NOW FAITH IS !

NOW FAITH IS: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1). In 11:1 God tells us what Bible faith is. Moffatt's translation this verse reads, "Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see." Another translation says, "Faith is giving substance to things hoped for." Still another translation reads, "Faith is the warranty deed, the thing for which we have finally whole is at last ours." There are a number of kinds of faith. Everyone, say or unsaved, has a natural, human faith. That they have inherited from Adam ! But here God is talking about a scriptural faith. He is talking about a Bible faith. He is talking about believing with your heart. And there is a vast difference between believing with your heart than just believing with your physical senses tell you ! Faith is grasping the unrealities of hope and bringing them into the realm of reality. For example, you hope for finances to meet the obligations that you have to pay. Faith gives the assurance that you will have the money when you need it. "Faith is the evidence of things not seen." You hope for physical strength to do the work that you must do. Faith says, "the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid" (Psalms 27:1). Faith will say about itself everything that the Word of God says, for faith in God is simply faith in His Word. In my beginning of incarceration many years ago, I learned what faith is. After being incarcerated for five years in the general population and designed to be an outside trustee. I read the Bible where it says in (Mark 11:22- 23- 24). Jesus says, "it's Have faith in God." I meditated these verses until faith arose in my heart, then I ask God for the desire of being a outside trustee. He said "put in your I-60, so I did it came back denied. I went to God again with the same verses of Scripture quoted above. He said, "put in your I-60 again". I put in the request, and then I told some of the believers of my desire, and they said I was not going to be granted because I had not been long incarcerated and because that I had a aggravated case. Well, I had God's Word for the thing I hope for. And this is what I'm trying to tell you that faith is faith is giving substance to the things hoped for. I acted on God's Word; I went to work, I hope for the physical strength to do the work. I didn't pray for God to give me strength, I said, "the Lord is the strength of my life, whom shall I fear" as I acted on God's word, faith gave substance to that for which I had hoped. A lot of people just hope-- and stop there. And that won't work. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. If you say, "Well, I hope God heard my prayer," and that's all you do, He didn't, and there won't be any answer. But your faith can and will give substance to the answer to that prayer. Remember this: Hope says, "I will have it sometimes." Faith says, "I have it now." John Wesley said, "The devil has given to the church a substitute for faith which looks and sounds so much like faith some people can't tell the difference." He calls it "mental assert." Many people see what God's word says and acknowledges that it is true-- but it is only with their minds that they are agreeing. And that will not get the job done. It is heart faith that receives from God. Notice what the Bible says, "For with the heart man believeth. . . . Unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10). Jesus said in (Mark 11:23) ". . . Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart [this doesn't say a word about the head], but shall believe [that is, with the heart] that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." You may ask, "how can I tell whether I have heart faith or whether I am just agreeing with my head ?" If it is merely mental agreement or mental assert it says, "I know God's word is true. I know God promises me healing or the Holy Spirit, but for some reason I can't get it. And I can't understand it." Real faith in God's word says, "if God's word says it is so, then it is so. It is mine. I have it now." Real faith also says, "I have it when I can't see it."