 go to the classwork section, download your notes and then begin to follow along. So this subject as we all understand is faith and it is the foundational subject of who we are as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. So when we talk about faith, it is an essential it's not an option for a believer. It is an essential and it has to be an integral part of our journey with the Lord. So how do we understand faith and how do we apply faith that is going to be our intention in this particular course to really gain an understanding of it and not just to know what faith is in terms of the scriptural knowledge but practically to be able to gain this and apply it in our own lives. So that is the intention behind this particular course. So when we talk about faith, which scripture comes to your mind the first scripture that you can think of in the Bible any reference. Okay, Hebrews 11 and verse 1. I would someone like to read it for us please Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 1. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence things not seen. Okay, so faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. It's talking about a couple of subjects here which we will try to understand one by one. Now faith is and it says substance, substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. So at the word faith in the New Testament we see that both the words faith and the word believe comes from the same Greek word. The Greek word would be it's given here the faith is a Pistis. Okay, so it comes from that particular variation of the root word and you have the word believe which comes from the root word Pistio. Now both of these words thought they have a similar meaning. We see that faith is more of a noun and believe is more of a verb. Okay, so when we say noun it is you know we know that we generally use it to describe an entity or a person or you know the things like that and when we talk about a verb it's more of an action something that we do. So both faith and believe are connected. They come from the same root word faith is a noun but believe is an action. So believe is something that you and I need to do. Okay, so that is how we understand these two words. Now believing is so close to the word faith. So when we say that I believe it's understood that we are talking about faith which we carry in our hearts and when we believe we will see later on that there is some action to follow. So when we say that we believe it is something that we are doing and it's generally connected with a sort of an action. Okay, so we will understand all these things in depth but the point that I want to make is that both these words faith and believe are connected while faith is more of a noun believe is more of a verb. Okay, believe is something that we do. Now moving along we notice that faith is defined as a conviction or a constancy. So it simply means that when I say that I have faith. Okay, I have a belief in my heart. Alright, so I already have a belief in my heart. Now it's kind of challenging to explain it the right way but you know you can use all kinds of English terms such as assurance. I have an assurance in my heart or I have a conviction in my heart or you know something like you have a matter that is settled in your heart. So I usually like to use one example. That example is let's imagine that this entire room is dark. Okay, and you are familiar with this room and you know that in certain spots. Okay, again let's imagine all the tables that are there in this room don't exist. You have only one table in the middle in the center of the room. Even if the room is dark, right, you know that there is a table in the center of the room and you're not able to see it with your eyes but what is the assurance that you have? What is the conviction that you have? What is the belief that you have in your heart? There is a table. Right, so if we switch off the lights and let's say you know there is a table but I don't know there is a table. Okay, and I ask you can you walk around this room and you say something like yes we can walk around this room but there is a table and I might tell you what are you talking about? There is no table. No, we can't see any table but you are telling me no, I know there is a table. Right, so even if I ask you to walk, you may walk very carefully because you know that you might hit against the table. Now this is not visible to your eyes but you know. Okay, so I'm just using the term you know for the assurance or the conviction or the belief that you carry within you that something exists even though you can't see it isn't it? Even though somebody else cannot see it only you know that is it exists but notice that you know faith is that substance or that assurance that we carry within ourselves about the things that we cannot see and we say we cannot see we are referring to the natural world. So in the natural world we are not able to see certain things yet we can say that those things exist because from the example that I gave you certain things do exist and we know right that they exist. So this is the manner in which I want to explain conviction to us or an assurance where we know deep within that yes it exists. I cannot see it but this exists. Right, so this is how you know we can sort of get a grasp of what faith looks like. Okay, now we've understood that faith is a conviction, it's an assurance, it's a constancy because these are all connected English words that you can use to understand what faith really is. Now let's continue to talk a little bit more about faith. Yeah, I'm just going in order of the notes that are given just for a better understanding today. So please follow along with me as this is your first class. So in our notes there is another comment about faith. What is this comment? It says that faith is not a mental ascent. Okay, faith is not a mental ascent. So what does that mean? So when I hear something like you know God is a healer. Okay, I heard God is a healer the first time. So when I hear God is a healer what happens? There are two things, two ways in which I can actually receive it. One is in my head where I say yes the pastor said God is a healer. Okay, he is a healer or I read the Bible it says God is a healer. Maybe God is a healer. So in my head I have received it. Okay, but when it comes to my own life circumstance and I am going through a sickness maybe I'm struggling to believe that God can heal me. I am struggling to really accept it in my heart. So you see there are two places. One is the mind, isn't it? The other one is the heart and the Bible says that the heart is the place where we believe. We believe God from the heart. So belief comes from the heart. Sometimes we can confuse faith as just a mental ascent. Mental ascent means saying yes you heard something and you're saying yeah that's right. Yes that's right but we may not actually believe it. Do you get what I'm trying to tell you? We may say yes to that thought but it may not be what I believe in my heart. So that is the difference. Faith is not just knowing things. Okay, I know the Bible. I know about God. I know about you know the power of God. I know all these things. Yeah, the Bible says so, the leaders say so, people say so. I know it in my head but what is faith? Faith is beyond. Faith is deeper. Right? Faith is not in the head. Faith is in the heart. So the thoughts that the word of God teaches us the truth that the word of God teaches us we must receive it in our heart. Okay, so when we receive it in our heart that's the place. The heart is the place where the believing happens and you know faith is actually housed in the heart. Did you understand the difference? Sometimes we just receive a message with our mind that does not necessarily mean faith. But when we believe it, it goes into our hearts and it becomes our, I was using the words conviction, assurance, right? Constancy. When it goes into our hearts, then we say that we have faith in this matter. I have faith that God is my healer. So then what do I begin to do? I can begin to apply it in my life because I believe that this is what it is. This is how God is. This is what God does. So automatically my behavior in that situation or my choices in that situation will be in response to the faith that I carry in my heart. So let's just move ahead and please feel free to interrupt me at any point if you have any questions. So now we have clarified what faith is and the fact that faith is not just a mental ascent but it's something that we truly believe. And now coming to the same scripture that we read earlier. I said there are many parts to it. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the things not seen. So that is the verse for us. Now the other word then substance, what does that word substance mean? So substance also comes from a Greek word. This Greek word is hypostasis and what does it refer to? It refers to a support or like I told us we have an assurance in our hearts when we say that we have faith. But faith is the substance or there is something that something exists in the spiritual realm. There is a substance. In English we use the word substance for a thing. Something is there. So faith is the substance of things hoped for. Now how do we understand this? This simply means we are hoping for something. We are hoping to get something. Let's imagine we are hoping to buy a very expensive equipment or maybe let's talk about land. If we have to buy land it's so expensive. You can't just give money, you can't just swipe your card and buy a huge piece of land. So how do people usually buy a piece of land? They will go for the purchase and generally they will be given a letter. Maybe a small amount will be paid and they will give a letter saying okay this land it will be transferred on the name of so and so and this much amount will be paid later on. Now even though you have not paid the full amount according to the law that land will belong to you because you are the one who has made the deposit and you have got that initial letter and generally that letter is referred to as title deed. Now if anyone comes and asks you saying do you have a land? Your answer would be I do. I have a land. I have the confirmation. You know look at the title deed. I have the title deed with me which says that the land belongs to me but do you actually have the land? Not yet because you have not paid the full amount. It's the moment that you complete your entire payment. They will allow you to come in right? Then you can take possession of the land you can you know set it up you can build the building that you want to and all of that but what's happening now? Right now you are still the owner of the land because you have the title deed and the title deed says you have done the minimum required payment that land belongs to you but actually you will enter the land maybe one year down the line two years down the line. So the point that I want us to understand is faith is like that. Faith is the substance meaning right now and you see that scripture says now faith is meaning there are things in the future that we are hoping for promises of God upon our lives which right now it's not fulfilled. You don't see it but there is a substance. There is a title deed that you and I carry in our hearts and what does the title deed say? Yes that promise of God on my life is yes and amen. He's already done it for me. It's going to happen. I'm going to see it it will be revealed. I will walk in those promises but all that is going to happen tomorrow. How do you know today that it's going to happen because I have faith in my heart. I have a substance in my heart. What is that substance? It's like a title deed. It's just an example. You're not saying that faith is a title deed. It's just an example. In this way I will walk into the promises of God in the future but today I do have something in my heart. What is that? Faith. I have faith and my faith says that God is going to do this. God will accomplish this in my life. God will do this in my church. God will do this in my country. God will do this in the nations of the world. How can you tell? Brother, wake up. How can you tell? I have faith. Faith. Now faith. I carry something in my heart. That is the substance. Isn't it? So yes we don't see the manifestation. Manifestation simply means we don't see these things in reality or in the natural reality but they exist in the spiritual reality and in our hearts we carry the substance. Now faith is the substance. Do you understand what we are trying to say? Okay, so we carry in our hearts a conviction, an assurance, a substance or a support. Something exists. That's how we know that God is going to do this. We're not just simply saying, this is going to happen. That is going to happen. Not simply. We are saying it on the basis of faith. I'm carrying faith in my heart so I know what is coming up because now faith is the substance. I have something to hold on to. You know when there something exists, I told you about the table in the dark. When you touch it, can you feel it? Of course, it exists. You can feel it. It's a table. So even though it may seem sort of invisible to the natural reality, in the spiritual reality, faith is the substance. You can touch it. You can feel it. You can know that it exists. Right? Based on the word of God, based on the promises of God. So that is what faith is and faith comes with that substance or some support that God gives in our hearts. So on the basis of that, we can really journey along with God. So let's keep moving on. We also see another word which is evidence. Okay? Evidence. So it says faith is the evidence of things not seen. So what is evidence? Everyone's been watching some, you know, detective series. So I'm sure you know what evidence means. What is evidence? Proof. That's right. Proof. So the way we look at it is God plants some seeds in our hearts today as a proof that something is going to happen tomorrow. So when we have faith, it is, we said substance. But it is also the evidence. Online class, there was a slight interruption. So the recording went off, but we're back again. And I'll just continue from where I stopped. And I was talking about the fact that faith is also the evidence. Right? So faith is the substance that we carry today. Faith is also the evidence of the things which are unseen and are yet to come. So in this manner, we are kind of getting a picture of what faith really means. Now let's look at the same verse. And in that verse, there is the phrase towards the end which says the things hoped for. The things hoped for. So what does it mean? It simply means that there are some things that we are expecting joyfully from God. Right? Good things which are promised in his word. Good things that God is going to do in our lives. So do we ever hope for something to go wrong or to something to be destroyed? No, we don't. Naturally, we don't. We only hope for good things. And we know that God is a good God. He has good promises over our lives. And the scripture also says that faith, now faith is the substance, the evidence of what things hoped for. Right? So things that we hope for. So the promises of God that bring about an expectation in our heart regarding what God is going to do. Faith is that matter, the spiritual matter that we carry in our hearts. So we must remember that we should be, if we are journeying with God, there needs to be hope in our lives. Isn't it? Because the more we read the word, the more we worship God, the more we obey God, what happens? We receive from the nature of God. And the Bible says that our God in the book of Romans, he's the God of all hope. Okay? He doesn't impart hopelessness, discouragement into our lives. Instead, we receive hope. So hope comes into our being when we know who God is, what he can do. And so the scriptures are connecting our hoping in God along with faith. Right? And it says that faith is that substance, evidence of the things that we hope for, the things which are yet unseen. Why are they unseen? Why are some things still unseen? Any idea why they may be unseen? Because it has not happened in our life. We are talking about having faith. We know that those things will happen. But why are they still unseen? Because it is, we are in the natural and that is in the spiritual. Okay. It needs to come to pass. Okay? He's right. Because these things are in the future. But now what do we have? We have faith. Now we have faith and later we will have the things which we are hoping for. So the things that we are hoping for are ahead of us. They're in the future. But the fact that they exist in the future, right, is evident because of faith that we carry. Faith is the substance. It's the title deed. Today we can show our faith and say, I know God is going to do this. I know, you know, the power of God is going to make this happen based on the substance, the evidence that I carry in my heart today for the things that are going to come up in the future, the things that we hope for. Okay. Then and faith is also a solid foundation and we base our expectation on faith. Now we are going to study and examine faith very thoroughly as we go ahead. But before we get into that, one thing I want to make clear is that faith is a solid foundation. It means that it is not just in my imagination. You know, sometimes we can imagine all kinds of things. Now think about this. If I go up to the terrace of this building and I imagine I'm going to fly. Okay. What would be your advice be to me? No man, please don't jump. You cannot fly. But it is my imagination that I can fly. Right? So I go up to the roof and I jump off. What is the likelihood? Gravity, isn't it? So whatever goes up has to come down. So I don't think I'll be flying with wings. I'll just come straight down and meet the ground. So there are certain things that are just in our imagination and those things are not solid. You got it? But what does the scripture say about faith? Faith is a solid foundation. We will talk about the life of Abraham, how God promised him in his old age and said, you will have a son. You will have a son with your wife and you will have descendants. You will have offspring. You will have a generation. It was unbelievable. How can somebody who's about like 100 year old bear a son. But we will see how Abraham had faith in what God spoke. Faith is solid foundation. Faith is not imagination. So when God speaks to us, that becomes solid foundation. We base our faith on what God is saying. Not what I want. You know, I'm going to be like this. I'm going to be like all that may be my, you know, my own expectation, my own imagination. That is not faith. What is faith? God is saying, God's word is saying. So I'm basing my trust, my believing on what the word says. And when I do that on the basis of what the word says, I have a solid foundation. You understand? So faith is solid foundation. It's not just our imagination. And no faith helps us to hold on to something today. We hold on to something today and you know, it can really drive us when let's, let's take for example Abraham. He did not have any children, but God spoke to him and what did he carry? We are talking about substance evidence, isn't it? Of the things hoped for. So when he did not, he actually did not have children. He had something in his heart and that was faith, isn't it? And with that faith, what was he doing? He was hoping. He was hoping, meaning he was putting his trust in what God was going to do in his life. And so when we read passages about the life of Abraham, we see, he used to look at the stars in the sky. He used to look at the sand on the shore and used to say, Hey, you know, my descendants are going to be so many because that is a hope that he's carrying in his heart. So even today, when we have the hope that these things are going to come to pass in my life based on what God has spoken, we carry, you know, we dream of those things. We look forward to those things actually happening, right? Based on what God has said. So hope again is connected to the faith that we carry in our hearts. And faith is a proof of ownership. I've already discussed that and I've clarified that with all of us. It's like the title deed analogy. And this is, this is how we would assess and sort of get an idea about what faith is. So I just want to pause for a moment in case you have any questions or just comments to discuss about, let's, let's talk about it. And then we will proceed ahead. So far, whatever you've heard, are there any clarifications? Yes, yes. Faith and belief. Okay, faith and belief, are they the same? Are they a little different? That's your point. Okay, so what we are saying is, they come from the same word, same meaning. Faith and belief are very close, the meaning of both the words. But faith is something that you carry, belief is something that you do. Okay, so belief is more of an action. Faith is more of, you know, this exists, sort of a thing. I hope you got my point. So in English, that's why we said faith is a noun and belief is a verb. So faith is, belief is something that we have to do. Yeah, I hope the clarifications, sure. Anything else? Anything else? There's no wrong question. So give it a try if you have any questions or, you know, even from your own experience, if you want to share something, please feel comfortable. We can pass the mic around and online students, you can always unmute and ask your questions, please. All right, so what we'll do is we're kind of coming to the close of this session and I will wait for a little bit more time and probably just stop the session, the recording and we will restart the next recording after 10 minutes. Online students can stay on the same call, you don't have to disconnect. All right, so any questions, any thoughts? Yes, get through it. Please go ahead. Faith also is a gift of the Holy Spirit, right? So when we don't have... Okay, get through it, please give us some more. We are not able to hear you here. We'll just check. Then you're here now. Okay, I'm sorry about that, not able to hear you. So if you don't mind if you could kindly type your question on the chat, I'll answer it, post the break. Yeah, I hope that's okay. Okay. All right. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Let's go in for a break. We'll come back in 10 minutes.