Faith: Seeing Spiritual Reality Before It Happens
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." — Hebrews 11:1
Introduction: Living Between Two Worlds
Hebrews 11:1 unveils a profound truth: we are living in two worlds.
There is the world of the physical, the world we see with our eyes and touch with our hands. But just as real—perhaps even more real—is the spiritual world, the unseen reality perceived by the eyes of faith.
Faith is not imagination or wishful thinking. Faith is the ability to see spiritual realities before they are visible in the physical realm. Faith bridges what is unseen into what will eventually be seen.
Breaking Down the Verse
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Confidence (Hypostasis): In Greek, it refers to a real foundation or substance. Faith gives solidity to our hopes—it makes them tangible, even before they materialize.
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Assurance (Elenchos): This word means proof or conviction. Faith is our evidence of realities we cannot yet see with our natural eyes, but are no less certain.
The Context: The Hall of Faith
Hebrews 11 introduces us to heroes who lived between these two worlds.
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Abraham believed in descendants he could not yet see.
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Noah built an ark for a flood that hadn’t yet arrived.
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Moses chose the invisible reward of God's promises over the visible wealth of Egypt.
They acted as if the unseen were more real than the seen—and it was. Their lives teach us that faith is action based on the certainty of God's spiritual reality.
Hope and the Unseen Reality
Biblical hope is not fragile or unsure—it’s a confident expectation.
Faith empowers us to see beyond present circumstances into the reality of God's promises. As Paul said, "Hope that is seen is no hope at all" (Romans 8:24).
When we have faith, we perceive the eternal even as we walk through the temporal. Faith holds onto the promise before the fulfillment is visible.
How Do We Get Such Faith?
1. Faith Comes Through God's Word
"Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." (Romans 10:17)
Immerse yourself in Scripture. It reveals the nature of the unseen world and strengthens our trust in God's promises.
2. Faith Grows Through Experience
Remember the times God has been faithful in your life. Like Israel's memorial stones (Joshua 4), make reminders of God's past provision and miracles.
3. Faith is Refined Through Trials
"The testing of your faith produces perseverance." (James 1:3)
Trials strip away reliance on the seen and anchor us deeper into the unseen truth of God’s character.
4. Faith is Activated Through Obedience
True faith steps out before the evidence appears—like Noah building the ark before the rain. Small steps of obedience open the door to greater confidence.
5. Faith is Nurtured Through Prayer and the Holy Spirit
Faith is both a gift and a partnership. Ask God, like the disciples did: "Increase our faith!" (Luke 17:5). The Holy Spirit strengthens and guides us into deeper trust.
6. Faith is Strengthened in Community
"Encourage one another and build each other up." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
Hearing the testimonies of others reminds us that spiritual reality is active all around us.
7. Faith Stays Anchored Through an Eternal Perspective
We are not living for this visible world, but for an unseen kingdom.
"We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen." (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Faith in Action Today
Faith means choosing to believe God's promise over the evidence of our current circumstances.
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When you pray persistently despite no visible change.
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When you obey God’s call without knowing where it will lead.
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When you worship even when life feels broken.
Faith is seeing the spiritual reality—God's promises, God's goodness, God's faithfulness—before it bursts into the physical world.
Like the father in Mark 9:24, we can cry out, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
Faith is not the absence of doubt but the courage to act based on the unseen.
Closing Prayer
"Lord, I believe—help my unbelief! Strengthen my faith to see Your unseen realities. Help me walk by faith, not by sight, trusting in Your promises before they are visible. Anchor my heart in Your faithfulness. Teach me to live between two worlds, confidently stepping into the reality You have spoken. Amen."
Final Encouragement
Faith isn’t a momentary feeling; it’s a daily lifestyle.
Each day we are invited to see—through the eyes of faith—the spiritual reality that God is bringing to pass.
Start where you are. Feed your faith with His Word. Remember His past goodness. Step out in obedience. And fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on the glorious, unshakable reality of His promises.
As you do, you will live more fully in the reality of God's kingdom, even before it is fully revealed.
Faith is seeing the invisible reality through God’s eyes and
living as if it’s already true, knowing it will eventually appear.
p.s. This is the result of my interactions with ChatGPT and DeepSeek.
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