The Lifestyle of Faith

It seems that Hebrews 11:1 has become become "the" scripture on faith. This is probably because it so completely describes how faith works.

However, you can't isolate this scripture. It must still be kept in agreement with all other scriptures. Hebrews 11:1 simply states:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Going beyond this Hebrews verse we are also told four times that the "just shall live by faith." That means that our lifestyle should operate according to faith. What does that mean?

Let's first look at key points that are a part of faith. The first one is the word "hope." Hope is always outside the realm of our current reality. What I mean by that is we do not "hope" for what we already have. This tells us something very powerful about faith. It operates outside the realm of where we are presently living.

When we are sick we can use our faith to believe for healing. At that point in time healing is outside the realm of where we are presently living. We are presently living with sickness and we want to live well.

The second thing we see in Hebrews is the word "substance." This word is critical in our understanding of faith. Looking this word "substance" up in Websters 1828 dictionary we find that it means:

"In a general sense, being; something existing by itself; that which really is or exists"

Therefore, faith is something that exists by itself. It has within it that which really is or that which exists. In other words, faith has within it the ability (substance) to create that which is hoped for. Faith can take a hope and cause it to exist in the natural.

Let me explain how this works by looking at Hebrews 11:3:

"Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

In verse three we are told that the things that we see, which would be that which physically is manifested before our eyes were made or created from things that cannot be seen. This is how God created everything that we see and experience, but the remarkable thing about it is God has given us faith to use the exact same way.

What does this mean to us? Our faith in NOT to get God to do something our faith is to bring into manifestation (in the natural) that which has been given to us through the Word of God.

This should be our lifestyle. Where our faith creates from that which is not seen. Every promise that God has made can be created in the natural through this wonderful tool called faith. Therefore, faith is not believing that God "can" do something, but instead faith bridges the expanse between the realm of heaven and this natural world that we live in. Through this bridge we are able to access the resources of heaven to create what is needed in this natural world.

When we operate correctly in our faith, there is nothing that is impossible to the person who can only believe. Take the limits off of your faith and learn how to create what you need.