August 21
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony,” Hebrews 11:1-2.
The sacred writer begins with a definition of faith: “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In our confession of faith, we express our complete trust in the many promises of God for both body and soul. The things for which we hope are those things that God has promised to give us. Faith expresses our certainty of receiving the things presently not seen with our eyes. Faith concerns future things, although they may have their beginning in this life.
As Christians, our faith is not just a general belief in something. We have a saving faith. Indeed, we do the believing, but it is God who works or creates that saving faith in our hearts. Our saving faith accepts and trusts in Jesus as the Son of God and our Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil.
In his Epistle to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul wrote, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” Ephesians 2:8-10. We are saved by God’s grace – that is, His undeserved love revealed through Christ Jesus. God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to make the one sufficient sacrifice to take away the sins of all people. Through that one sacrifice we have been pronounced forgiven, and we are invited to put our trust and faith in that promise of God.
The faith in the promises of God is not of our own making. God, the Holy Spirit, touches and warms our cold hearts and brings us to put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit,” 1 Corinthians 12:3. The Holy Spirit calls and invites us to believe that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to redeem us. He calls us through the message of the Gospel. To the Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “He called you by our Gospel,” 2 Thessalonians 2:14.
We are not saved by our works. We are not saved by the good deeds that we do or by bad things that we do not do. We are saved by faith alone in the Gospel. Scripture clearly states, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved,” Acts 16:31. You are saved by faith in God’s promise, “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin,” 1 John 1:7.
This saving faith in the promises of God was the foundation on which the hopes of all Old Testament believers rested. This saving faith is the same for all New Testament believers.
“I know my faith is founded
On Jesus Christ, my God and Lord;
And this my faith confessing,
Unmoved I stand upon His Word.
Man’s reason cannot fathom
The truth of God profound;
Who trusts her subtle wisdom,
Relies on shifting ground.
God’s Word is all-sufficient,
It makes divinely sure;
And trusting in its wisdom,
My faith shall rest secure.” Amen.