FAITH (A study I shared at English fellowship, Nogata Christian Center) Sat. Apr. 9, 2011

Here is an exceprt from my recent study on faith. Thanks to Alexia for posting Hebrews 11:24-26 on her blog "Behind the Veil" (http://princessofgod777.blogspot.com/2011/04/whats-on-my-mind-faith.html).

SECULAR FAITH
All of us actively use faith every day. I had to find an analogy that adequately explained how we actively use faith in our everyday lives and my reflections took me to the dinner table. My wife lovingly says food is always on my mind but these reflections were on much more than mere physical food.
Let me explain. When I sit on a chair at the dinner table, I never, ever, question whether that chair will collapse under my weight. I simply sit and do what I intend to do. I don’t think twice about it. I place my unreserved trust in the chair.
Here is another analogy. I trust gravity without question even though scientists continue to revise their position on it and are unable to give us a complete explanation for what it is. I have never feared that gravity would cease to be and never feared floating off into the atmosphere or to outer space one day while jogging. I have never wavered in my faith in gravity.

BIBLICAL FAITH
Faith is not mysterious like gravity. The Holy Bible tells us what faith is in Hebrews 11:1. It is two things: the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen. Let us examine these two things by doing a word study of this verse in the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

The word 'faith' comes from the Greek word PISTIS (pronounced pē'-stēs) which literally means a belief in or conviction of the truth of a thing.
The word 'substance' comes from the Greek word HYPOSTASIS (pronounced hü-po'-stä-sēs) which literally is the substructure, underlying quality, nature or foundation of a thing.
The word 'hope' comes from the Greek word ELPIZO (pronounced el-pē'-zō) and literally means to hope with confident expectation.
The word 'evidence' comes from the Greek word ELEGCHOS (pronounced e'-len-khos) which literally is two things: a proof in and of itself and the standard by which another thing is verified.
The word 'thing' comes from the Greek word PRAGMA (pronounced prä'g-mä) and in this scripture literally means a fact that is already accomplished or something that is currently being accomplished.
The word 'seen' comes from the Greek word BLEPO (ble'-pō) and literally translates to seeing with the physical eye or seeing by discerning with the mind.

Now that we have defined the words from the Greek perspective we can put their definitions together to gain a better understanding of the principle of faith.

FAITH: THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR
Our belief in the truth of something is faith. This belief is the substructure, the underlying quality, the nature, or the foundation (substance) that the already established fact (thing) stands on. This already established fact is what we are confidently expecting (hope).
We have traditionally learned by our experiences and from the unfulfilled expectations of our fellow man that when we hope for something it may or may not come. True Biblical hope is expecting a thing with complete, unreserved confidence. We know that our Father God is faithful, merciful and gracious to us and has promised to give us the things we believe. Our hope in God is the total opposite of our hope in man.

FAITH: THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN
This belief in the truth of a thing (faith) is, in and of itself, the proof or verification, as well as the benchmark (evidence) of the fact that is being established or has been established (thing). It is this even if one has not seen it manifested with the eyes or understood it with the mind.
We have traditionally learned that seeing is believing and have translated that erroneous belief into many aspects of our living. But being a believer is our evidence of our faith just as being someone who loves is the evidence of having love. It is the same principle.

The full study 'FAITH' can be viewed via the link listed under "MISCELLANEOUS STUDIES" above the facebook badge on the right.