Living A New Life

There is a misunderstanding of faith in the church today by many who profess so much of it. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, yet the evidence of things unseen, according to Hebrews 11:1. Let's look at this a minute this morning, according to this scripture faith is not ethereal, or a mystical, magical, smoky type of incantation or something to be conjured up as it were in our mind. No, faith is a real substance. It is the substance of things hoped for.
Romans 8:24-25 tells us,"For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." What this word,"hope means from a biblical definition is different from what the world calls hope. This hope is a confident expectation, a knowing that we can rest assured of something unknown to us presently, but trusting in our Father that it will be done in His fashion as is pleasing to Him.
Now, we must live a life of righteousness to walk in this type of true faith, Galatians 5:5-6 says,"For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."
Here we see that it is not in a physical doing that allows hope to birth faith, but it is the Spirit of Jesus Christ working in us. He births this righteous hope through love. If we don't have love, we have nothing, but with a Godly love, we have the fertile ground of the heart to produce a hope that will yield a true righteous faith. It is the love I see, and by this I know that I am in the right Kingdom for faith to bear fruit. If I see True Love, it is enough for me to believe the unseen has been accomplished. Love bears all things, endures all things, is not boastful or proud. People love to quote this familiar passages from scripture, but many do not see that love does not rejoice in iniquity, rejoices in truth, is not rude, there has been a glossing over in many respects as to what love really is.
Read it for yourself from First Corinthians, chapter 13:
⁴ Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
⁸ Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part. ¹⁰ But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.
¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. ¹² For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
¹³ And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.