2.12.2008

Hope or Faith?

Many who claim to live by faith are actually living by hope. Hope and faith are two different things and understanding the differences and interdependencies of the two is very important. Hope is a good thing, but hope isn't the secret to pleasing God; faith is.
Hope is the believing that something you want to happen can actually happen. When all hope is lost, what is the point in living? Without hope people perish. Without hope, there is nothing to fend off fear and despair. As long as there is a chance, there is still hope and as long as there is hope, there is still that flickering flame that lights the darkness.
But, hope is a future event. We hope that something will happen. We hope it is going to happen. Our hope is for someday. But faith is for right now! Faith is a present thing. Faith gives substance to hope. The Bible says that faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is the present knowing that what we hope can happen, absolutely will happen. It's the difference between will and can! Did you ever hear someone say they wanted something so bad they could taste it? That's faith! How can you taste something that you don't have yet?: by faith! Faith allows us to know and expect what hope only allows us to want and and look forward to.
I believe that faith takes spiritual things and makes them natural things. The Bible says that every good gift comes down from from Heaven from our Father. What is in Heaven but spiritual things? Heaven is a spiritual place full of spiritual creatures and spiritual things. I believe that it is faith that gives literal substance to those spiritual things we hope for that come down from Heaven from God our Father. It pleases God when He blesses His children with good things and the Bible says that without faith it is impossible to please God. When we have faith for the things we hope for, God is able to send that spiritual blessing to us and our faith gives it substance so that we can use it. Before you start thinking I'm a nut or something, think about this: God created everything out of nothing. Everything was spiritual before God made it into physical matter. The Bible tells us to have the faith of God.
Check yourself and see if you have faith or just hope; you need both. No hope leads to despair. No faith leads to no hope.



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