Living in the Spirit

August 4, 2022

Scripture Reading:

Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. –Hebrews 11:1-3

Conviction of the truth of anything, belief (Plato, Polybius, Josephus, Plutarch; θαυμάσια καί μείζω πίστεως, Diodorus 1, 86); in the N. T. of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it*.

I have regrated for some time that no verb form of the word “faith” was created in the English language. The word “believe” corresponds to the word “belief” describing the action element of the word. The writer of Hebrews defines the word faith as assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Truth is fundamental to faith. I think people of faith fall back on the word believe because they have no other choice. Trust might work better. The verb believe has the essence of something being true unless or until proven wrong. That option is not available with the word faith. The word hoped intrinsically carries the idea of something wanted but might not happen. Add faith to hope and it becomes assured.

Prayer: Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief**.  Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/greek/4102.htm

**Taken from Mark 9:24.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.