Hope-Faith=Wish

The reason I decided to call this blog "grace->faith->holiness->" is because I believe there is a cyclical process in growing in these. I'm not going to attempt to explain the interconnectedness completely in this post, nor do I think that somehow in thirty years I've obtained some special knowledge about this subject to speak definitively about it. However, I do want to begin a conversation about the essential nature of the gift of faith in our service to our King, and attempt to demystify the term faith a bit so that we can all walk in it more.

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

I generally don't like to quote just a verse, but I promise I will with all that is in me try not to take this verse out of context. I would dare say it's difficult to take this verse out of context, because what it says standing alone is exactly what it means in light of chapters 10 and 11.

I'm not a Greek expert, but I took a few courses in college; enough, hopefully to shine a little light on my Strong's. :-) From what I understand, "substance" is a tangible thing. It's not ethereal. It's something we can have a hold of and feel confident about (foundational, concrete, supportive). "Evidence" in the Greek here is exactly how we use the term in a legal sense today (proof, bringing about conviction).

If faith is the substance of things hoped for, than it means I misuse the term "hope" in conversation all the time. For example, "I hope the wind doesn't blow too hard today," or "I hope I catch all green lights on the way to work." In this context, the more appropriate term would be "wish." A wish doesn't have anything substantive behind it. A wish is a shot in the dark: a thing you want to happen, but there is no reason for you to believe that the odds will or will not be in your favor.

Hope, however, has something behind it. The bible tells us that that something is faith. It isn't a blind faith--believing a wish will happen because you believe it to be so. There is something more concrete about faith. The way I understand it is like signposts. An event happens, God does something by His grace (another blog post on this in the future), God's grace is made evident to me (a realization, epiphany, etc.), a signpost gets stuck in the road.

These signposts are an awesome tool for dreamcasting, decision making, etc. You look back and see what God has done, either through you or regardless of you, and you see the direction He is leading. This is all done through the lens of the word/Word of God (see Rom. 10:17, Gal. 3:1-6).

My point is, I believe/understand/think (I'm always at a loss of what word to use when talking about truths You believe God has shown you) that looking back on what God has already done, in your life and more importantly as He reveals His word to you, is a rationale and a ever-growing edifice for the hope that lies within You.

The word talks a ton about what God thinks about unbelief, and I think that's because unbelief is a passive denial of what God has already done. God gives us so much grace in coming to a point of faith. If I were Him I'd be saying, "How many times do I have to prove myself to you?" But He is faithful to work with our shortcomings (Gk. paraptomas), that "raw material" (to steal from C.S. Lewis), to bring us to the point of faith beyond natural reason. How great is our God!

I'm trying to take an inventory more often of what God has done and is doing, that way I rely less on my own confidence and more on His faithfulness. Will you pray for me in this? I would love to hear your responses and how God has shown Himself faithful in your life.

Love from above,
Jeremy