“I hope it will happen” vs. “I know it will happen”

Hope-and-faith-300-webby Rex Rouis

Think of the difference between the following two phrases – “I hope it will happen,” and, “I know it will happen.”

Hope knows that something may happen. Faith knows that something will happen. Faith knows because God said it.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the (spoken) word of God – Romans 10: 17

The promises in the Bible tell us what is possible. When God speaks one of those promises to our heart it comes alive. Once you have that you know that it will happen and you will no longer hope that it might happen. Hope MAY have it in the future, but Faith DOES have it now and WILL receive it in the future.

Yes, hope is a confident expectation that something is obtainable in the future, but don’t confuse the general confidence of hope with the absolute specific confidence of faith. Hope comes to us through the Bible text revealing the allowable will of God – what CAN happen. Faith comes by God speaking directly to us and confirming the will of God – what WILL happen. The absolute confidence of faith is based on a direct hearing from God concerning something promised in the Bible. In Rom 10:17 the word translated ‘word’ is Rhema and it means a direct spoken message that is heard.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “faith is (now, present tense) the substance or reality of things hoped for (past tense – already in hope).” Hope comes first, and then a witness can be placed upon that hope giving it firm reality. Faith gives our hopes reality. Hope knows that it is possible. Faith has God’s witness and knows that it will happen. See, Faith Is ‘hupostasis’ – Hebrews 11:1

Hope MAY have it, but Faith WILL have it

Comments

  1. I have faith in Jesus Christ. I believe what he says is true? So I believe in my faith in Jesus and I believe that I will get what I deserve sooner or later! God bless all of you and may you continue making people’s prayers come true! I have enjoyed PCH and I look foward to winning soon! Thai you!

  2. We must remain quiet to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit to us. No Christian should ever seek God’s will without waiting to hear from the Holy Spirit. He is been given to us to tell us the truth, and about things to come. Never refuse the gift of the Holy Spirit, the still small voice, he will speak to you daily and guide you. By just claiming something, and believing it, and it’s done, we ignore the work of the Holy Spirit

  3. Faith is a cable that connect our prayers to God. Faith is also an acceleration of God’s power. The scriptures say that For He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we could ask for according to the power that works in us. So if you know what Power u have in you and make a demand for it then something will happen . Just like in Genesis 1 :3 . God said let there be light and there was light. God knew the Power in Him and made a demand for it to work and we all know it worked. You can help or build your faith by reading the Word of God and praying constantly.
    Also, faith is like an accelerator. In chemistry, an accelerator is a substance that increases the speed of a reaction. The gas pedal in cars is also an accelerator. It increases the speed of the car.
    So prayer without Faith is like being in a car without stepping on the gas pedal. The car barely moves. That is how faith works. The more your faith in God, the faster your prayers get to Him and your replies to u. Please build your faith in God. #theGodinme. #Jesusreigns.

  4. I thank God who gives wisedom and understand in teaching will bless you

  5. James 2:14-26 Faith Without Works Is Dead. True that. Hope must be accompanied by faith for Heavenly Father to listen and answer our prayers. All we need is enough faith as small as a mustard seed nothing is impossible to us. Matthew 17:20. And to add to that your faith must be unwavering, faith is believing even when your seeing the opposite all around you. Seek God and keep the faith. and empty hope means nothing it has to be filled with faith.

  6. Its true hope leaves it at 50 –50 while faith leaves it on our hands. Faith fails not.

    1. Author

      I would say that, except for mercy of God, hope by itself without faith gives you a 0% (zero percent) probability of receiving, because God does not honor hope. He only honors faith.

      Prayer is not throwing words against the wall hoping that some will stick. There is no 50 – 50 in the Bible. It is all or nothing.

      Having faith means that you have received from God the ‘witness’ that you have met the conditions and that He will give you the answer. Faith, the Bible says, “comes by hearing and hearing by the (spoken) word of God.”

      This hearing is the witness of faith, for,”Faith is the title deed of things hoped for, the evidence of things not (yet) seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ‘title deed’ = ownership documentation

      1. “Having faith means that you have received from God the ‘witness’ that you have met the conditions and that He will give you the answer.”

        No, faith is making a choice to believe the Word of God. A Spirit-filled believer already has the measure of faith inside, and does not require a “witness” – which is extra to the Word itself – from God. There are no conditions to be met. It is a decision of faith whether to receive or to doubt. The hearing part is us speaking forth the Word to ourselves to stir the faith already in us.

        “Whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and believing, you will receive.” – Matthew 21:22

        We decide to take God at His Word, we ask, and we receive now. It’s that simple. It’s a decision on our part to appropriate for ourselves what God’s Word already provides. It is not appropriating and then waiting for a separate confirmation.

        1. Author

          B23 – Sorry, faith comes by hearing – Romans 10:17. It is not by the will of man. Every promise has a condition. You must meet the condition and seek God’s face. His voice is ‘extra’ to the Word of God. It is the Spirit confirming the Word and making the Word come alive in the heart of man that makes faith. The logos with give you direction and hope but only a rhema from God can make faith come alive in the heart.

          A ‘substance’ of our hope is by the Spirit of God, not a choice of man’s will. I believe man has a will but it cannot choose faith. It can receive faith and it can choose to provide corresponding actions – believing, so that faith can come alive and productive.

          The measure of faith (Romans 12:3-8) is talking about something completely else. People can have no faith, little faith, or great faith, and according to Jesus, sometimes sufficient faith ‘comes’ not but by prayer and fasting. That is talking about the limit of one’s calling and ability in God, not that we can sit on our butts and just choose to believe. You have to diligently put the Word into your heart and diligently seek Him. He is rewarder of those you diligently seek Him.

          1. In its original context, “faith comes by hearing” means more faith comes by hearing more of the Word. It does not mean I can’t believe for anything unless God gives me a special thumbs-up to believe. Yes, there are conditions to promises, but “wait for a rhema before you can trust Me” is not among them. There aren’t any footnotes to God’s promises; everything is stated upfront.

            Faith – complete trust or confidence in someone – does involve a decision of the will. Not of the carnal mind, but of the will. I can use my imparted faith to either believe a promise of God is true and for me to stand on, or instead believe my human reasoning. Faith is knowing “God says I can have this, so I trust Him enough (if only a mustard seed measure of faith) to take Him at His Word because He is trustworthy and cannot lie.”

            You claim “only a rhema from God can make faith come alive in the heart.” Faith is already alive in the believer. Whether or not that believer chooses to employ it to receive the promises and blessings of God is his/her decision.

            Rhema is not God following up with a believer that His promises really can be trusted. “By His stripes we were healed.” Can any believer stand on that promise in faith as stated or does he need a rhema before it’s true? If God needed to issue rhema for every promise to be claimed by a believer, He’d be contradicting His character. You couldn’t trust a word of the Bible because you’d always need something beyond the faith He’s already imparted.

            As for your last graph, I never said anything about simply choosing to believe and waiting with feet up for it to be served. As a matter of faith, we receive it as our present possession when we believe. Related practical matters come after (“faith without works…”). And yes, He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. We can’t simply say “I believe, now gimme.” But we have to be careful to not interpret that Scripture as earning anything from God.

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