THE NATURE AND NECESSITY OF FAITH "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." -- Tomorrow:
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear . . . But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Heb 11:1-3, 6)
Devotion 7 of 11
Now, we come to grips with a very sensitive matter – at least in some circles. Even though faith is preeminent in the Kingdom of God, the wisdom of this world has penetrated the nominal church, causing men to rest their confidence upon "evidence" that is NOT produced by faith. Thus, great value is placed upon human sciences in the matter of substantiating the integrity of Scripture and validity of the Gospel of Christ. This is a trend fraught with jeopardy, as we will see. It has also been birthed by unbelief.
"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" (NKJV). The Holy Spirit goes to the very foundation of human reasoning – the origin of all things. There were finally spun philosophies in place at the time of this writing – philosophies that still are the foundation of worldly reasoning. The philosophers of the world who had already shaped thinking for centuries, remain well known. Thales of Miletus lived from 636 to 546 B.C. Zeno of Elea lived from 490 to 436 B.C. The well-known Socrates lived from 464 to 399 B.C., and Plato from 428 to 348 B.C. Without profitless elaboration of the worldly point-of-view, suffice it to say, there were ideas concerning the origin of all things long before this text was written. But the Spirit does not lead us to wade in the shallow stream of philosophy. Rather, He anchors us in Divine affirmation, and points us to the superiority of faith.
DESIGN IN CREATION
There is intelligent design in the universe. By that, I mean a marvelous harmony and consistency exists in creation that is so precise, we cannot even set our calendars to its finer cycles. That is why we have an occasional leap-year – a way of adjusting our inferior clocks and calendars to the more precise universe. The worlds were "framed," or designed with purpose. The universe is not an accident, but a deliberate creation. Not even a speck of dust came into existence without the Word of the Lord! Whether we speak of things seen or things not seen, they all had their genesis with God, who created them by Christ. Thus it is written, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him" (Col 1:16). These "all things" were not the result of reshaping or reconstruction, but of creation.
The Spirit is showing us the superiority of faith to all the world has to offer. It is superior to reason! It is superior to tangible evidence! Reason can be a source of deception, as well as tangible evidence. It was "reason" that brought down our race in the first place. A corrupt view of tangible evidence was also at the root of the fall. There, in the Edenic paradise, both reason and evidence failed as a ground of Divine acceptance! The imagined improvement of both areas of knowledge has not changed the condition.
FAITH AND UNDERSTANDING
Here is a superior form of understanding – understanding that cannot be taught in the classrooms of men. This understanding includes persuasion, assurance, conviction, and confidence. It is not merely academic, but spiritual. Thus Scripture refers to "SPIRITUAL understanding" (Col 1:9). It is understanding administered by the Spirit, but it is appropriated through your faith – your persuasion of the truth of Divine utterance.
This is a form of spiritual experience that allows the believer to handle eternal things. It is understanding that allows safe and proper navigation through the world, not being distracted by it, or lured into its vices.
In the case of the "the worlds," we "understand" they were "framed by the Word of God" – that is, they were spoken into existence. And how is it that we understand this? Is it by some philosophical rule? Has a humanly developed science led us to this conclusion – like geology, biology, astronomy, etc? Has the observation of design in the universe led us to this conclusion? Is there some hermeneutical principle that has brought us to this decision? Indeed not! You can study planets and rocks, atoms, protons and neutrons, and you will never come to the conclusion these things were formed by a word! The most elaborate apologetic in the world cannot possibly produce this conclusion! Such things cannot explain the HOW of creation.
But we do not need these sciences to affirm origin, or support our faith! There is only one way we know this. GOD SAID IT! Remove the Word of God on this subject, and there is no mortal that will arrive at such a conclusion. It is because we believe what has been declared that we "understand" these things! ^This is so because God and Christ Themselves are integral to faith. Also, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and minds to cause these things to make sense to us. We do not question the origin of the universe, but rely upon the Creator to sustain the creation itself, and maintain us while we are within it's environs. He who made it also controls it – we "understand" this! As the Spirit says elsewhere, "sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Heb 1:3, NIV). And again, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together" (Col 1:17, NIV). An understanding of this enabled Joshua to cry out "in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed" (Josh 10:12-13). Even in those spiritually primitive times, Joshua outdid the religious pretenders of our day who falsely affirm that faith is a creative force. Which of them has ever commanded the sun and moon to stand still? Mind you, I am not saying you may command creation at will and find it obeying you. The point to be seen is that understanding what God has said enables you to join in what God is doing!
Remember, "faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." It is the appointed means to confidence and assurance – the way God convinces people of the reality of the things He declares. If you make an attempt to gain this confidence by some other means, your attempt will fall to the ground. You cannot enjoy the fruit of faith by eating the forbidden fruit of worldly wisdom.
Faith brings satisfying understanding, unmixed with doubt and fear. Therefore, we do not stagger at the origin of the natural order. God has told us how it began, and we confidently understand His Word on the subject. On a lower level, all of the observable evidence fully accords with the Divine affirmation, and nothing in that evidence contradicts what God has revealed. We entertain no doubts on this matter, nor will we allow the world to move our confidence from the Word of God to the wisdom of men.
Things we see were Divinely constructed from things that do NOT appear. He is not referring to atoms, protons, and neutrons! These can all be seen – you just have to magnify them enough, and you can see them. We "understand" this universe was made from nothing! We may not be able to explain it satisfactorily to the scientist, but we understand it! God did not gather together existing materials and shape the universe.
Note the plurality – "the worlds." This is a correct rendering of the Greek words. We were introduced to this terminology at the beginning of this book. God, "hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom He hath appointed Heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds" (11:2). This is intended to teach us of the vastness of the creation. It extends beyond our vision, regardless of how much we magnify it! There is a multiplicity of bodies, all summoned into existence by the Word of the Lord from nothing!
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the persuading quality of the faith You give.