We now come to one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. This tells us, largely by example from the Old Testament, what it really means to live by faith.
Faith is knowing that we are going to receive what we have been promised. Now note the context, this is not saying if we believe for something we will receive it. It is saying that if God has promised us something, and we believe it then we will receive it. Moreover, the primary context here is faith for salvation. Faith for salvation is the foundational faith. From time to time God will put faith in our hearts for specific things in specific situations, but faith for salvation is the foundation. And in the examples quoted, the main thing is that the people were all looking for salvation, and believed in that above all else. Some "name it and claim it" type teaching can fall in to error here. Equally, teaching that God will never do anything specific is even more erroneous!
Faith is evidence. How is this so? It is because true faith is based on what God has said He will do. When God speaks, something will happen, there will be a material outworking of what He has said. So when we have faith it is evidence of what is going to happen.
God approves of people who have faith. Earlier I gave a warning about some "name it and claim it" teaching. However, God is more likely to approve of someone who is in some way "over enthusiastic" in believing (not the best way of putting this, but it will have to do), than someone who believes nothing.
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