1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
There is no other definition of faith that is as concise, correct and explicit as that given in Hebrews 11:1. It says faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of the unseen. From the Word, we see that we can have substance and evidence for things we have not yet seen. While some people believe that seeing is believing, the believer’s faith is the opposite: believing is seeing. Jesus speaking to Martha after her brother’s death, said, “…Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) The situation was hopeless, but the resurrection and the life brought life back to Lazarus; He spoke, and it was done. Remember Abraham, God promised to give him a son, and He gave him His Word. God’s Word is His bond, so when God gives you a word, that is the substance of faith you need to receive that which you are in faith for. In Genesis 15, God brought Abraham abroad from the tent and said, “…Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, so shall thy seed be. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:5-6). When Abraham believed God, he received the substance or the evidence of a son he had not yet seen. He related with that reality in his heart as though he already had Isaac. All he needed was the substance, that is the Word spoken to him by God, “So shall thy seed be.” Abraham’s faith was certified by God, and righteousness was credited to His account.
How did Abraham believe? With his heart. Faith, the substance of hope, cannot be appreciated or captured with the physical eyes, but the results of faith are visible. Faith is of the heart; you believe what God says to you with your heart, the core of your being, your spirit; and you confess what you believe with your mouth. That was how we got born again: we confessed Jesus as Lord and believed in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). Then the Apostle Paul admonished, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him” (Colossians 2:6). How did you receive the Lord Jesus? By grace through faith. You believed with your heart the resurrection of Jesus Christ and confessed with your mouth His lordship, and you got saved. This is how you will also continue in your faith walk – believing and confessing. This is the kingdom principle and everything in God’s kingdom answers to this principle. Meditate in the Word, let it settle within you, and put the Word in your mouth, speaking with confident assurance because you know God is faithful to bring His Word to pass. This is Bible faith!
My Solid Front (Confession):
In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I declare that I am of faith and walk by faith, not by sight. I believe the Word, confess it and act upon the Word daily! Amen!
Further Meditation:
Romans 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:1-6.