DO YOU BELIEVE GOD? - Elbert Atlas - July 1977

Elbert Atlas

Sometimes it's hard to put a handle on something like faith. It seems so elusive to most of us. We try to talk ourselves into believing something, or we go through all sorts of mental gymnastics to feel a certain way about our problems. But how does the Bible define faith? And what does faith have to do with your daily life? The classic definition of faith is found in the book of Hebrews, chapter eleven: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (RSV throughout article). Paraphrased in more modern English, faith is having confidence you will receive something you hope for. But Hebrews 6 gives an even better idea of what faith really is, clearly showing that it is belief in a promise made by God. This chapter states that "when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, 'Surely I will bless you and multiply you' " (verses 13, 14). Here God says: - Information Supplied By: Herbert W Armstrong Library