Hope, The Goal Setter for Faith

THE ABCs of FAITH

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5: 7


ABCs of Faith 5

Hope Sets Goals!

Today we will continue our study of the ABCs or basic fundamentals of faith. I cannot emphasize how important it is that you develop faith for the last days. We need to prepare our faith for the coming of Jesus. When He comes I want Him to find faith in you, in the Body of Christ and in me. Many are losing their grip on the Word today. He expects to find a people operating in real Bible faith when He comes.

Hebrews 11:1 is the one verse that best defines faith. Let us look at how various translators have rendered this verse:


Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (New Living Translation)



Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (New American Standard Bible - NASB)



Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (King James Version - KJV and New King James Version - NKJV)



Now faith is the title-deed of things hoped for, the conviction of things which are not being seen. (Wuest - The New Testament: An Expanded Translation)



Faith then is; confidence, assurance, substance, and title-deed of things hoped for.


HOPE IS CONFIDENT EXPECTATION

We have said that there are three things you need to know about faith. We are discussing the first thing that you need to know about faith which is WHAT FAITH IS. In our last teaching we took a look at faith vs. hope. Today I want to continue to study the subject of hope. The amplified Bible says hope is joyful and confident expectation! Hope is confident expectation that what you desire will come to past. Now get this please; HOPE IS ALWAYS FUTURE! FAITH IS ALWAYS NOW! Why? Well, what expect is future isn't it? Why would you expect something that you already have? Faith is possession NOW, hope is expecting something in the future! Until you can boldy say I have it now, you are not in Bible faith. Now faith is! (Notice thatboth NOW and IS are present tense).
Hope is confident expectation of a future blessing. We hope for what we do not have yet. Now I don't mean just hoping in unbelief, I mean Bible hope or CONFIDENT EXPECTATION! To better explain hope let's think about the imminent return of Jesus to the earth and the rapture of the Church. The Bible calls this our blessed hope because it is a future event. Has the second coming of Christ happened yet? No, it is a future event so we have hope (confident expectation) for it.

HOPE IS A GOAL SETTER

And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: Hebrews 6:11



Notice that Hebrews 6: 11 says hope unto the end. Faith is always now and hope is always future. Hope is really the goal setter for faith. Hope sets the goal and faith brings it to pass. Hope in itself has no substance or power without faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the power source that brings your hopes to pass. One way to illustrate this is to think of a thermostat and the furnace of a heating and air unit. The thermostat sets the goal but the furnace produces the power to bring the goal set by the thermostat to past. How much power would you get from just a thermostat hanging beautifully on a wall that is not hooked up to a furnace? Many Christians have beautiful thermostats but no furnace. Faith is the furnace or air-conditioning unit, the power to bring the desired temperature to past in your home. Faith gives substance to your desires or hopes.
Another illustration would be the G.P.S. (global positioning system) system in an automobile. The G.P.S. or navigation system can set the goal to drive from Alabama to Phoenix (been there, done that). It even charts the course to the destination, but it has no power to move the automobile. You must have a motivating power/force or a motor to get the vehicle moving. Faith is the motivating power/force or motor that brings the vision of the nav system to past. Hope sets the goal, NOW (present tense) faith is the spiritual power that brings it to past!


__________________________________________________
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11: 1




Live Well, Live Blessed!
Bernard