Faith is...

 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

So faith is believing you will receive something promised and you are sure of it even though you haven't actually seen it yet. The above verse is the opening verse of what is know as the faith chapter. In chapter eleven is a list of great people of faith. As you read through the chapter you will see some had their faith rewarded in their lifetime, while in other cases the promise or hope that hey had faith in came to another generation.

God is faithful to keep His promises. As you read chapter eleven you will see God followed through on all of His promises. You will also notice that all of these people of faith are commended for their faith. Not only were these individuals recognized for their faith by God in their day, they have been remembered on down through the centuries by their descendants. The writer of Hebrews uses them as examples of faith for his Jewish readers in the first century and also for us in the twenty-first century. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews teaches us how far reaching and effective an individuals faith is.

The only way we can be pleasing in God's sight is by our faith. “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 ESV In order to have a relationship with God, we must have faith in Him. In order to have a place in heaven we must have faith in Him and His promises. Our entire eternal future depends on our individual faith in God and His promises. Faith is a powerful thing it. It is life changing, it is world changing.

How is your faith in God and his promises? If you think it isn't all that it should be, read more about the individuals listed in the faith chapter and you will see that they didn't always have a perfect faith. But, they had faith and God commended them for it. God knows your faith will ebb and flow, but He will show Himself to always be true to His promises.

Keep the faith...

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman

Steadfast anchor of the soul

 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf Hebrews 6:19,20a

This verse would have been very significant to the jewish readers of this letter. Because, under the Old Covenant only the High Priest of Israel was allowed into the most Holy place of the temple once a year to make the atoning sacrifice for all of the Jewish people. In Jesus; the temple, the curtain and the priesthood have all been done away with. We now have direct access.

“A hope that enters the inner place behind the curtain”. Our hope is in the Most Holy place. The place where God Himself lives. A place that man could not go before. A place that has been made accessible by Christ sacrifice. He entered into the Most Holy place on our behalf. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. Matthew 27:51 When Jesus died the curtain that separated God and man was done away with. Jesus had made the perfect sacrifice once for all as our High Priest. We no longer have to go through anyone or anything to go to God in the Most Holy place. All communication is now done directly with our heavenly Father. We now approach His throne directly.

This is the steadfast anchor for our souls because we know that through Christ we have been brought back into fellowship with God. We now have a father-child relationship with God as he had intended from the beginning. We are where Jesus is. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering Hebrews 12:22 That is where are on a spiritual level.

That is why we can have confidence in where we will be for eternity. The apostle John said this, Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2 We can have great confidence in the day when Christ returns that we will be made to be just like Him and we will join Him where He is.

In Christ we have an anchor for our souls we are no longer adrift in the darkness. Lets remember that in Jesus we are safe and secure.

© 2012 Leo J. Woodman