What is Biblical Faith? Hebrews 11:1-3, NIV "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. 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." Introduction Today I would like to share the grace of God under the title “What is Biblical Faith?" Please repeat after me. “What is Biblical Faith?" Hebrews 11:1-3 says: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. 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." Hebrews chapter 11:1 to 3 defines faith according to the Bible. But we find these verses hard to fully understand because the Bible is uncertain in nature. Even if we read these bible verses about faith; we find them hard to confess because they are difficult to understand. 1. The first step of faith is substance and evidence. First, let us think about the first step of faith which is substance and evidence. The Bible says: "Faith is being sure of what we hope for..." Hope is in our field of faith. Our tree of dreams, complete with leaves, flowers and fruit grows in the field of faith. Hebrews 11:1 says: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hope in our hearts is the starting point of our faith. There is no faith without hope. Our faith will be stirred up if we have a desperate hope. If someone has a passionate hope for becoming a member of the National Assembly; a faith of becoming an MNA will spring up in his heart. However where there is no hope, there also will be no faith. Psalm 81:10 says: "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." God wants us to open our mouth wide so that He may fill it. But we cannot open wide our mouth if we do not have any hope. How are we supposed to expect goodness from God if we do not first have hope of receiving it? How can He feed you if you turn your head and reject his provision regardless of the quantity or quality of that provision? We should open wide our mouth with expectation of the Lord’s provision because we have a big hope in our hearts. Hope and the principle of expectation are what bring us faith. If I have hope and vision of expectancy, then that which I hope for will come to me or draw me closer to it. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." We should have hope expecting what we want. This is the law of visualization. If I want to become healthy then I need to perceive myself as being healthy. If you see yourself as being whole and continually, through both day and night, praise the Lord; you will become whole. We are to see things that are not as though they were. See yourself as being whole day and night. Give praise to God and be glad. Then you will become what you see. John 15:7 says: "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you." We need to have hope. The first step of faith is hope. We should have hope and see it by faith. When I built Yoido Full Gospel Church, I had an earnest desire. I had a hope that I was building a world famous church. I always visualized a big church as if it had already happened. But in reality the church was not yet built. It had not grown big either. In my heart, awake or asleep, I was seeing a large church. This is the principle of visualization. Many people would say to me, “You are out of your mind." But we should keep visualizing our hope. We should have a strong urge to visualize our hope in our hearts. What we are hoping for will become reality because we are seeing it as if it were already so. Imagine a man who operates a small street corner store. If he wants to see a big, flourishing store; he must visualize in faith his store being successful. He should visualize huge success; even if his shop is not showing any signs of being successful. What he is visualizing by faith will be done according to his faith. Visualizing by faith one’s expectation of hope is very important because the Lord is looking for a man who is maintaining a constant, earnest hope. In Matthew 15:21-28 we can read a story about a Canaanite woman who showed great faith. Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. He wanted to take a rest. Gentiles lived there. Since the time of the Gentile receiving the Gospel had not yet come; Jesus did not preach the Good News to them. A Canaanite woman heard that Jesus was passing by. She ran to him and said: "O Lord, My daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely. Have mercy on me." Although she cried for mercy, Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. The disciples got bothered because this woman was persistent in her begging. They urged Jesus to send her away. "She is bothering us. Answer her if you want." But Jesus refused to heal this woman’s daughter. "The time for Gentile has not yet come. I am not going to perform a miracle." But let’s see what this woman did! She did not give up. She came and worshiped Jesus, pleading again. "Have mercy on me. Lord! Help! My daughter is possessed by a demon." Then Jesus said to her, "It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." In other words he said, "You Gentiles are dogs. I am not going to heal your daughter!" Let us listen to her reply: "That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table." She gave Jesus a compelling response. "Yes, the Israelites are the children of God. But we, Gentles eat the crumbs that fall from our masters' table." Jesus was moved. "Dear woman, your faith is great. Your request is granted." And her daughter was immediately healed. God listened attentively to this woman's voice which contained an earnest desire even if the time of the Gentiles had not yet come. If we believe that the hope in our hearts will be accomplished; that which we earnestly hope for will come near us or we will attract to it until we actualize it. Usually people do not know at any moment what they are visualizing in their hearts. But the Bible tells us: "It will be done to you according to your faith!" Faith in our hearts has such a great impact. We should not wander aimlessly around in our daily lives. Day by day I look to God who blesses me. I visualize that I am not in want because of Him. My heart looks to my provision from God by faith. I visualize that whatever I do will be prosperous. I think by faith and I see by faith. I visualize things that are not as though they were. According to the principle of visualization what I have seen will be drawn to me. Or I will be drawn towards what I have seen. Brothers and Sisters! We should each visualize a fulfilled life. I'm asking you today "Do not visualize a failed, suffering, defeated life," or it will happen according to your expectation. We should look at ourselves as if we are whole. Then the hope of what we have visualized will happen. We will receive wonderful strength when we stand in faith for the hope that is in our hearts. We will be empowered beyond our description. In his book, The Magic of Believing, Claude M. Bristol defined the meaning of faith as a mind picture. I think faith is to draw things that are not as though they were. How can we draw a picture in our mind? If we remind ourselves, without ceasing, then what we hope for will root deep within our hearts and etch an image in our minds. If you are looking for a good husband then picture in your mind the type of man you are looking for. How can you find your spouse without any image of your expectation in your mind? Draw a picture in your mind of the type of wife you are looking for. God will work through what you expect and believe to be so. W. Shakespeare claimed: "If you don't have a virtue then try to pretend that you have one." Try to pretend to have a virtue. God is a God who calls things that are not as though they were. I need to draw an image in my mind of the better me that I want to become. Then through this image, with faith, continue to believe God. This principle of visualization exercises great influence. When I look back over my life I think I can prove that faith is being sure of what we hope for. The work of faith is revealed when it becomes reality according to what we have hoped for. Faith will not work without first expecting, through visualization, what we hope for. For the last 50 years I have continually visualized to become a successful preacher. I was not a good preacher however I saw myself as if I were one. Faith is motivated when we think that all things become according to what we hope for. Faith is all about creating an image and visualizing that it is what you desire it to become. Then you will become in reality what you have dreamed to become. Please repeat after me. "Faith is visualizing things that are not as though they were." It is really simple and easy but sometimes people are not aware of this. Let us think about it. Great leaders have always believed what they have hoped to become. By faith we see. By faith we walk toward where we look at. Then God will work through our faith. 2. Achievement of faith Second, let us think about the achievement of faith. We are living in the physical space, in the third-dimension of our world. A line has a dimension of one. A surface has a dimension of two. The inside of a cube is three-dimensional. But there is also the fourth dimensional world which is invisible. Everything is dominated by the fourth dimensional spiritual work of faith. The bible says: "What is seen was not made out of what was visible." The power which was invisible created what is seen. Hebrews 11:3 says, "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." What is seen is created by God's command. Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, ...." God's invisible qualities, his eternal power and divine nature have been embedded into all of creation. Heaven and earth including all things between them are created by God. Behind our third dimensional world there is the fourth dimensional, spiritual world. In Geneses we read that "the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." The Spirit of God is invisible. But he was in the beginning, from whom all things are generated. Our third-dimensional world is limited by time, space and material. The fourth dimensional world is in the realm of the Creator, reflecting his thinking, dreams, faith and word. We should live our life connected to this fourth dimensional world. Your thinking, your dreams, your faith and words all belong to this fourth dimensional world of spirituality. We cannot see our thinking. We cannot see our dreams. Our faith is invisible and what we intend to speak as well are invisible. But God has fellowship with us through all these invisible things and uses all these things to create a new reality for us. Therefore if we want to change our visible world; we must first think, dream, believe and confess with our lips the changes that we want to see. Proclaiming with our lips is one of the attributes of faith. The bible tells us "If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ that will happen.” Mark 11:23-24 says: "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." A visible circumstance comes out of invisible faith. If by faith I command to the mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' then it will happen. A mountain is visible but our faith is invisible. But by faith we can do things beyond our ability. We are encouraged to make a positive, creative proclamation. Speak things that are not as though they were. God created the visible world by speaking: "Let there be light," and there was light. And God said: "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." It became just as he said. And God said: "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. He said, "Let there be lights." And sun, moon and stars appeared. And God said: "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds..." Then God created a man and spoke blessings over them. "Rule over the creatures." When Jesus forgave a paralytic he said: "Your sins are forgiven." When he healed a sick woman he said: "Go in peace and be freed from your suffering." When he drove out an evil spirit he said: "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" He said so. You and I also can declare a word of God according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And what we declare by faith will be done. If we declare according to the word of God then it will be done. That is why speaking the word of God is so important in our life. In faith, we must declare with our lips what is stirred up in our hearts. "Go away fear and worry. Come to me successful life. Let there be peace. Let there be health and wholeness." Declare this by faith. It is your privilege. Luke 1:37 says: "For nothing is impossible with God." Mark 9:23 says: "'If you can'? said Jesus. 'Everything is possible for him who believes.' " Romans 4:17 says: "the God [who] gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were." We should set a clear goal in our life of faith. We should boldly declare what we believe. We should earnestly see things that are not as though they were. If we want to lead a healthy life of faith in our daily lives we need to have a clear goal. It is important to have a clear hope. An aimless attitude cannot bring faith. We cannot do anything with a vague attitude. When we have a clear goal of faith, we will do our best with an earnest hope; and we will make positive declarative statements that we can do “everything through Christ who strengthens us.” Philippians 2:13 says: "for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." 3. Have faith in God Third, when we believe; we believe in God, not in ourselves. We live in a world of limited time, space and materials. Our body belongs to the third dimensional world. In the third dimensional world we see, hear, speak and touch. Human beings are different from animals in that in our heart we can believe in God. That means we can live our life in the fourth dimensional spiritual world where unlimited time, space and unseen materials exist. In us there is spirit which belongs to the fourth dimensional world. We have a fourth dimensional spirit in our third dimensional body. We have a spiritual person inside our innermost part. Corinthians 5:7 says, "We live by faith, not by sight." Normally people live by sight and not by faith. But Christians are to live by faith. We are to live by faith in the fourth dimensional world. John 20:29 says: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." We can still believe what we cannot see with our eyes. When you pray to God something great takes place. God strengthens your heart with stronger faith, and grants you His peace through His word. A fresh change takes place in your thinking. You will no longer say: “I can't do this. I will fail." But you will say "I can do this. I will try." Your thinking will be changed so you will declare things with a positive and active attitude. After you pray, you will be able to visualize what you cannot see but hope for in reality to see. This is the process of faith. We draw our dream in our heart as if it has already been accomplished and then we can believe that it will happen. We believe not by sight, not by sound nor by sense but by faith. Then we can confess with our lips things that are not as though they were. This is fourth dimensional spirituality. It is a creative spirituality. Would you please repeat after me? "First, our thinking must be changed. Second, let us dream a new dream. Third, let us believe even if things look impossible. Fourth, let us proclaim things that are not as though they were." God will then perform His miracle and we will see a new created third dimensional world. 4. Those who live by faith Fourth, we can find people who live by faith. We see that they have clear hope in their heart and mind. Those who live by faith see their hope with a strong will while standing firm on fourth dimensional spirituality. They speak boldly unreal things as if they already exist. They all live by faith. Hebrews 11:6 says: "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Conclusion Men of faith live their lives according to fourth dimensional spirituality. God’s people should with hope set clear goals; and live a life with eyes set on their dreams and visions. We should believe and make positive proclamations. Hebrew chapter 11 is spoken as through fourth dimensional spirituality. If we put these bible verses into practice, we will experience fourth dimensional spirituality; and our prayers will be more powerful because our destiny and circumstances will be changed. We will see the work of God's hand. Let us not stay in a zone of vagueness. Let us stop saying: "Oh, I may believe but..." New beginning will take place for us when we are filled with the Word of God. We will say, "I will never be the same. Our thoughts will be filled with an absolute positive attitude. I am going to have an earnest hope. I will dream a new dream. Even though I am now in a desperate situation; I will hold on to faith by proclaiming it with my lips that the "Impossible will be possible. Miracles will happen to me.” Let us stop saying: "I can't do. I'm poor. I'll fail." You and I are created to rely on God who changes destiny and circumstances. You should make use of your creative ability. You are more than yourself whom you now see. Your inner person is a person of miracles. Your inner person lives by faith. I urge you to remember that you can think, believe and speak expecting God's great work. Let us pray. You are Holy, our Father God! Help us to live a life according to fourth dimensional spirituality. Lead us not to become a religious person but to have creative faith. It is true that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Let us walk by faith seeing that what we have hoped for in our hearts has already been accomplished. Bring into our circumstances what we yet do not see. Let miracles come to pass. Oh, Father God! I believe that all church members may enjoy good health and that all may go well with them, even as their soul is getting along well. I continually visualize this. I see miracles take place all the time. All of the church members will be blessed. I believe they will come in and go out, and find pasture in Jesus. I believe God's miracle has already taken place. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 1