Young People's Group

UNDERSTANDING OUR FAITH

by Pastor Mitch
January 10, 2010

“Faith Is…”

What is faith? From time to time, it is good for us to ask ourselves such basic questions that we may check our own understanding of what faith is. Let’s not take for granted that we already understand it. In the book of Hebrews, the author was dealing with a whole string of problems that affected the Christians that he was writing to. Some of the believers were plagued with an unbelief problem. There were people who had hardened their hearts and sought to disobey the Lord. The author took time to explain what true and concrete faith really is.

1. Faith Is The Certainty Of Our Hope

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for” 
Hebrews 11:1

Faith includes the idea of having hope. The word “substance” in the Greek means “confidence” or “assurance”. When we say that we have genuine faith, we mean that we have confidence in the things that we have hoped in. It is the foundation by which we stand on as we hope. For example, when we consider the promises of God, we can have confidence that there will be the future fulfilment of the promises that we have hope in. There is certainty in the things in which we place our trust.

2. Faith Is Seeing The Evidence Of Things Not Yet Realised

“The evidence of things not seen.” 
Hebrews 11:1

Faith also has to do with the idea of spiritual sight. When we observe something coming to pass and believe after the matter of fact, it is a weak kind of faith. True faith is able to see things that have not happened yet as if they have. It can see the evidence of things hoped for in the future. There is the inner conviction that what God had promised will come to pass. Faith will help us see the unrealised as if it has. Young people, let’s seek to understand and cultivate such faith.

“By Faith…”

“For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.” 
Hebrews 11:2

The Bible speaks of people who did not just understand faith but greatly exercised it. The “elders” were a reference to all the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. It was by the means of faith that they were able to obtain a good testimony. Their faith affected everything that they did. It affected their choices and their life. It caused them to live righteously and to overcome great challenges. How we exercise our faith can affect our testimony before others. Young people, you too can obtain a good testimony. When we exercise faith in our life and ministry, we can achieve great things. Faith will express itself in a definite way. By faith, all of us can live significantly so that we can obtain a good testimony. Let’s learn to exercise our faith in all that we do in our life that we may also testify to others of our wonderful faith in the Lord.

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