Faith Is?

Assurance?

These first three verses can be difficult to navigate and understand, so lets take time to unpack them. (NRSV)

The Meaning of Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 1. Assurance. Certainty or confidence about one’s beliefs or actions. The “assurance of hope” () and the “assurance of faith” (; ) are mentioned as qualities of wholeness that lead believers to responsible living.

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Assurance. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 219). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House. To be sure or confident in what we believe or do.

Conviction: a: a strong persuasion or belief

b: the state of being convinced

Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc. You see, faith is in what we cannot see. If there were see-able-it would not take faith to believe. That being said, there is evidence to the unseen. Isn’t there?

(NRSV)

2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. Now I want you to see also that I am working in the ESV Bible and the NRSV at the same time. The ESV says commendation where the NRSV uses the word approval. When we look up the definition of commendation we find that it means to give approval. Do you see how different translations can make things easier to understand? If you go to the King James version we find that in the place of assurance, we get substance.

(NRSV)

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. Now this really is another statement concerned with what we believe in. But this goes much deeper doesn’t it. This is not only about faith but why we believe. So, we as Christians, followers of Christ Jesus, understand that, what God did in the beginning was to create from nothingness. Is this not one of the most difficult aspects of belief? God made the universe from nothing, He spoke it into existence.

How do we then find evidence of faith and how we should replicate actions. (NRSV)

The Faith of Abraham

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8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. This can seem overwhelming to us, right? We might think, well Abraham had a stronger faith than me. God is always looking for his next Abraham, isn’t he? (NRSV)

9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

Let me ask you a question. Do you think it possible that if more people would have listened to God, would others have built their own Ark? If you go back to which I passed over, you will see, (NRSV)

7 By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith. It states that he did this to save his household. In other words, Noah was not instructed to save the world but to save himself and his household. In doing so he set himself apart. Faith always sets us apart from those who do not believe. Yet, these: (NRSV)

13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, Why strangers? Because, if you are looking forward to being in the promised land, you are not members of the land we are occupying but journeying to a land. This makes those who believe foreigners in this land. We are all still journeying towards h has been promised.