Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

WHO OWNS IT?

Have you ever purchased a car on credit? Most of us have. The entire time you are paying on that car, it does not belong to you. Sure, you have the keys. You put gas in it. You get it serviced. You wash and wax it. But it isn’t yours. It belongs to the Finance Company. However, the day you pay that car off you receive a title with your name on it signifying that it is now yours to do with as you see fit. That is a pretty good feeling. No more payments. The car is yours. However, the value of that car has dropped considerably since you purchased it. It is not worth what you paid for it.

The word “assurance” carries that meaning. Our faith in Christ is the “title” we hold for our future glorification. Jesus paid the debt years ago, and we can claim title to it. The difference between our faith and a car title though is that our faith will never rust or be destroyed. Our faith is secure because it is not our faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). We hold the title, but the faith comes from God Himself. And our faith never loses its value. In fact, the longer we hold it, the more valuable it becomes to us, as we grow and grow in our love for Christ.

TEACHING MOMENT

Why don’t you practice this with your child? Christmas is fast approaching. I bet they have already been giving you hints about gifts they want this year. Why not attach a “title” to one of those gifts. You purchased the gift so technically you own it, not them. But by giving it to them you are giving them ownership of it. Write out a title stating that. Explain to them how they did not do anything to deserve the gift, except the simple action of asking. Once they asked, it was given to them freely with no expectation of them “earning” it.

There are so many opportunities for us to “act out” the Scriptures to our kids. I have found through the years that a visual example helps them grasp the truth we are trying to explain. Most children are concrete learners. Nail it down for them with something they can touch and see. I promise they will remember it for years to come.