Hebrews 11: 1-3 What is true faith?

Hebrews 11: 1-3      What is true faith?

* A person of faith and vision, A testimony of <'Salt' Elder Kim Soowoong>

  Hebrews Ch.11 is a faith field. It is the exhibition hall of the characters of faith. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua etc. These were ordinary people who lived in the world. But they basically believed in God, and God admitted that "you lived by faith." Let us be saints who are recognized by God. Verses 1-3 tell us well what faith is.

1. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

   Vs. 1, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." That is, we are sure that it will happen to things we can hope for. "Faith is hearing the song of  of the lark in an lark egg" (Emerson). Abraham left his hometown and went to the land of Canaan without knowing the way. Joseph, the prime minister of Egypt, died, saying to his offspring, "Take my bones and leave Egypt and go to Canaan."(22). They believed that they actually received what they desired. Let's live by their faith.

2. Faith is the evidence of things not seen.

   Vs. 1, "Faith is the evidence of what we can not see." Faith is now invisible, but knowing it is true. God told Noah to build an ark because there will be a flood judgment. At that time there was no sign of the flood, but Noah built the ark in preparation for the flood. People in the world say, "Seeing is believing," but we believers see what we believe. John ch.11, Jesus said, "If you believe, you will see the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 5:7, "We do not walk by faith, nor do we see." John 20:29, "Do you believe in me? Blessed are those who believe and do not see."
   All saints! what we see is disappointing and frustrating. A man who lives by faith is like watching the sea with a telescope. The only boundless sea is seen by the naked eye, but we can see the island far away as well by the telescope. God is not seen in ordinary eyes. But in the eyes of the Saints, God, eternity, and heaven can be seen. Become people of faith who can see in the spirit what can not be seen with the naked eye.

3. We know by faith that the world has become the Word of God.

  In verse 3, "We know that by faith all the worlds are made by the word of God, and what is seen is not made by what appeared." Here "world" speaks of "all universe and history. All of them are believed to have been created with preached words (Genesis 1), not a "Big Bang" or evolution. "Let there be light," and there was light. "Let there be sun, moon and stars." Sun, moon and stars were made. John 1:1-3, "In the beginning was the Word ... This is God. All things were made by the Word of God...

There are seven amazing formulas in faith life. 1) God speaks. 2) We listen with our ears. 3) We believe in our hearts. 4) We are convinced. 5) We act with hands and feet. 6) We receive evidence by God. 7) And so we glorifies God.  Apply this formula to Noah. 1) God spoke to Noah. "Noah, there will be a flood judgment in the future." 2) Noah heard the Words. 3) Noah believed this. 4) Noah was convinced of this. 5) Noah acted and made the ark. 6) As a result, Noah got amazing evidence. 7) So Noah became a new ancestor after the flood and gave glory to God.
   Pastor Moody'schurch was burned down because of Chicago's great fire. But he believed in God who would give him a bigger church. According to that belief, England helped to build a larger church.

Believers, true faith is not just a belief in visible circumstances. It is surely believing in God even in an impossible situation. I hope that you will always win by this faith in your life.