Heb. 11:1 — “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
SUBSTANCE, n. [L. substantia, substo; sub and sto, to stand.]
1. Something existing by itself; that which really is or exists;
4. Something real, not imaginary; something solid, not empty.
EVIDENCE, n. [L. evidentia, from video, to see.]
1. That which elucidates and enables the mind to see truth; proof arising from our own perceptions by the senses, or from the testimony of others, or from inductions of reason.
Righteousness by faith is, therefore, the doing of deeds which only in faith bear the evidence of righteousness, — the substance sustaining the hope of something which does not now appear.
For example, if, like Abraham, we do without delay all that God has revealed to us, even though we see ourselves unrighteous as did Isaiah when he saw the Lord (Isa. 6:5), then the moment we repent of, and forsake, our evil deeds, we accept, by faith, the unseen reality that the Lord has cleansed us from them.
At that moment, we stand, in His sight, not in ours, “as white as snow.” Isa. 1:18. This does not mean, however, that we now count ourselves to have reached perfection, and that we are no longer subject to sin, “for a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again.” Prov. 24:16.
To illustrate: there are a man, woman, boy, and girl, who are always well-dressed and immaculately clean. Not that their clothes do not stain, nor ever wear out; they naturally do. That is something that cannot be avoided.
Nevertheless, these persons always keep themselves spotless and clean. But how do they do it? — By simple, ceaseless care: they bathe as often as necessary, wash their clothes as soon as they begin to soil, and mend or replace them without delay.
In like manner is the Christian’s faith kept intact. He studies the Word of God, complies with all its requirements, repents as often as he sins, and arises and keeps in the race.
And if he makes a mistake, he immediately corrects it. Likewise if he offends, he without delay reconciles the offended one. He is not prejudiced. He does not find fault with others, but with himself. He does not criticize a brother for having a mote in his eye; rather, he pulls the beam out of his own eye (Matt. 7:3–5).
He grants liberty of conscience to all, and delights to
Rom. 14:5 – “let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.”
He does not impose his ideas and his standards of living upon others. He never demands confession, but is always ready to confess and to forgive. He
I Cor. 10:33 – “pleases all men in all things, not seeking” his “own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”
In thus complying with the golden rule (Matt. 7:12), by faith he keeps himself spotless while helping others. As a result, Christ freely cleanses him “with the washing of the water by the Word,” and grafts him into the beautiful vine, the church. He does this, that He “might present… to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph. 5:27.
Thus one who lives righteously by faith obtains an eternal reward; whereas “the wicked” falls “into mischief,” and like the praying Pharisee, thinking himself to be righteous, characteristically says:
Luke 18:11 – “God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”
We now live the life of Christ by faith; but in the kingdom— the substance of our hope where “the evidence of things” is seen, we shall live by sight, “for now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face.” I Cor. 13:12.
The life which we now live is a battle and a march; a defeat and a victory; a struggle to overcome. This daily battle between the Spirit of God and the spirit of man, the apostle Paul sets forth, as follows:
Rom. 7:15–25 — “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.”
This inner struggle with self is between our carnal and our spiritual natures.
Certain it is that what we by nature want is not what we really need. Likewise, that which we by nature aim to do, is not what we really need to do. In obtaining righteousness by faith, therefore, we choose to follow the opposite of our carnal minds and our natural desires and wants.
Isa. 55:7 9, 12 — “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts…”
“Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
