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The Strength and Assurance of Faith – Hebrews 11:1
In this episode, we explore the powerful and reasonable nature of fa… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Well, here’s a well known verse for us to meditate on today. It’s well known because it’s so good. Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Some people have this view of faith, that it’s a weak thing, that it’s something that people rely on in the face of zero evidence, and that it’s unreasonable essentially.
But for me, and for the writer of Hebrews, faith is much, much stronger than that. Faith is assurance, and assurance is confidence based on evidence. We are basing our faith, our hope on the character of God as revealed to us through time and through the words of scripture.
So faith is actually extremely reasonable. It is reasonable for us to hope that God will treat us with grace, because he has shown us grace consistently in how he has dealt with the human race, not sending us off into oblivion like we all deserve, rather bringing us into relationship with him and sending his Son to save us.
So faith is this marvellous thing that we hold on to. We have hope, yes, for our eternal future, but we also have hope in the character of God, that he will continue to be kind to us, as he always is.
And even though life on this earth is sometimes really difficult, we have his assurance that he walks with us, through the valley of the shadow of death.
So if someone criticises our faith, let us relax, not retaliate, but acknowledge that the faith that God has given us is a gift, it is solid, it is dependable, and it is backed by a cast iron guarantee from God Almighty Himself.
Thank you, Lord, for giving us faith, but thank you even more, God, that this faith is based on something true and certain and steadfast, and that’s you, our God. Thank you for the hope that you give us, and thank you that you are always with us. Amen.
