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What is Faith?
Hebrews 11:1 states that Faith is the substance of things not seen. Another translation says that faith is giving substance to things hoped for. Here we see that faith feeds hope and gives it substance. Hope by and in itself has no substance. Action gives substance to hope. Faith is the action that makes our hope a substance. You put your faith into your hope with action.
Hebrew 11:1 begins with the word now. Now faith is. Or, faith is NOW! The word now is an action word. Faith is the substance, elements, or properties. The amplified Bible says that faith is the assurance. Other translations state that Faith is the grounds, foundation, and confidence.
The Bible also talks about another kind of faith. This kind of faith is referred to as mental assent and differs from heart faith in that it lacks corresponding actions. Mental assent may also be referred to as head faith because it may give you good feelings that you have faith but your prayers can never be answered with this kind of faith because it lacks actions in what you believe. James 2:18 says that actions will support what you believe. The Devil tries to get Christians to use Head faith because he knows that this kind of faith is ineffective in receiving answers from the Word of God.
Receiving follows believing as stated in Hebrews 11:1, Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Mental assent says I know God has promised healing, but I can not get it. I do not understand.
Heart faith says even though I do not understand it, If God said it, I believe it, and that settles it, I have got it!
Using two Bible examples will better illustrate these two kinds of faith. One is known as the Abraham or God kind of faith while the other is known as the Thomas kind of faith that only believes what he see, feels, hears, and is also called the Natural kind of faith.
The Thomas kind of faith is written about in the book of John chapter 20 verses 24-29. Here we see that Thomas can only believe what he sees and he could not believe that Jesus was alive because Thomas’ physical senses told him that Jesus was dead. Thomas was using head knowledge rather than heart faith. Verse 27 and verse 28 states that Thomas will only believe after putting his hand and finger into Jesus. So, after Thomas put his hand in Jesus' side and his finger through Jesus' hand, then Thomas was able to believe it was Jesus. For Thomas, verse 28 is proof that he now believes.
Alternatively we have the Abraham or God kind of faith. This kind of faith is written about in Romans 4:17-21 and shows that faith feeds hope and give substance to hope (Hebrews 11:1).
Here we see Abraham did not consider the circumstances of their aged bodies, and he staggered not at the promises of God, but was fully persuaded, that what God had promised, He was also well able to fulfill and perform.
Abraham’s faith had to struggle against a discouraging hope but he staggered not because he was fully persuaded.
This Abraham faith allows us to draw nearer to God our Father, the giver of every good gift (James 1:17).
If you are born again and truly love God, then you will have no trouble joining me in the following verse taken from the book of Psalms, Come let us bow down and give thanks and glorify God who is our maker (Psalm 95:6).
Let us worship our God.
Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all (I Timothy 4:15).
Marinating in His Love - George Dillon
Cornerstone Ministries
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