You Believe What You Hope For

You Believe What You Hope For

“Now faith is the full assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” V. 1.

In the verses following the apostle lists a goodly number of men and women who did—and obtained—the impossible by faith. We can ask: Did these people possess something special so that they could have such faith? It was the hope they had in their hearts. This is what separated them from the hope in other people’s hearts. Their hope was this: “Who, contrary to hope, in hope believed . . . .” Rom. 4:18.

It is easy for people to believe in what they hope for. By faith Enoch was translated; for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. By faith Noah built an ark for the saving of his household; but before he was warned by God to build it, he walked in godly fear and received the testimony that he alone was righteous before God’s face. This leads us to the understanding that their hopes were the direct opposite of the hopes of the people of their times.

There are some people who say they would like to believe when you speak with them about spiritual things. However, they cannot believe, and they are sorry that they can’t. It can sound so pious, but there is something wrong with the hope in their hearts. The hope they have in the deepest recesses of their hearts is not so pious after all.

These heroes of faith became lonely; they could not rejoice together with the others. There was a cry for God in their hearts; they longed for something that was pure and holy. They were not moved from their hope, and God rewarded them for it. The strength of faith is in precise relationship to the longing in a person’s heart. The fact that this is so can be ascertained from Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 3:2 when he prays to be “delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.” Faith is not for those who are unreasonable and wicked. Those who reject a good conscience suffer shipwreck of their faith. 1 Tim. 1:19; 6:5.

The fact that Abraham was called to go out was because of the hope he had in his heart, so that he suffered under the prevailing conditions. Thus he and Sarah received faith to start a totally new generation. By faith they lived as strangers in the Promised Land and testified that they were waiting for a heavenly country. Heb. 11:16.

It was people with such hearts who received these promises. And when they received the promises, they laid hold of them with all the hope that was in their hearts. Sarah had to believe to receive Isaac, and the virgin Mary had to believe to give birth to Jesus. Luke 1:45. We, too, must lay hold of the promises that have been given us in Christ Jesus with all the hope that is in our hearts, and hold on to them. Then the promises will work in our lives. Laying hold of the promises is the beginning of an embryonic life. Faith is the full assurance of things not seen. We have nothing else to rely on, however closed and impossible it may appear, because our hearts cannot be satisfied with anything else. Thus this embryonic life has time and nourishment to develop until the birth when the promise is fulfilled.

By faith Enoch was translated. The bride, too, is translated by faith. This hope and the promise have worked in her heart day and night; she has cleansed herself, watched and prayed day and night, and waited. It doesn’t matter how long she has to wait because she is not interested in anything else anyway. There are sure to be many who want to be along in the rapture, but they can also be satisfied with something on earth. When the fulfillment is delayed and difficulties arise, they let go of their hold of the promise, and the embryo dies. They have accepted deliverance. Heb. 11:35. But He is faithful who gave the promise. Enoch experienced what had not been seen before, and we, too, will not be put to shame.

Let us therefore wholeheartedly lay hold of God’s promises and hold on to them until they all are fulfilled in our lives. 2 Cor. 1:19-20. It was by faith that the elders received a good testimony.