TOPIC: FROM HOPE TO FAITH.
SCRIPTURE: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Hebrews 11:1-2
Faith is one subject that is often misunderstood by many Christians. Some think that it belongs to a particular group or denomination. Some think that faith belongs to some super spiritual Christians. Others think that it is just believing anything blindly. No, faith is not baseless belief.
What then is faith?
Faith is in place when the revelation of the Word of God in the heart of a person produces a conviction that is strong enough to result in corresponding actions.
The Bible says, FAITH is the substance of things HOPED for, the evidence of things not seen.
What does that mean to you? Hope is something that is in the future, but faith tries to bring it into the present.
Now, let me show you the process of the graduation of hope to faith.
1. The Word of God gives birth to hope (Psalms 119:49,114; Psalm 130:5). For example, when you have symptoms of a sickness or a diagnosis, and you read the Word and the Word tells you that He took your infirmities (Matthew 8:17), you will realise that you can’t die in that sickness. So, there is hope that you are not going to die. The Word of God is the reason why you are not permitted to live a hopeless life. Hope is a foundation for faith; someone must be hopeful before he or she can be faith-filled.
2. Hope births joy (Romans 5:2, Romans 15:13).
3. Hope leads to faith-filled actions. You give substance to that hope that you got from the Word of God through corresponding actions. For instance, refusing to lie on the bed for an affliction. You behave it until you become it.
Beloved, there can be no real faith without true hope. That is why hope must be on ground before faith can be concretized.
Please take note of this: to be wordless is to be hopeless and to be hopeless is to be faithless.
To develop both hope and faith, You must Value the Word and trust God for hope-building insights from the Word.
Substantiate your hope with action.
PRAYER: Lord, my hope is in You. You have always been faithful and I believe that whatever You have said concerning my life shall come to pass, in Jesus’ Name.
