Now faith is the substance of that which is hoped for, the evidence of accomplished deeds not seen (Hebrews 11:1).
Since hope is based on a promise (Romans 8:24), faith undergirds our hope. If we do not believe a promise someone has made, our actions will not change in response to what they have said. Thus, faith is the essence—or essential basis—of hope. Faith is not rooted in wishful thinking; rather, it is trust in what a person has promised, knowing they will fulfill their word even though the fulfillment of that promise is not yet visible.
Since God cannot lie—for He is not a man that He should lie (Numbers 23:19)—when He declares that He will save us through the death of Christ on behalf of our sins and His resurrection three days later, we can be assured that He will indeed accomplish what He has said. He is the One who calls those things which do not exist as though they did, for He knows the end from the beginning (Romans 4:17; Isaiah 46:10).