How do you understand Hebrews 11:1 ? What does it mean???

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   MrMaranathaposted 12 years ago

   How do you understand Hebrews 11:1 ?   What does it mean???
   
   Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

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2. 73

   Seek-n-Findposted 12 years ago

   You have to look at the topic of faith as a whole--doing a word study would be a great way to approach this.  Put "faith" in a search engine on biblegateway.com and see how many verses come up about faith--look at the different ways in which the word is used and compare to see if there is any difference between the old covenant and new covenant uses of the word.  Also it is helpful to look up the Greek and Hebrew meanings of the word--SOOOOO much more there than our English word depicts.  In short, I think that this verse is referring to the power of our thoughts and what we envision/visualize in our minds (things hoped for).  Notice that is says that faith is the substance of these things.  "Things not seen" refers to the reality of the spirit realm.  Our thoughts and minds are connected to this realm.  How does faith come?  Bible says by what we hear.  What we hear is processed in our mind.  What is the evidence of what is in the heart or the mind/heart?  The Word says by what comes out of our mouth--this is the overflow of our heart.  What does James say about faith without works?  It is dead.  What does the word say about the expression of faith?  It expresses itself in love.  What is love?  Many things--but God is ultimately the source of love.  We are to meditate on HIm--on His Word--Jesus the Word made flesh--day and night.  This is like keeping our eyes on Jesus--the author and perfector of what?  Our faith! Jesus sent us out to do the same works that He did and to do even more, the Bible says.  Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.  How did He see the Father who is in heaven?  Spirit realities--back to things unseen. These all link together!  As we seek to gaze upon the beauty of our God--as we follow the footsteps and the example of Jesus--keeping our eye fixed on Him--as we listen to the wisdom of God by meditating on His Word day and night--as we ask God for wisdom like in James 1 He gives it to us--as we think in our hearts so we are--on earth as it is in heaven--envisioning God and the Kingdom--envisioning His promises and His ways--taking every thought captive that does not align with God's ways--as this is our internal reality for the Kingdom of heaven is within us--we see the unseen--then we speak it forth and the evidence of the unseen becomes seen because our words release power--the power of life and death is in the tongue.  How is a person transformed?  The Word says by the renewing of the mind.  God spoke creation into being.  We are made in His image.  Our words are creative acts--for good or for bad.  I know that was a long answer and it could be longer--there are hundreds of puzzle pieces that all come together to form this bigger than life, amazing image of the reality of the Kingdom of God!!!  Exciting.  Great question.

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   1. 72

      MrMaranathaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Faith as a Substance becomes an evidence of things not seen.   Your faith becomes a Window (Glass is a clear Substance) through which God (who cannot be seen) becomes Visible.  :-)

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      whonunuwhoposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well said, and I remember as a child the Bible verse, "God is Love".If God were to answer who he is, this verse well expresses his essence.The rewards will be great for those who live in faith.

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      Elijah7posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Amen sister - Very Well Poured Forth By Faith - The Written Substance above of such Things that are Evidenced by the Deeper Things of Scripture and In our Invisible Christian Walk - Mizpah...

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   Electro-Denizenposted 12 years ago

   To me that sounds like a very basic description of quantum physics... i.e. faith, the projection of an idea, is an invisible thing, but has its own reality. This idea of thoughts having their own reality is also evident in  Job 31:11-12 'But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.' (I guess all guys are guilty of that one!).
   
   So it could be that faith on an outcome is only possible if the actual outcome is itself possible - which, because all possibilities are possible in the quantum universe, it is real!
   
   Or something like that... :-)

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      Ms Deeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Voted up, except my Bible doesn't say that in Job, so wonder if you meant Matt 5:28.

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   2. 72

      MrMaranathaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thats the verse he meant... he just flubbed on it... thats ok.. happens to all of us at some point:
      Mt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
      Thanks guys

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   3. 78

      Ms Deeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe he meant Job 31:1, which is similar to the Mat 5:28

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      Electro-Denizenposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      that's weird! I thought it was in Matthew, but then found it in Job? Never mind, the point was the same. :-))

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   5. 72

      MrMaranathaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I like some of these...
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfPeprQ7oGc
      
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOuXtOND … re=related

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4. 0

   SirDentposted 12 years ago

   I wrote a hub on this very subject approximately 18 months ago. 
   
   http://sirdent.hubpages.com/hub/TheEvid … ngsnotSeen

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   1. 72

      MrMaranathaposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I went for a read over there... Gave you some feedback.. Good Hub and great way of looking at things...   You said something about contaminated Evidence at one point.. being throw out.  Right. Just like the OJ Simpson trial.  What a Fiasco that was.

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5. 60

   Caries Missionposted 12 years ago

   The definition of faith is "believing what God says is true even if past experiences, current emotions, and cultural trends say otherwise." In other words, faith is believing what scripture says even if things that have happened in the past sometime in your life totally contradict it. And also believing scripture even if the emotions you currently have about the situation are not favorable. That is true faith.

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6. 78

   Ms Deeposted 12 years ago

   In case this helps a little, I was a Bible translator and translated it something like this into a minority language, though in English it is a bit awkward:
   
   We know we will truly receive what it is we hope in God for. Even though we haven't yet seen those things, we clearly know in our hearts and minds those things will truly happen.

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7. 59

   Elijah7posted 12 years ago

   
   
   In short brother, for me personally (and i LOVE This Verse) :-
   
   Some great events of The Future, that are often in our Hopes and Prayers, have NOT YET happened.
   
   Yet, By our True Faith in JESUS In God (As The Father) Who CAN Change and WRITE New Futures for us (In Response to heartfelt Invisible Prayers and Hopes) sometime, in the Future, such things BECOME REALITY, Being Very Substance ITSELF at that Future Time THEN ....... Amen †
   
   CASE TO POINT (With The Nation Of Israel and The True Church globally NOW - Amen) :-
   
   † Galatians 3 : 6 - 9 †
   
   "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
   Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."
   
   And In Conjunction HERE :
   
   † Hebrews 11 : 13 †
   
   "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."
   
   Hebrews 11 : 1 is definitely also Part of The Backbone of Prophecy - Selah..†
   
   And Here : THE FOUNDATION STONE OF ALL CREATION :-
   
   † 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."
   
   Hebrews 11 : 3 REALLY IS "one in the eye" for the evolutionists - Amen & Amen †
   
   Love and Blessings to ALL In The Lord JESUS Alive Now - Maranatha †

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