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About Jesus Steve Sweetman Yet
Another Look at Heb. 11:1 Heb. 11:1 in the NIV says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see". Many have used this verse to define what faith is, but is this verse really a definition of faith. I am seeing this verse in a new light of late. I do not see this verse as a definition of faith, for by definition faith is simply trusting in a person, and this verse says more than that. When I see the NIV say that "faith is being...", that suggests to me that this is not a definition. It is saying that one who has faith in Jesus, one who does trust Jesus will be sure of what they hope for, and certain of what cannot be seen. This verse is telling us that a person with faith will act like what it says. The difficulty of making Heb. 11:1 the definition of faith is that it makes it too easy to say that faith can bring about something that is not seen merely by the words you speak. Once again, I do not see "speaking things into existence" as being scriptural as Word Of Faith people would say. Our faith, trust in Jesus will help us be sure of what we hope for. It will also help us to be certain of the things we do not see. What are these things we do not see? What are these invisible things. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 4:18 that we are not too look on the things that are seen but the things that are not seen. The things are not seen are spiritual. They are the real things in our lives. It is these things that we are certain of. Trusting Jesus will make us certain of the things we cannot see, the invisible spiritual world. This is what faith can do in a life. To say that faith is speaking things into existence from the invisible world and prove it with this verse is not correct. This verse is not saying such a thing. It is simply saying, that those who have faith will be sure of what they hope for, and they will be certain of the invisible world around them that means so much to them.
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