1 The Uniqueness of Faith
Bible definition of faith
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Reading this verse it is easy to notice that there is something very different to Faith. Faith is not like other substances but it is eternal and powerful and dealing with things that does not now exist. Faith can tap out of the eternal realm and insert things into our present world. It can take things out of the heart of God and place it into our hearts. It can take a government and swing it to the desires of God.
But then we must know what faith is, faith is not just praying and praying is not necessary faith! And unless you understand what faith is you might never know when you are doing something through faith or just hoping that things will happen what you desire!
Because faith is unique but also dealing with things not seen, we have to look at facets of faith to pin-point this definition in Hebrews. It is not of any value making up our own definitions and unsupstantiated thought on faith.
Only faith pleases God
Heb 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
God is the person who evauate our faith - we can impress people by telling them what a great faith we have but we will not impress God. For ultimately faith is not to please ourselves but to Please Him. This is something He created, He sees and for which He made all the rules.
Faith to understand
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
We need faith to understand how God did things. We also need faith to understand faith. For faith speaks a language that is very different from the languag of this present world and the elements of this world
Mat 16:6
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
8 Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
The moment Jesus uses illustrations to explain spiritual concepts the disciples did not understand what He was saying because there faith was not working? Faith give entrance to a whole new world of possibilties, power and concepts. Some words or stories we tell are "tagged" with Faith and that faith links us to many different treasures and wisdom.
The Goal of Faith - or let Faith be our Goal
2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Our whole goal even in our every day living should be to do all things by faith. People might think we are too heavenly minded and therefore no earthly good but we are not walking to please them or get there votes and points, but to please God and become powerful instruments in God's hand. Walking by faith means that the things and circumstances of this world are not our ideas of what is, but rather what God can do.
That is why someone walking by faith is not complaining about things because he does walk by those things that are circumstances for he walks by the faith that has a better hope and better outcome and know potentially what God can do but also take hold of God's outcome and work with it.
Faith and the Presence of God, heaven and Eternity
Here is a wonderful thing to know and that is, that faith connects us to God who lives in the eternal and we that are captured in time. Faith can bring us into the presence of God and can bring the presence to God to us.
The presence of God is not a feeling - though sometimes we can "feel" it but it is much more, it is manifestation of the "atmosphere" that is around God always and that "atmosphere" is filled with God's power and God's Spirit and anything that He desires to bring with - it can be His throne, His angels, His visions and Words...His grace, His mercy, His compassion....
Heb 10:19-22
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water
The one things that is needed for us to enter into "the presence of God" manifested here on earth of the entering int the heavenly places in a tangible way is faith. I am sorry to say that people that does not believe in the presence of God will not experience it for you need faith just like Enoch did
Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
THis unique and wonderful faith is a God-thing and is about God-things and does God-things. It is not a magic wand that we can use without Him - it just will not work. It is foreign to God. It is like expecting prosperity without meditating on the Word of God the way Psalm1 says.