Hope---A Partner to Faith !

HOPE---A PARTNER TO FAITH : "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the substance of things, but hope he is a necessity. Sometimes people say, "you don't get anything by hoping." And that's true to a certain extent, for there is no substance to hope. But hope is a very important partner to faith. Hope is the goal setter. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The substance of "things"----what things ? The things you hope for. What do we hope for ? We hope for the things that God has given us. That's why 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." God is not pleased when we don't enter into the provisions that He made for us. Some things we will never enter into except through faith. God's willingness is multiplied to us through the knowledge of God. We must know what God has given, or we can have faith in that promise. "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue;" (2 Peter 1:2---3). HOPE IS NECESSARY : Hope is a partner to faith. You are reading this lesson because you hope to receive some insight into hope and faith. But hope alone will not give you that insight. Let me put it to you this way, without hope you will not have anything for faith to give substance to. Yet, if it wasn't for hope, you wouldn't have open this lesson. When the sick come into a prayer line, they hope to be healed. If they didn't have hope, they wouldn't come for prayer. Since faith is the substance of things hoped for, then there must be some hope all their wouldn't be anything for faith to give substance to. This will explain to you why some have died, even though they were saying all the right things. Others said, "I just don't understand why they died." It could be that they gave up hope. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation for the Scripture saith whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Whosoever believeth on him who ? The Word !