How do you define faith? For many, faith is nothing more than wishful thinking. They say things like, “I believe everything will work out.” Though sincere, they are left with emptiness and uncertainty. The question that needs to be asked is, “Why do you believe everything will work out?” Then the follow up question should be, “In who or what are you building your faith upon?”
Chance is an awful weak foundation to lay your faith on. The kind of faith that God wants you to have is not simply wishful thinking. Faith as described in the Bible has nothing to do with fate or chance. The faith God wants your life to be marked by is rock-solid, steadfast and brings about a sense of peace and security even when nothing in life seems to be making sense.
To better understand the faith that God wants your life to marked by let’s examine the definition of faith as found in the Biblical book of Hebrews, chapter 11: 1-2.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
First of all, God wants you to have a faith that is established on ASSURANCE!
Again, faith isn’t just wishful thinking. God wants your faith to be marked with assurance that what God said, He will do. The word assurance used by the writer of Hebrews means to “stand on” or to “stand under.”
Strong faith is developed the more to get to know God. You don’t need faith in faith. Growing up in church I often heard a well meaning believer say to someone who was seeking God for a direction or answer that if they would only have enough faith – then it would happen. God is not asking you to put your faith in your faith. That would be to take God out of the equation. God wants you to put your faith in Him. The question to answer is, “How big do you believe God is?”
Your faith is dependent upon the depth of your relationship with God. The more you get to know Him, the more you are convinced of his will. The more you get to know Him, the more you find that He is always faithful. The more you get to know Him, the greater your faith will increase because you begin to stand on the assurance of the character of God. When you get alone with God and hear Him speak, then you have something to stand on!
Psalm 9:10, (NKJV)- And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
Second, God wants your faith to be driven with HOPE.
Most people speak too flippantly about hope. There is no assurance in saying, “I hope this will happen.” “I hope God loves me.” “I hope God will forgive me.” Faith doesn’t always give us the answer before the question, but God does give us certainty that is rooted in the assurance we have in Him.
- Hope is certainty based on the Word of God.
Notice these keywords found in Hebrews 11: 1-2.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.
Biblical hope breeds confidence. You may not know how everything is going to work out. God may not reveal to you the school He wants you to attend, or who you are going to marry, or what company you will work for, or an endless list of other questions we have. What God will do is point you in a direction and ask you to trust the direction He is guiding. The more time you spend with Him, the more confidence you have in how He is leading you. Faith says, “I am certain that God will finish what He started. He knows the way. I’m going to stand on what He says and trust Him.”
Now, how do we strengthen our faith and increase our hope? We increase our hope by being a student of the Word of God.
Romans 10:17, (NKJV) – So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Here is a Biblical principle – God Speaks It – You Believe It – You Receive It.
Join me here next week as we look at how the assurance and hope that faith brings adds fuel to our daily lives.
Prayer:
“Great God, help me to know you better. Open my understanding that you desire a personal relationship with me. Increase my faith by knowing you in a deeper, richer fellowship. Give me ears to hear what you are saying when I pray and read your Word. Let my heart be open to your leading and fill me with the confidence that you are with me and for me. I ask this in the Name of my Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”
Pursuing Truth with Chris Vaught 