Faith

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, 

the conviction of things not seen."

assurance:full confidence; freedom from doubt; certainty

conviction:a fixed or firm belief

The following hymn, words penned by Fanny Crosby, comes to my mind when I think about assurance and conviction. 

Blessed Assurance

1. Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
   Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
   Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
   Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
   • Perfect submission, perfect delight,
     Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
     Angels, descending, bring from above
     Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
   • Perfect submission, all is at rest,
     I in my Savior am happy and blest,
     Watching and waiting, looking above,
     Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
   • refrain:
     This is my story, this is my song,
     Praising my Savior all the day long;
     This is my story, this is my song,
     Praising my Savior all the day long.
     
     

Romans 5:1-11 help explain 

why I have faith

why I have blessed assurance

why I have hope

why I am convinced that I have a story, 

why I am convinced there is a song to sing

Romans 5:1-11

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

This is my story,

This is my song!