What is Faith?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Faith is one of those concepts that is difficult to define precisely because of its definition. Hebrews 11:1 states "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." There are two main ways the Bible refers to faith. The first is our faith in Jesus Christ and God and the path it gives us to be saved. The second is our faith in ourselves to do what God has placed in our hearts and bring about good works. When we look to the future, we can not be certain of what it may bring, yet we carry with us hope. This is faith. 2 Corinthians reads "For we walk by faith, not by sight." This is a restatement of the previous scripture. Faith is more of a feeling. If we see anything, it is in our hearts, our minds, and our convictions. Faith isn't material.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." What I feel this scripture is saying is that you could have led a life that was very unhealthy and never felt the presence of God before, but in the very moment that you realize your faith in God, you will be saved. You don't need to prove this through your works. Faith is between you and God. The seed of Christianity lies in your faith. Once you have faith, then you will be saved through Jesus Christ.

There are many more scriptures that deal with acts and faith. Put simply Faith will lead to acts. Acts do not prove faith. James 2:24 says "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." The inclusion of the word "alone" is important here. Even though you may have faith in God, it is not acceptable to sit at home without doing anything to affect your world positively. Many people don't go to church at all because they see many other churchgoers attending church under the impression that it's all they have to do to be a "good Christian." The church itself isn't really doing anything for its community and some church members don't exhibit important Christian characteristics, for example,  being loving and forgiving.

The other side of the conversation about faith and works is from Galatians 2:16, which says, "Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." I feel this scripture is addressing non-Christians who do something for their community without faith in God. I know this is a very touchy subject for non-Christians. There are outstanding people in society who are not Christians, but in regards to Christianity, one would also need to have faith in God to be "justified." Until this piece of the puzzle is put into place, the puzzle stays incomplete. As James 2:17 says, " So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." The two go hand in hand. One that truly has faith will have some sort of work. Other scriptures call it "fruit," but we'll save that for another article.

My favorite scripture about faith is from Matthew 17:20 "He said to them, 'Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you." I wish I had this much faith. Could you imagine moving a mountain? I believe it's part of human life to waiver in faith. Get some encouragement from this next scripture. James 1:5-8 states "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
So, how do we get faith? Hebrews 11:1 says "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." Keep studying the bible. Keep praying and seeking spiritual knowledge. God will guide you in your path.

To read more scriptures you can go to:
https://www.openbible.info/topics/faith

For some inspiration, listen to "Faith."
​