To meditate on the feelings of faith is difficult. Knowledge can be studied, learned, and passed on. Feelings are different. The Bible says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.” We can know why someone rejoices or weeps but joining them in their feelings of joy and weeping is a different challenge. Feelings can be observed but are hard to pass on to another. Yet, the Catechism teaches that faith is a “sure knowledge” and a “firm confidence” (a feeling, LD 7). In explaining faith, Hebrews 11:1 includes both knowledge and feeling and, remarkably, the focus is on the feelings of faith.

Knowing God’s promises provides the bedrock of faith. Each of the so-called “heroes of faith” has something they “hope for.” Their hope is not shaped by their own imagination, but by God’s revelation. God revealed to Noah that a flood was coming, and he would be saved in an ark. Noah, by faith, knew and held on to the promise of God that he would be saved even though the need for salvation (the flood) was “not yet seen” (v. 7). Faith is promises held.

Similarly, Abraham hoped for the home God promised him (Gen 12). He left, even though he did not know where he was going: no map, no pictures, only God’s promise (v. 8). Furthermore, Abraham willingly offered his son Isaac as a sacri­fice because he had God’s promise that Isaac was the promised son of blessing. Faith is promises held and these promises are the bedrock of faith.

Holding God’s promises without feeling they will be fulfilled is no faith at all. To hold a cheque and not believe in the payment is unbelief in the promissory note. Therefore, Hebrews 11:1, in explaining faith, focusses on the feelings of faith. Faith is the “assurance” and the “conviction” of the fulfillment of promises held. You could even say: faith is the realization of things hoped for and the proving of things unseen. Faith is fulfillment felt. To walk by faith is to confidently walk in the promised, and yet unseen, reality.

Noah felt the heavy reality of the coming flood and so built the ark “in holy fear.” Abraham felt the fulfillment of blessing through Isaac, and so willingly offered Isaac. He reasoned God would raise Isaac back from the dead (v. 19). Faith is promises held and fulfillment felt. The cloud of witnesses that walked by faith acted on a promised reality because they deeply felt fulfillment of the promise.

Where do the feelings of faith come from? They come through a sure knowledge of God’s promises and a deep under­standing of God’s faithfulness. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb 10:23). Feeling God’s promises fulfilled comes through knowing the faithful God who never lets one of his words fail (Josh 21:45). That is why a feeling faith can never be separated from knowledgeable faith.

As we walk by faith in Jesus Christ – let our hearts speak to the depth of our faith. In Jesus Christ, we know that our sins are forgiven. We know that we have peace with God. We know that for those who love God all things work together for good (Rom 8:28). We know that death has no power over us. We know the present is temporary and the best is yet to come. Do we feel the reality of these wonderful truths? Do we live in their unseen reality? If not, look to Jesus even more (Heb 12:1-2); in him all God’s promises are made clear and find fulfillment. As we hold on to promises and feel their fulfilment, our lives will look different, even strange. We live by faith in an unseen reality.

For Further Study⤒🔗

1. Study the stories of Hebrews 11 identifying the promise “held” and what fulfilment “felt” looked like.
2. Is there a part of your hope of faith that does not feel real to you? Why or why not?
3. How does deepening your knowledge of God’s prom­ises and his faithfulness help the assurance of faith?