"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1
"By faith we understand that the worlds (Lit. ages) were prepared by the Word of God, so that what was seen was not made out of things which are visible."
Hebrews 11:3
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him; and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
John 1:1-3
"Then God said...
...and it was so."
Genesis 1:3, 15
How It Works
"So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
Romans 10:17
Our difficulty: Uniting faith with the Word of hearing!
"For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard."
Hebrews 4:2
Part 1: Faith is, "the substance of things hoped for!"
"...God, desiring... to show to the heirs of promise the unchangeable of His purpose, interposed with an oath... (that) we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us."
Hebrews 6:17, 18
"...hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."
Romans 8:24, 25
A definition of the hope set before us:
"...Christ in (us), the hope of glory..."
Colossians 1:27
A Review
"See what kind of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are... and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is."
1 John 3:1, 2
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you..."
1 Peter 1:3, 4
"This hope which we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one that enters inside the veil where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest after the order of Melchizedik."
Hebrews 6:19, 20
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble estate into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself."
Philippians 3:20, 21
"For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm to the end."
Hebrews 3:14
Part 2: Faith is, "the evidence of things not seen!"
The Evidence?
"Then God said...
...and it was so."
Genesis 1:3, 15
Our Response
"...all My words that I shall speak to you, receive in your heart and hear with your ears."
Ezekiel 3:10
We recognize and receive the evidence, and hear (perceive) and acknowledge His Word as the authoritative, undoubted, indisputable, unquestionable, and infallible Word of God.
The Result?
"...it (is) united by faith in those who heard."
Hebrews 4:2
A Review
"Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice..."
Deuteronomy 4:36
The Voice of God's Word
Handbook 2: Article 7
"For we have become partakers of Christ..."
Hebrews 3:14
"...the author and perfecter of faith..."
Hebrews 12:2
Faith that:
"...comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."
Romans 10:17
Faith is the substance of the things we hope for, the evidence we perceive and believe but do not yet see, the echoes of spiritual reality, and the Word we live by!