What is Faith?
by Dr. J. Vernon McGee
Now faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
The Greek
word for “substance” is hupostasis. It is a scientific term, the
opposite of hypothesis or theory. It is that which rests upon facts. What is
the substance? It is the Word of God, my friend. If your faith does not rest
upon the Word of God, it is not biblical faith at all. It has to rest upon what
God says. Actually, it means to believe God.
The
question is whether you believe God or not. Don’t come up with the “I’ve got
intellectual problems” excuse, because that won’t work. The thing that keeps
men from the Word of God is sin. It is sin in your life that keeps you from
coming to God. It is the heart that needs to believe – it is “the heart that
believeth unto righteousness.” When you are ready to give up your sin, the Holy
Spirit will make real to you the Word of God.
Paul
wrote to the Colossian believers, “For this cause we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled
with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding”
(Colossians 1:9). To know the will of God is to know the Word of God. He prayed
that they might know the Word of God. The Greek word for “knowledge” which Paul
used is epignosis. There were Gnostics in that day who professed to
have super knowledge. Paul told the Colossians that he wanted them to have
super knowledge which was genuine by knowing that the Bible is
the Word of God, and he believed that the Holy Spirit would make it real to
them.
Therefore
faith rests upon the Word of God. Our dogmatism comes from the Book. That is
the reason the writer to the Hebrews said in Hebrews 10:39, “But we are not of
them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of
the soul.” There are only two ways to go. Either you are going backwards, or
you are going to go forwards. Anything that is alive cannot stand still. Out
yonder in the forest there is regression and deterioration taking place, but
there is also growth and development. Nothing alive out there is standing still
– it cannot.
“The evidence of
things not seen.” In the Greek the word is elegchos. It is a legal
term meaning “evidence that is accepted for conviction.” Evidence is something
you take into court to prove your case.
Faith is
not a leap in the dark. Faith is not a “hope so.” Faith is substance and evidence –
substance for a scientific mind, and evidence for a legal mind. If you really
want to believe, you can believe. You can believe a whole lot of foolish
things, but God doesn’t want you to do that. He wants your faith to rest upon
the Word of God.(From Edited Messages on Hebrews by Dr. J.
Vernon McGee)
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