Faith is the Substance

“Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times,” wrote Martin Luther in 1515.

Our preaching and writing theme this year is “Fundamentals of Faith.” Last week we discussed the importance of returning to the fundamentals, Back to Basics. Today, consider how faith is the foundation of everything pertaining to the Christian religion.

The classic Bible definition of faith is stated in Hebrews 11:1. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

W. E. Vine defines faith as “a firm persuasion, a conviction based upon hearing”. The Bible uses the word in two ways.

1. Faith is trust. Confidence. Allegiance.

Faith is taking God at his word. Paul said his preaching was “not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor 2:3-5).

2. The System of faith

39 times the New Testament uses the expression “the faith” to speak of the gospel, the revealed Word of God. The book of Acts records those who “were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Paul said some had made shipwreck of “the faith” (1 Timothy 1:19). And Jude appealed for us to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to all the saints” (Jude 3).

God requires us to have faith in “the Faith.” Romans 5:1-2 speaks of faith in this sense. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

Furthermore our faith is the foundation of our hope, or “substance” as the Hebrew writer expressed it.

Thayer defines “substance as “a setting or placing under; thing put under, substructure, foundation.” It refers to “that which has foundation, is firm;
that which has actual existence; a substance, real being,”

Faith is not only the substance of our hope, it is the foundation of everything pertaining to Christianity. Faith…

…believes God is the creator.
…knows that Jesus is the Son of God.
…accepts the Bible as the Spirit inspired Word of God.
…heeds the command to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.
…works the works of God’s righteousness.
…assembles every Lord’s day to worship God,
…joins in fellowship with other Christians.
…grows in discipleship.
…serves the needs of Christians and non-Christians.
…shares his faith with others.,
…loves God with all his heart.
…loves his neighbor as himself.
…realizes “I am what I am by the grace of God.”

These facts remind us that faith goes beyond feelings and is not limited to a mere intellectual exercise. Faith works. Faith is active. Faith grows. Faith functions in practical, daily decisions, in every walk of life.

Walking in faith, trusting in God, and following His word, calls on us, as Augustine put it, “to believe what you cannot see.” But that doesn’t mean that faith is unreasonable or illogical. John R. W. Stott wrote, “Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully upon the trustworthiness of God.”

The fact is that we all believe in many things that we can’t see with the naked eye. Gravity. Wind. Oxygen. Energy. Electricity. Heat. Cold. And of course, Wi-Fi, something we rely on. Believe exists. Can’t see. But experience the results when we’re connected.

When we’re connected to Christ by faith, we can feel and see the results in our lives.

Finally, consider this warning from Vance Havner. “Nothing is more disastrous than to study faith, analyze faith, make noble resolves of faith, but never actually make the leap of faith.”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman