Faith: The Substance of Things Hoped For

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Introduction
Faith is a fundamental aspect of the Christian life, yet it can sometimes be difficult to understand fully.
In Hebrews 11:1, the writer provides a clear definition of faith:
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
This verse forms the foundation for the entire chapter of Hebrews 11, often referred to as the “Hall of Faith,” where numerous biblical figures are celebrated for their unwavering faith in God.

But what does this kind of faith look like in our daily lives?
How can we trust in the unseen and have confidence in things we hope for?
In this sermon, we’ll explore what it means to live by faith and how it impacts our relationship with God.

1. Faith is Confidence in What We Hope For

• What is Hope?
  Hope is the expectation of good things to come.
  For the believer, our hope is rooted in the promises of God—especially the hope of eternal life with Christ, and the promise that God works all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

• Faith as Confidence:
  Faith gives us the confidence to live in the present based on the certainty of what God has promised for the future.
  It’s not just wishful thinking, it’s an assured trust that God will fulfill His promises, even though we may not see them fully realized yet.

• Illustration:
  Consider waiting for a letter or package you’ve been promised.
  You might not yet have the letter in your hands, but because you trust the source, you can have confidence it will come.
  Similarly, faith is confidence that God will fulfill His promises.

Reflection:
What promises of God do you need to hold onto in faith today?
How can you live with confidence, even in the face of uncertainty?

2. Faith is Assurance About What We Do Not See

• The Unseen Realities:
  Faith enables us to see beyond the visible, to trust in the invisible and eternal realities.
  Our faith is not in what we can touch, see, or measure with our senses, but in the promises of God and the unseen world that we are called to trust in.

• Living by Faith, Not Sight:
  The apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that “we live by faith, not by sight.”
  It’s easy to trust in what we can see, but faith challenges us to trust in God’s promises even when we can’t see the outcome.

• Illustration:
  The story of Thomas in John 20:24-29 illustrates this perfectly.
  Thomas struggled with believing without seeing.
  But Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
  Faith takes hold of the unseen and believes in it, even when it defies logic or human understanding.

Reflection:
What areas of your life are you struggling to trust God with because you can’t see the way forward?
How can you grow in assurance, even in the face of uncertainty?

3. Faith is the Foundation of the Christian Life

• Faith is the Key to Salvation:
  Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us,
  “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,
  it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
  Our salvation is rooted in faith.
  We cannot earn it through our efforts, we receive it through faith in Jesus Christ.

• Faith Enables Obedience:
  Faith doesn’t just influence our salvation, it also empowers our daily walk with God.
  We trust God’s promises, and that trust leads us to obey Him, even when His commands seem challenging or counter to our natural instincts.

• Illustration:
  Abraham’s faith in God’s promise to make him the father of many nations was demonstrated by his willingness to leave his home and his willingness to offer up Isaac (Hebrews 11:8, 17-19).
  His actions were a result of the faith he had in God’s word, even when he couldn’t see the outcome.

Reflection:
How is your faith influencing your obedience to God today?
Are you stepping out in faith, even when you don’t have all the answers?

4. Faith Prepares Us for God’s Future Promises

• A Faith That Looks Forward:
  Hebrews 11:1 also emphasizes that faith involves looking forward to things that are yet to come.
  The heroes of faith listed in this chapter trusted in God’s promises,
  but many of them did not receive them in their lifetimes (Hebrews 11:39-40).
  They lived with hope and faith in a future they could not yet see.

• The Eternal Reward:
  The greatest hope for the believer is the return of Jesus Christ and the eternal life He promises.
  Faith allows us to look beyond the present struggles and live with the assurance that God’s ultimate promise is an eternal kingdom with Him (Revelation 21:3-4).

Reflection:
Are you living with an eternal perspective?
How does the hope of future glory impact your present choices and challenges?

5. Living Out Faith in Daily Life

• Active Trust in God:
  Living by faith isn’t a passive activity.
  It involves actively trusting in God’s word and His promises in every situation of life.
  Faith impacts how we respond to challenges, how we make decisions, and how we view the world.

• Walking by Faith, Not by Sight:
  When we walk by faith, we trust that God is at work, even when we don’t see immediate results.
  Faith means living as if the promises of God are already true, even when our circumstances may suggest otherwise.

Reflection:
How can you live out your faith more actively this week?
What is one step you can take to walk by faith, not by sight?

Conclusion
Hebrews 11:1 gives us a powerful definition of faith:
It is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see.
Faith is not just a mental assent to truth—it is a living, dynamic trust in God’s promises,
even when we cannot see the outcome.
It is the foundation of our salvation and the daily strength we need to obey God.

As we live out our faith, we can be confident that God will fulfill His promises,
both in this life and in eternity.
Let us choose to walk by faith, trusting in the unseen,
and living with the confidence that God is faithful to complete what He has started in us.

Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of faith.
Help us to trust in Your promises with confidence, even when we cannot see the way forward.
Strengthen our faith, and may we live by it each day,
knowing that You are faithful to fulfill all that You have promised.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.