Verse of the Day 9/4

Verse of the Day 9/4

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen   .English Standard Version (ESV) 

Today is Labor Day, a day when many of us will "cease from our labor"and enjoy a day off of work to spend time outdoors, visiting friends and family or many other activities.  One of the things that we should do is to take some time to thank God for our work, for His blessings and for "the assurance of things hoped for".

The verse leads into the "Hall of Faith" of Hebrew 11 and begins with the words "now" faith.   A. W. Tozer writes:

"If we allow the gloomy voice of unbelief to whisper to us that God will bless some other time but not now, some other place but not here, some other people but not us, we might as well turn off the lights because nobody will get anywhere....    The average evangelical church lies under a shadow of quiet doubting. The doubt is not the unbelief that argues against Scripture, but worse than that. It is the chronic unbelief that does not know what faith means." Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church, 152,157    As I read the verse in the NIV translation the passage had the heading "faith in action".  When you read of all of the people in  the "hall of faith" they were people of action.  They did not procrastinate, didn't hesitate or have to mull it over for days or years, , didn't avoid action, didn't avoid the task at hand but acted in faith.  We read Abel "offered", Enoch walked with God, Noah built the ark, Abraham was called to go and he obeyed and left, Sarah gave birth, Jacob blessed and Moses led.  They are all action words.    We read in various translations - faith is the assurance, the substance the evidence of things hoped for. It is real, it is necessary, it is the pathway, vital to a transformed life.    

Ephesians 2:8-9  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast.    New International Version (NIV)

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Hebrews 11:1-3New International Version (NIV)

Faith in Action

11 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.

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.