of God concerning things not seen. God tells us things, and they are so whether
we can see them or not. Faith takes God at His word, no matter what we see or do not see.
The evidence of faith is simply this: God has spoken, we believe, and as a result we walk
and act accordingly.
Illustrated by Abraham
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Blessed Hope
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
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