Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is not just a concept or a theory but a divine commodity. Faith is the “Heavenly substance”. It is a matter, material and mode. It is the method of transacting from the earthly to the Heavenly realm. Faith is the lifestyle of God’s children. It is both the substance with which we complete divine deals and the evidence of our relationship with the Almighty. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous (Hebrews 1:3). It was the unseen faith in Abel that vouched for his sacrifice as “the best” and validated him as “the righteous”. It was the invisible “substance of faith” that was also the physical “evidence of his faith”.
Hence, faith is not a virtue that we pull out from the shelf every time we are in desperate need – it is our lifestyle. It is the hidden substance of the heart and a visible testimony of our trajectory. “The Case for Christ” is an award winning book and movie. It is the true story of Lee Strobel’s, an avowed atheist, giving his life to Christ while critically examining and collecting evidence to negate the faith of his wife Lisa. Lee’s venture in validating the existence of Christ, His miracles and His resurrection outside the Bible, germinated and grew “the substance of faith” in Him. Eventually, the evidence that he collected to disprove his wife’s faith, proved him wrong!
Faith is the both the substance and the evidence:
1. Calibrator: Faith is our calibrator, tranquiliser and equaliser of our emotions. Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” When the storms of life and the fierce winds of the squalls and trials freeze our emotions, faith recalibrates our love, integrity and faithfulness to the Lord. When we waver in our walk, faith is the substance that recalibrates our life and reaffirms our belief system. Faith calms and calibrates our emotions.
2. Communicates: Faith is a product matter that is audible in the spiritual world. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead (Hebrews 11:4b). Abel’s faith was evident in his gift. Faith was not measured with the grandeur of the gift (what) but why he was generous. The ‘why’ determines the strength of the ‘what’. The fuel that ignites faith is love. The secret faith that was hidden in the inner chambers of his heart still speaks today, almost 6,000 years after his death. Faith in our heart is the voice that is heard loud and clear in Heaven.
3. Confirmation: Faith is the commodity of Heaven that verifies, confirms or proves our genuineness. By faith he (Abel) was commended as righteous (Hebrews 11:4a). In the courts of Heaven, faith is the affidavit that will prove our authenticity. It is not our white clothing, holy appearance or piety on the outside but the purity in our heart that will stand as an evidence. Faith will be the authentication for our petition.
Hence “faith” is not a Christian cliché, it is the substance and evidence of our heart’s honesty, purity and authenticity .
Hebrews11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, May my faith be the substance that calibrates my emotion and may it be the audible authenticating evidence in Heaven. Amen
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