The Substance of Things Hoped For
- His Servant - Rob McKee
- Oct 3, 2020
- 12 min read
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Of these 3 attributes, charity is the greatest; according to God’s Word. I for one, choose to believe God, don’t you? Amen. What “charity” is the bible referring to? The charity of God, of course. Another word for God’s “charity” would be God’s Love.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in Him.
So, charity is the greatest, but do you want to know a little secret about charity? You may already know this: it is impossible to obtain the charity of The Bible without faith. -God is not going to give us of His love without faith:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
“Seek”, now there’s a word that you do not hear much when talking about a walk with God these days!
So, without faith, you and I; we will not get anywhere with God. A little secret about faith? “Faith” starts with “hope”. Another secret? You cannot hope in something that you do not first “believe” in! This is why the scripture talks so much about the word “believe”. True and honest belief will yield action, and “actions speak much louder than words”, don’t they?
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Well, there you have it! No – we’re going to go a little deeper than this…
Does faith have substance? According to this passage it does. What is “substance”?
Definition of “substance” https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substance
2 a : ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations and change
b : practical importance : meaning, usefulness
3 a : physical material from which something is made or which has discrete existence
“Substance” is something that we can see in action, or possibly even: touch. If someone were to say to you, “I see your faith”, what they mean is that they see it in action. Otherwise they only hear your testimony. Both are important, and both are necessary in our walk with The Lord.
What this simply tells us is that the substance or ‘gain’ of our hope is faith. What do we hope for? Salvation!
James 2:14-17 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Who do we hope in for this salvation? (Silly question) – Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior! Hope in Jesus = hope in God’s Word. What was the Word of God sent to this earth in the form of a man named Jesus for? – To save us! How? By cleansing us from ALL unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When something is dirty…
1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
How many know that a synonym for “unrighteous” is “unclean”? Anyhow, when something is dirty and you cleanse it from all ‘uncleaness’, you can longer find the dirt in it that was once there, correct?
Remember what was said a few moments ago? How that God’s Word was sent to this earth to cleanse us? Well, read this quote from Jesus:
John 15:1-4 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.
God’s Word tells us that we are saved by faith. Is this all starting to make sense to you? It is really very simple, just like a puzzle; each piece has 4 sides and each side fits perfectly with another piece that also has 4 sides and is joined with even more pieces that are all part of the same ‘big picture’.
We are saved by hope:
Romans 8:24-25 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
Psalms 119:81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
…through faith, all made possible by God’s Grace, given in His Mercy towards us:
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Psalms 33:22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
Faith is the substance of the things that we hope for in God’s Word, so it is not hope alone, but the substance of our hope that makes all the difference. What gives hope a substance that we can see or touch? – The life of God working in us – our actions!
Job 17:15 And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?
James 2:18-20 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
In case if this does not make total sense to you, let’s also take a look at the contrary: what gives pride, envy, or rebellion substance? – Is it not sin? Faith is the opposite of sin! Sin is the opposite of faith!
Luke 16:10-13 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Revelation 3:15-16 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
So, you might say that the “fruit” of envy is sin? If this is true, then when someone is guilty of envy, we might also say that there is “sin” in them?
The same, but opposite, is also true then of righteousness. If a person possesses the fruits of the Spirit (patience for example), we can also say that they have righteousness. This is because it is ‘right’ in the sight of God to have patience.
Ephesians 5:9-10 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
Remember: Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
God authors our faith through first giving us a glimpse of His Kingdom through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ. If we believe, then He gives us a little more Truth. We then begin to hope in His Word. His Word is an instruction book that instructs us in how to behave, or in other words: be righteous. We therefore begin to hope in His righteousness. Without His hand in this though, it is impossible for us to have the works of God in our lives. This is why He is also called the “finisher” of our faith. When God sees our faith, He moves in our lives. Just remember that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains… of sin!
Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
You see, faith is made up of a couple of different things: it starts with hope, then grows into trust, with the end result being the works of God’s righteousness in our lives. Where pure and undefiled righteousness resides, sin cannot co-exist. To do so would be like saying that sin can exist in the kingdom of God – which we all know is not true at all.
Hope often comes out of our mouth, possibly through a testimony, right?
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Where, then, does trust come into the equation? -When we obey His commandments.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
2 Corinthians 2:9-10 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Ruth 2:12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
Job 35:14 Although thou sayest thou shalt not see Him, yet judgment is before Him; therefore trust thou in Him.
Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
Proverbs 3:25-26 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens. By His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.
Psalms 78:53 And He led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
Psalms 5:11-12 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
The reason that the Bible tells us that “faith without works is dead, being alone” (James 2:20) is because faith that is not able to produce God’s righteousness in our mortal lives here on earth is not the faith that God wants for us at all. You can also go as far as to say that if our faith is dead (has no works), then God is not the author of it.
James 1:25-26 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
If your faith has no works, or in other words obedience to God’s commandments, then that must be because it is missing one of the God-authored components; like “hope”. This could be that you do not hope for His righteousness because this world has convinced you that it is impossible to obtain, even though His Word says otherwise. Well, who are you going to trust and place your confidence in, what the world says about it or God? What you know about yourself, or what God says that you are capable of if you only believe in His Power?
When we place our hope in God, we do so by trusting Him through the keeping of His commandments. We “keep the faith” in hope of God’s Righteousness. Righteousness = Salvation. Another word for God’s Righteousness is “Holiness”.
Luke 1:68- Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant; The oath which He sware to our father Abraham, That He would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord
One thing that is for sure: we can trust in God’s Word. If we simply do our part, He will perform what He has promised!
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.
Psalms 78:1-7 (Maschil of Asaph.) Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments
Where is the substance, you say? It is found in the lives of those that exercise true faith in the sight of God… it is His righteousness/holiness manifested in their lives. This is the ‘product’ of true faith in the real power of God, as found in His Holy Word. Let me leave you with these toughts:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
1 Peter 1:2- Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
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