1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Faith is not jumping off a cliff into a dark unknown. Faith is stepping onto solid ground. We can be sure of the substance of our faith. Jesus died and rose again! We might have been able to fake the moon landing, as some people believe, but you can’t fake a resurrection. All the evidence demonstrates that Jesus actually lived and died. And all the evidence shows that He rose from that grave three days later. No other explanation makes any sense. When we exercise our faith in Christ then we get a concrete assurance of our hope. The Holy Spirit comes and lives in us and He bears witness with our spirit. Our hope is our place in heaven, a restored relationship with God, forgiveness of sins, eternal life that begins now. Each of these things, and many more, are things that we get when we place our faith in Jesus. We get a down payment of what we will have in heaven that we get to enjoy now. Our relationship with God is restored. We can enjoy intimate fellowship with God moment by moment, just as Adam and Eve did in the Garden. They were aware of His presence as He walked with them there. We can be aware of His intimate presence as we walk through the moments of our lives. We are not alone. He is always with us.
The Arnold Journey 