FAITH IS THE EVIDENCE:
FAITH is the EVIDENCE of things not seen.
FAITH is THE EVIDENCE. Notice that it does not say that FAITH is A EVIDENCE, but rather that FAITH is THE EVIDENCE.
What is EVIDENCE? I love this definition:
Evidence is:
He has provided His written words of promise to us as a statement which we can choose to trust in as the evidence for our physical senses (whether these words are written, spoken signed or brailed), of a promise that we don’t yet see. These promises are found in the scriptures, what we call the Holy Bible.
And He has provided Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, as a witness to confirm the truth of His written words of promise that we don’t yet see.
Both of these avenues of evidence, the written words of promise, and the living example of that Word made flesh through the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, are the evidence that the promises of God that we don’t yet see but which have been deposited in our spirits through the revelation of His Word to us by the Holy Spirit shall come to pass in our lives.
Faith is the evidence, not manifestation:
We need to take a close look at the application of the term EVIDENCE in describing FAITH. Mainly, because it is vastly important that no one misunderstands the message of FAITH as condemnation regarding whatever circumstances and/or trials they may be going through in their own lives.
FAITH is not only the SUBSTANCE of the things of God that we are HOPING for, it is also the EVIDENCE of the THINGS of God that WE DO NOT SEE. Because we live in a fallen world, we cannot look around us and judge the will of God by the circumstances that surround us. Nor can we judge the level of our FAITH, or anyone else’s for that matter, by the circumstances that we encounter.
I have heard some that have a faulty or incomplete understanding of the faith message say that if you are sick, poor, injured, overweight, depressed, out of shape, or struggle with certain sins, then you must not have FAITH. That is, if there is any area in your life that THE EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES of Gods Word are not fully manifested, then this is an area that you lack FAITH.
Not only is this a false barometer to judge ones faith by, it can also be extremely damaging to someone who finds themselves in a difficult or emotionally taxing circumstance, sickness/disability, or financial hardship. It can cause condemnation, and even result in pushing someone away from God altogether.
FAITH is the EVIDENCE of a PROMISE of God NOT YET SEEN, therefore by definition, one cannot judge a person’s FAITH by what they see. Rather, FAITH is revealed by a person’s confession, that is, their words; not by a person’s circumstance.
The circumstance we are in is evidence of nothing but that we live in a fallen world. Bad circumstances come to all of us. Some come because of our own sin, or bad choices. Some come because of others sin or bad choices. Some come as an attack from the enemy of our soul, satan. And some come simply by chance, because we live in a fallen world where death still reigns over those who do not reign over it.
Our job is not to change the circumstance, only God can do that. Our job is to believe the promise of God regarding the circumstance. We must not look to the circumstance for truth, for the things of this world are TEMPORAL. We must look to the promise of God for truth, because it is ETERNAL.
Our circumstances may be facts in our lives, but they are not TRUTH. Only Gods WORD is TRUTH. As Jesus said:
Therefore we conclude that FAITH is a spiritual SUBSTANCE, the SUBSTANCE of Gods own FAITH, that is released by God through His Word of Promise; and it is the EVIDENCE for those THINGS which we are believing God for but DO NOT YET SEE.
FAITH is the EVIDENCE of things not seen.
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
-Hebrews 11:1
-Hebrews 11:1
FAITH is THE EVIDENCE. Notice that it does not say that FAITH is A EVIDENCE, but rather that FAITH is THE EVIDENCE.
What is EVIDENCE? I love this definition:
Ev"i*dence (?), n. [F. évidence, L. Evidentia. See Evident.]
1. That which makes evident or manifest; that which furnishes, or tends to furnish, proof; any mode of proof; the ground of belief or judgement; as, the evidence of our senses;
evidence of the truth or falsehood of a statement.
Faith is . . . the evidence of things not seen. Heb. xi. 1.
2. One who bears witness.
-Webster’s 1828 Dictionary (Public Domain)
1. That which makes evident or manifest; that which furnishes, or tends to furnish, proof; any mode of proof; the ground of belief or judgement; as, the evidence of our senses;
evidence of the truth or falsehood of a statement.
Faith is . . . the evidence of things not seen. Heb. xi. 1.
2. One who bears witness.
-Webster’s 1828 Dictionary (Public Domain)
Evidence is:
- That which provides proof to our senses, such as the truth or falsehood of a statement;
- One who bears witness.
He has provided His written words of promise to us as a statement which we can choose to trust in as the evidence for our physical senses (whether these words are written, spoken signed or brailed), of a promise that we don’t yet see. These promises are found in the scriptures, what we call the Holy Bible.
And He has provided Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, as a witness to confirm the truth of His written words of promise that we don’t yet see.
Both of these avenues of evidence, the written words of promise, and the living example of that Word made flesh through the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, are the evidence that the promises of God that we don’t yet see but which have been deposited in our spirits through the revelation of His Word to us by the Holy Spirit shall come to pass in our lives.
Faith is the evidence, not manifestation:
We need to take a close look at the application of the term EVIDENCE in describing FAITH. Mainly, because it is vastly important that no one misunderstands the message of FAITH as condemnation regarding whatever circumstances and/or trials they may be going through in their own lives.
FAITH is not only the SUBSTANCE of the things of God that we are HOPING for, it is also the EVIDENCE of the THINGS of God that WE DO NOT SEE. Because we live in a fallen world, we cannot look around us and judge the will of God by the circumstances that surround us. Nor can we judge the level of our FAITH, or anyone else’s for that matter, by the circumstances that we encounter.
I have heard some that have a faulty or incomplete understanding of the faith message say that if you are sick, poor, injured, overweight, depressed, out of shape, or struggle with certain sins, then you must not have FAITH. That is, if there is any area in your life that THE EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES of Gods Word are not fully manifested, then this is an area that you lack FAITH.
Not only is this a false barometer to judge ones faith by, it can also be extremely damaging to someone who finds themselves in a difficult or emotionally taxing circumstance, sickness/disability, or financial hardship. It can cause condemnation, and even result in pushing someone away from God altogether.
FAITH is the EVIDENCE of a PROMISE of God NOT YET SEEN, therefore by definition, one cannot judge a person’s FAITH by what they see. Rather, FAITH is revealed by a person’s confession, that is, their words; not by a person’s circumstance.
The circumstance we are in is evidence of nothing but that we live in a fallen world. Bad circumstances come to all of us. Some come because of our own sin, or bad choices. Some come because of others sin or bad choices. Some come as an attack from the enemy of our soul, satan. And some come simply by chance, because we live in a fallen world where death still reigns over those who do not reign over it.
Our job is not to change the circumstance, only God can do that. Our job is to believe the promise of God regarding the circumstance. We must not look to the circumstance for truth, for the things of this world are TEMPORAL. We must look to the promise of God for truth, because it is ETERNAL.
17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
-1 Corinthians 4:17-18
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18While we look not at the things which are seen,
but at the things which are not seen:
for the things which are seen are temporal;
but the things which are not seen are eternal.
-1 Corinthians 4:17-18
Our circumstances may be facts in our lives, but they are not TRUTH. Only Gods WORD is TRUTH. As Jesus said:
17Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth.
-John 17:17
thy word is truth.
-John 17:17
Therefore we conclude that FAITH is a spiritual SUBSTANCE, the SUBSTANCE of Gods own FAITH, that is released by God through His Word of Promise; and it is the EVIDENCE for those THINGS which we are believing God for but DO NOT YET SEE.
