Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. The two key words here are sure and certain.
Faith is about being sure and certain of something.
But something else is associated with faith. That something else is a promise. You can be sure and certain because of God's promises in His Word. You can be sure and confident that God will do exactly what He promised. And that is the essence of faith.