A Faith-Filled Heart

A Christian’s Heart

“A Faith-Filled Heart”

Watch on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj1OVSfxnVw

Today, in our series on the qualities of a Christian’s heart, we’re going to looking at a faith-filled heart, or a heart that is filled with faith.

However, if a faith-filled heart is what we need, then the first thing we must determine is exactly what is faith.

Webster’s dictionary defines faith as a “belief and trust in and loyalty to God,” and a “firm belief in something for which there is no proof.”

(http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith)

Oxford’s dictionary says it is a “Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.”

(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/faith)

What we’re faced with in these definitions are that they come up short as to what faith actually is, and so instead of going for some dictionary’s definition, let’s go the Bible’s description of faith as found in the book of Hebrews.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

The word, “substance” in the Greek language means to have a foundation or the assurance of something. It’s having the guarantee of what we’re hoping for.

The word, “evidence” in the Greek language means to have a conviction concerning the truthfulness of something.

With these two definitions, this description of faith can easily be expanded the way the Amplified Bible translates this passage.

“Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].” (Hebrews 11:1 AMP)

Faith then is being sure of what we don’t see and yet hope for. It’s seeing the future in the present.

Faith is an act of both the mind and heart to believe what is not made assessable to our natural senses. But it goes even further. It’s also the actual possession of their reality, and that is what the title deed represents. The person who holds the title deed to a piece of property actually possesses the property. It’s not a future possibility; it’s the actual possession.

By faith, therefore, we possess those things that our souls and spirits long and hope for, which are God’s promises including heaven and eternal life. It’s not that they will be ours, rather by faith we’re in possession of heaven and eternal life right now, and they’re as substantial as the chairs we’re sitting in.

Faith then possesses God’s promises completely convinced of their reality, even though we cannot see or perceive them with our natural senses.

Faith is actually the exact opposite of the modern rationalistic mindset that says, “Believing is seeing.”

Faith, however, says we need to believe, in order to see.

I like the way Saint Augustine said it. “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.” (Saint Augustine)

It is like an architect planning a building, or an artist creating a work of art. They have to believe and envision it before they can accomplish it. Therefore, we have to believe in God’s promises before they ever become possible.

Many, however, refuse to believe in God because they cannot see Him, yet by faith we see God in everything around us. The Psalmist said the heavens declare God’s glory and work (Psalm 19:1).

The writer of Hebrews confirms this saying, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3 NKJV)

Everything we see today is made out of things we cannot see, which science has proven. Things like atoms and quarks. And when we look at creation and the universe the only logical conclusion is that it didn’t happen by chance, which is the faith position of evolutionists, but rather this universe and our world had a design, and every design must have a designer.

By faith, therefore, we believe in the existence of God, even though we cannot see Him face to face.

The rest of Hebrews chapter 11 fleshes out this description for us in the lives of those men and women that are described therein.

It says of Moses that, “by faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:27 NKJV)

In keeping with this description of faith, what we can conclude is that a faith-filled heart has these three main characteristics or qualities.

A Believing Heart

A believing heart is a heart that believes without seeing.

It was such a heart that Abraham possessed, and God blessed.

“Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3 NKJV)