Faith Is the Assurance of Things Hoped For
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February 25, 2018 |
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 Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval" (Hebrews 11:1-2).
The 11th chapter of Hebrews explains what faith is and how forefathers of faith could receive God's answers. Concerning the definition of faith, it says that faith is 'the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen'.
Let's delve more into faith and how we can receive answers through faith.
1. Spiritual faith in which nothing is impossible
Despite the development of science and medicine, the kinds of diseases and problems mankind cannot handle have increased today. The number of newly discovered diseases has risen, and accidents and disasters have occurred endlessly all around the world. Many people have died of incurable or terminal diseases. Some people have lost wealth and fame overnight. In this fleshly world, you cannot but be confined to limits since it is impossible to deal with the problems that go beyond human ability.
However, in the world of faith, things you hope for will become real, and things you cannot see will become visible. This is the spiritual world. It is the world without limit or impossibility, no matter what kind of reality you are in. It is the world where the power of God the Almighty works. The Bible tells us what kind of people could experience the world of faith, what part of them was considered as faith by God, and how God led them to answers and blessing. Naaman was one of the good examples, which is recorded in 2 Kings 5.
2. The reasons Naaman could receive the answer
Naaman was the general of the army of the king of Aram. Even though he was the next to the king in rank, he came down with a disease that couldn't be cured with human methods. He was a leper, but he was healed of it by the power of God. While many lepers in Israel were not cleansed, Naaman brought down God's answer and he was cleansed though he hadn't known God before (Luke 4:27). Why is that?
First, he had goodness in heart.
Most people don't listen to others when they are in a high position since their hearts are lifted up. However, Naaman had enough goodness to pay attention to the words of a young servant.
He listened to the servant girl who had been taken captive from Israel. She said to him, "I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy." Hearing this, he went to Israel himself to meet Elisha the prophet of God.
Second, he showed his faith by preparing offerings with his heart.
Naaman departed for Israel and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothes (2 Kings 5:5). He didn't want to reap what he hadn't sown or more than what he had sown. He heartily prepared offerings that were suitable for his position with a strong desire for healing (Matthew 6:21). God accepted his heart in his offerings, deemed it as his faith, and blessed him to reap what he had sown.
Third, he obeyed the word of God that was delivered by the prophet.
Elisha didn't show up before Naaman though Naaman came from a faraway place to visit Elisha. Elisha just sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean." Since Naaman was held within fleshly limits at the time, he was not able to believe Elisha. He even thought that Elisha looked down on him and said that he would go back to his own country (2 Kings 5:10-12).
However, his servants tried to stop him from just going away empty handed (2 Kings 5:13). When they spoke to him, they called him, "My father," by which we can assume that he treated his servants with love and virtuous generosity as he treated his own children. His feelings seemed to be hurt for the moment, but he changed his mind because of the words of his servants and obeyed Elisha.
Fourth, he obeyed without changing mind until the end.
Why did Elisha tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan seven times through his messenger without going to meet him? The number 'seven' stands for the completion, and the water for the Word of God. So, washing in the Jordan seven times meant obeying the Word of God completely.
Naaman perfectly obeyed the word of Elisha and finally experienced the work of God. After dipping himself in the Jordan seven times, he found that his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child and he was clean (2 Kings 5:14). Because he believed the word of the prophet Elisha and unchangingly obeyed until the end, he could receive God's answer.
Fifth, he repaid the grace given to him.
After he was healed of leprosy, Naaman returned to Elisha with his entourage and expressed his gratefulness. He also confessed that God is the only true Deity on the earth (2 Kings 5:15-17).
Nobody had taught him the Law of God, and no one had told him about God. But through the one-time experience, he came to believe firmly that the LORD of Israel is the only true God. He also asked the LORD to pardon him because he would have to bow himself in the house of Rimmon when his master went there and leant on his hand (2 Kings 5:18).
He had the heart that was good enough to remember and repay the grace given by God and not to betray God, so God chose him and let him glorify Him.
3. Faith as the passage to bringing down God's power
When faced with hardship, most people may say, "I can't make it. Such a case is applicable only to those with great faith." However, answers will be given to anybody as long as they truly believe God. Faith is a cord connecting you with God the Creator, and it is also a passage to bringing down God's power.
Therefore, when you pray and ask with faith, you will receive (Mark 11:24) and nothing could be a problem. It's because when you have faith in God, the law of the spiritual world where nothing is impossible is applied.
If you ask for financial gain and do not receive, it is because you ask with wrong motives, such as so you can spend it on personal pleasures (James 4:3). It can't be said that you have faith if you ask something for spending it on your pleasures. It also shows that you haven't prepared a vessel proper for answers. Thus, in this case, God cannot give you the answer, no matter how hard you try to show your faith.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, you should not just say with your lips, "I believe", but you should show the proof of your faith. The proof is to obey things that you cannot obey, and to believe things hoped for will become real, and to believe the 66 books of the Bible. I pray in the name of the Lord that by believing perfectly God, you will show the proof of your faith and glorify God greatly.
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