Well before we can discuss promises we have to first understand faith. Faith isn't blind acceptance, that's foolishness. To the lost, God said:
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV)
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Reason: to prove, decide, judge, rebuke, reprove, correct, be right, to be right (i.e. correct), reciprocal, to argue, causatively, to decide, justify or convict
Even Jesus said:
Luke 14:28 (KJV)
For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to finish [it]?
Faith: conviction of the truth of anything, belief, a strong and welcome conviction or belief, belief with the predominate idea of trust (or confidence), the character of one who can be relied on
Faith is literally to be fully persuaded:
Romans 14:5 (KJV)
One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day [alike]. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
How can one be persuaded about anything. Evidence. How many TV shows are there about gathering evidence to see if someone is guilty about something? How many debates are there on Global Warming? So the matter between our ears gathers up evidence from sources we TRUST and based on that information, we form a judgment and we pass that judgment to the heart and if the heart doesn't object, it becomes life to us. It become part of us and it becomes our belief. We own it.
As physical beings we're absolute experts on the physical. I see a water balloon falling, we know right off that when it hits the ground it's going to go SPLAT. We learn all about gravity growing up. ALL our physical experiences are stored up and in a nanosecond we can pass judgement about something before our very eyes - rightly or wrongly - based on our life's experiences.
When it comes to "things not seen" most have murdered their imagination after high school. Some still have it, but when's the last time you laid on the ground and tried to figure out the shapes of clouds flying by?
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is the foundation (the meaning of substance) of... we build up a strong conviction based on the foundation of our experiences. But the word "things" is actually the meaning "that which has been done, a deed, an accomplished fact". So far, the meaning of this verse is:
The strong conviction of an accomplished fact/deed for which we HOPE for, the evidence (a proof, that by which a thing is proved or tested, conviction, verdict) of an accomplished fact/deed not seen (to see, discern, of the bodily eye).
So see, faith isn't blind trust, but trust based on the evidence of an accomplished fact which we cannot see with the eye - meaning the physical.
The world understands this and is indeed 100% part of every motivational speaker. Just how many books, both secular and Christian start with "How to ____ in 21 days." When I was in the military, I really wanted a marksman title. I had been shooting most of my young life, we sighted rifles for our neighbors so I knew a thing or two about guns. I had two chances to get it. The first time I did it I blew it. The instructor asked me, "what do I need to do to get the marksman title?" I replied, "I had to hit the center target with all 60 rounds." He said, so, close your eyes, go through it in your head and SEE the outcome with 60 holes in the center target." I did and I got the title. I knew I could shoot. I knew what needed to be done. I believed and became fully persuaded by seeing the desired outcome in my mind.
Faith is the harmonization of thought, emotions and deep feelings. You brain (thoughts) is your judgement center. Emotions are the feelings being affected by your surroundings. Deep feelings are those down in your heart that are unmovable - right or wrong. If you had a horrendous event with a person named "Frank", every time you hear that name you invoke a strong negative feeling. If you had a loving wonderful mother, every time you hear about your mother, you invoke a strong positive feeling. These are all stored judgements of your brain that was accepted by your heart. This is the who in who you are. When your thoughts, emotions and feelings are in harmony you have faith about something.
Remember something else about faith. Doubt is not the absence of faith. Doubt is the persuasion and deep belief in the evidence that is contrary to faith. Our problem isn't we don't have enough faith, our problem is our attention is on the evidence that proves it's not going to happen. When I have my attention on the evidence that says "I'm never going to get out of this," that's what doubt is. Faith is when I have my eyes on the evidence that says "I'm coming out of this!" This is how one becomes fully persuaded.
That's enough for now. Without this foundation (substance) you'll not understand the promises. Off to bed...
