Unseen Hope - Why You Can"t Believe God For Some Things
There is a popular expression among Christians that sounds good or biblical but is not biblical.
An expression, I believe, even I have used in the past.
The expression is: "I'm believing God for something.
" But often times when we say that we are believing God for something, the something is usually tangible.
Like a car, a house, a job, a mate, etc.
So, it's not uncommon to hear Christians say, "I'm believing God for a car," "I'm believing God for a house," "I'm believing God for a mate," etc.
When Christians say that they are, 'believing God for something' what they are saying is that they are hoping or trusting or even out rightly expecting God to give them what they are believing Him for.
But is God obligated to deliver what we believe Him for, especially if that thing is temporal or perishable?Can one believe God for a car, a house, a job, a mate, etc? Well, Romans 8:24-25 answers this question for us: For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
This verse says that 'hope that is seen is not hope.
' That is, if you can see it (with your natural eyes) you don't have to hope (or believe God) for it.
So, since a car, a house, a job, a mate, etc.
, fall under the category of things that we can see with the physical eyes, they also automatically fall under the category of the things we cannot and should not 'believe God for.
' But you say, "Yeah, but if I don't have it yet, doesn't that mean that I can't see it yet? Therefore, it's alright to believe God for it until I have it.
For instance, if I don't have what I'm hoping for yet, then I can't see it.
Not until I have it do I see it.
" The passage above didn't say that if you don't have it yet, even though your version of the Bible may say have.
More on this point in the second article: What You See is Not What You Have.
Rather, it says that if you can see it, i.
e.
visible to the naked eye, or even so, perceived by human sensory organs, you don't have to hope for it.
So, if you can see, touch, taste, smell and/or hear it it's not something you should believe God for.
Perhaps, you say again, "Okay, but the verse above says hope not believe.
" True.
But look up the word believe or belief, and see if it's used anywhere in the Bible as it relates to things or something within the ability of Man.
It is always used regarding the spiritual or supernatural, i.
e.
, outside human realm or ability.
Now, I can somewhat understand why we tend to hope or believe God for something tangible.
After all, we are human; and we live in a material world.
So, all we know and can relate to is the physical.
But where the problem lies is when we tend to transfer that understanding to how we relate to God; where we are always thinking about tangible or perishable things and not spiritual or eternal things.
But that's not biblical hope.
Biblical hope refers to something spiritual or eternal, not something natural or earthly.
That is, something everlasting and not temporal.
For instance, we hope for heaven, God, eternal life, Jesus - the unseen.
So, biblical hope is based on the unseen, not in the seen.
That's why Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:17 that "...
the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
" Therefore, biblical hope is hope in God, not hope for things.
That is, you believe God, period! Not believe God for something.
Consequently, the word hope in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, is used in relation to God or spiritual things.
For instance, you'll see phrases like: "Hope of salvation," Hope of glory," "Hope of the Gospel," "Hope of righteousness," "Hope of the promise (of God), "Hope of eternal life," etc.
Never is hope used in relation to money or tangible things.
Hope is always in the Lord or God - the unseen! Now, because hope is in God or the Lord, and not on things, you can ALWAYS expect what you hope for, especially if it's spiritual and unseen! For instance, salvation or eternal life.
So, if you believe God for salvation, you can be sure to get it.
For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
" -- Romans 10:13 But if you hope or believe God for a car, a house, a job, a mate, a child, etc.
, you may or may not get it.
God is not obligated to give you what you want just because you believe Him for it.
He is not obligated to deliver, especially when what you believe Him for has no eternal value whatsoever.
God is not obligated to your belief.
He is obligated to His Word.
He is not obligated to earthly, perishable things.
But to heavenly, eternal things.
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
" - 1 John 5:14 I don't know how we came about the expression.
But you'll never find anywhere in the Bible where anyone believed God for something, especially something earthly or perishable.
People either believed God - period.
Or they didn't.
The Old Testament Patriarchs mentioned in Hebrews 11 just believed God.
They didn't believe Him for something.
They just believed Him! For instance, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3).
God's obligation to mankind is not to provide for his whims and caprices.
In other words, God is not obligated to provide for Man what Man can provide for himself, like cars, houses, jobs, mates, etc.
Rather, God's obligation to mankind is to provide what he cannot provide for himself -- things outside the physical realm.
Like salvation, righteousness, holiness, etc.
God operates outside the realm of Man.
That is, outside human limitations.
Therefore, if Man can do it, God doesn't have to do it.
God's ability begins where Man's ability stops.
Put another way, you really do not need God for anything you can get in the natural or even so, what unbelievers (who don't know or acknowledge God) can get also.
If you do, then unbelievers won't have such things.
When God made the universe, He made sure that it was self-sustaining; so much so that it does not need Him to continue or thrive.
He finished the work, i.
e.
, completed it, such that it could continue on its own.
Therefore, every thing in the natural realm is available to both the just and unjust.
To both sinners and saints.
That is why "...
He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
" Matthew 5:45 Anything unbelievers have access to you don't have to believe God for! It's in the earth realm for you to obtain.
You can get it, the same way unbelievers get it.
If it is a car or a house, you save to buy one.
Or make your credit good enough to get a loan.
If it's a job, do all it takes to qualify, then apply for the job.
If it is a mate, work on yourself on becoming Mr.
or Miss Right, and the right mate will come along at the right time.
Now, does that mean that you don't have to seek God's guidance in order to get these material things?No! You still seek His guidance to make the right decision, which is different from believing Him for these things.
When we say that we 'believe God for something,' we are saying that we expect God to do those things for us.
But when we seek His guidance about an area, we are looking up to Him to help us make the right decision or lead us on the right path, so that we may remain in His will.
So, seeking God for guidance is different from believing God for something.
Seeking God for guidance is simply not leaning on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all our ways, so that He may direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Needless to say, for too long, we Christians have cheapened the things of God to tangible, material and perishable things.
It's about time we stopped that.
There's more to God than material things.
God didn't save you to give you what money can buy.
Neither did He save you with perishable things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:18-19) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure - 1 John 3:3 To be continued...
For the other half of the story read What You See is Not What You Have.
An expression, I believe, even I have used in the past.
The expression is: "I'm believing God for something.
" But often times when we say that we are believing God for something, the something is usually tangible.
Like a car, a house, a job, a mate, etc.
So, it's not uncommon to hear Christians say, "I'm believing God for a car," "I'm believing God for a house," "I'm believing God for a mate," etc.
When Christians say that they are, 'believing God for something' what they are saying is that they are hoping or trusting or even out rightly expecting God to give them what they are believing Him for.
But is God obligated to deliver what we believe Him for, especially if that thing is temporal or perishable?Can one believe God for a car, a house, a job, a mate, etc? Well, Romans 8:24-25 answers this question for us: For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
This verse says that 'hope that is seen is not hope.
' That is, if you can see it (with your natural eyes) you don't have to hope (or believe God) for it.
So, since a car, a house, a job, a mate, etc.
, fall under the category of things that we can see with the physical eyes, they also automatically fall under the category of the things we cannot and should not 'believe God for.
' But you say, "Yeah, but if I don't have it yet, doesn't that mean that I can't see it yet? Therefore, it's alright to believe God for it until I have it.
For instance, if I don't have what I'm hoping for yet, then I can't see it.
Not until I have it do I see it.
" The passage above didn't say that if you don't have it yet, even though your version of the Bible may say have.
More on this point in the second article: What You See is Not What You Have.
Rather, it says that if you can see it, i.
e.
visible to the naked eye, or even so, perceived by human sensory organs, you don't have to hope for it.
So, if you can see, touch, taste, smell and/or hear it it's not something you should believe God for.
Perhaps, you say again, "Okay, but the verse above says hope not believe.
" True.
But look up the word believe or belief, and see if it's used anywhere in the Bible as it relates to things or something within the ability of Man.
It is always used regarding the spiritual or supernatural, i.
e.
, outside human realm or ability.
Now, I can somewhat understand why we tend to hope or believe God for something tangible.
After all, we are human; and we live in a material world.
So, all we know and can relate to is the physical.
But where the problem lies is when we tend to transfer that understanding to how we relate to God; where we are always thinking about tangible or perishable things and not spiritual or eternal things.
But that's not biblical hope.
Biblical hope refers to something spiritual or eternal, not something natural or earthly.
That is, something everlasting and not temporal.
For instance, we hope for heaven, God, eternal life, Jesus - the unseen.
So, biblical hope is based on the unseen, not in the seen.
That's why Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 14:17 that "...
the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
" Therefore, biblical hope is hope in God, not hope for things.
That is, you believe God, period! Not believe God for something.
Consequently, the word hope in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, is used in relation to God or spiritual things.
For instance, you'll see phrases like: "Hope of salvation," Hope of glory," "Hope of the Gospel," "Hope of righteousness," "Hope of the promise (of God), "Hope of eternal life," etc.
Never is hope used in relation to money or tangible things.
Hope is always in the Lord or God - the unseen! Now, because hope is in God or the Lord, and not on things, you can ALWAYS expect what you hope for, especially if it's spiritual and unseen! For instance, salvation or eternal life.
So, if you believe God for salvation, you can be sure to get it.
For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
" -- Romans 10:13 But if you hope or believe God for a car, a house, a job, a mate, a child, etc.
, you may or may not get it.
God is not obligated to give you what you want just because you believe Him for it.
He is not obligated to deliver, especially when what you believe Him for has no eternal value whatsoever.
God is not obligated to your belief.
He is obligated to His Word.
He is not obligated to earthly, perishable things.
But to heavenly, eternal things.
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
" - 1 John 5:14 I don't know how we came about the expression.
But you'll never find anywhere in the Bible where anyone believed God for something, especially something earthly or perishable.
People either believed God - period.
Or they didn't.
The Old Testament Patriarchs mentioned in Hebrews 11 just believed God.
They didn't believe Him for something.
They just believed Him! For instance, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3).
God's obligation to mankind is not to provide for his whims and caprices.
In other words, God is not obligated to provide for Man what Man can provide for himself, like cars, houses, jobs, mates, etc.
Rather, God's obligation to mankind is to provide what he cannot provide for himself -- things outside the physical realm.
Like salvation, righteousness, holiness, etc.
God operates outside the realm of Man.
That is, outside human limitations.
Therefore, if Man can do it, God doesn't have to do it.
God's ability begins where Man's ability stops.
Put another way, you really do not need God for anything you can get in the natural or even so, what unbelievers (who don't know or acknowledge God) can get also.
If you do, then unbelievers won't have such things.
When God made the universe, He made sure that it was self-sustaining; so much so that it does not need Him to continue or thrive.
He finished the work, i.
e.
, completed it, such that it could continue on its own.
Therefore, every thing in the natural realm is available to both the just and unjust.
To both sinners and saints.
That is why "...
He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
" Matthew 5:45 Anything unbelievers have access to you don't have to believe God for! It's in the earth realm for you to obtain.
You can get it, the same way unbelievers get it.
If it is a car or a house, you save to buy one.
Or make your credit good enough to get a loan.
If it's a job, do all it takes to qualify, then apply for the job.
If it is a mate, work on yourself on becoming Mr.
or Miss Right, and the right mate will come along at the right time.
Now, does that mean that you don't have to seek God's guidance in order to get these material things?No! You still seek His guidance to make the right decision, which is different from believing Him for these things.
When we say that we 'believe God for something,' we are saying that we expect God to do those things for us.
But when we seek His guidance about an area, we are looking up to Him to help us make the right decision or lead us on the right path, so that we may remain in His will.
So, seeking God for guidance is different from believing God for something.
Seeking God for guidance is simply not leaning on our own understanding, but acknowledging Him in all our ways, so that He may direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Needless to say, for too long, we Christians have cheapened the things of God to tangible, material and perishable things.
It's about time we stopped that.
There's more to God than material things.
God didn't save you to give you what money can buy.
Neither did He save you with perishable things, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:18-19) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure - 1 John 3:3 To be continued...
For the other half of the story read What You See is Not What You Have.
Source...