Day 12: Conviction

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Reflection

It makes me smile to see this verse start with ‘Now’. Faith is something we apply ‘now,’ a living, active force. The first part of this verse sounds softer and gentler to me than the second. ‘Assurance of things hoped for’ feels like something that comes from outside of us, nudging or guiding us into hope. Amazingly, we come to realize that this is exactly what is happening. We know that the Bible teaches that faith comes from outside ourselves by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). 

But conviction feels like something that grows and gathers substance within us. My wife suggested to me that faith grows and adds substance to our conviction of the things not seen, when we live and act in accordance with our faith. The people healed in the Bible who heard Jesus say, ‘Your faith has made you well’ first had to act in the ‘now’ and come to Jesus. When we step out in faith, I believe it adds strength and substance to our conviction and allows us to embrace the things that are not yet seen,

Finally, I’ve come to realize in my own life that faith is the operative power that allows me to believe in my heart that Jesus died on the cross for me and that he rose from the dead, winning a victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil in my life. This was a beginning for my salvation and the foundation for an ever-growing conviction for the unseen things God has planned in my life and in the plan to bring all of God’s kingdom back to life in Christ.

Food for Thought

• Consider that without faith it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6) 
• It appears to me that God, as a good Father, is always interested in encouraging our faith and providing opportunities to strengthen our faith. Consider that everything, even difficult and unwelcome situations in our life, may offer the opportunity to turn to God and respond in faith.
• It may be that God responds more to our faith than our ‘needs’. Reflect on how we can make faith a significant part of our conversation with God about our needs. 
• Remember that God is good for his promises. Consider praying about your needs in faith and from the words and promises of God in the Bible that align with them. With that lens we may find that some of our ‘needs’ are far less important than we might have thought at first. 

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you are the author and perfector of our faith. We give glory to you that you were put to death for our sins and raised for our justification. Like Abraham before us, grant that we grow strong in our faith as we give you glory. Help each of us add substance and strength to the conviction of things we cannot yet see and grant that our firm, convicted faith, be the operative power that allows us to overcome the world.

Holy Spirit, speak assurance to us by the word of God that we hear, so we can name Jesus as the lord of our lives, in the conviction that God has raised him from the dead for our sake. 

Submitted by Rob Moeller