Faith and Hope
I want to give you all a friendly but important reminder that believing in God is not the same thing as having faith in God.
My intention isn’t to cause you any fear or alarm but to encourage you to examine your own hearts and ensure you’re truly walking in faith.
I have a few verses I think might be beneficial for you:
“For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it?”
Romans 8:24
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for
Hebrews 11:1-2
I think at one point we all ask the question: why doesn’t God just reveal himself to everyone? The first verse answers this beautifully.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for. If we have nothing to hope for, where is our confidence in that which we hope? Nonexistent. Without hope, there is no faith.
The importance of faith is tremendous.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”
Ephesians 2:8
Your salvation and your favor are dependent on your faith and they are given freely to you by grace. Believing in God is great. And if you do, that’s wonderful. But as Apostle James wrote, even the demons believe.
Brothers and sisters, please examine yourselves closely. Are you walking in faith?
Have confidence in the Lord your God and rejoice gladly in the salvation he’s going to bring to all who are waiting for him.