Faith is defined as belief with strong conviction; firm belief in something for which there may be no tangible proof; complete trust, confidence, reliance, or devotion. Faith is the opposite of doubt.
Webster's New World College Dictionary defines faith as "unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence; unquestioning belief in God, religious tenets."
What Is Faith?
- Faith is the means by which believers come to God and put their trust in Him for salvation.
- God provides believers with the faith needed to believe in Him: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).
- The entire Christian life is lived out on the foundation of faith (Romans 1:17; Galatians 2:20).
Faith Defined
The Bible gives a short definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1:
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
What do we hope for? We hope that God is trustworthy and honors his promises. We can be sure that his promises of salvation, eternal life, and a resurrected body will be ours someday based on who God is.
The second part of this definition acknowledges our problem: God is invisible. We can’t see heaven either. Eternal life, which begins with our individual salvation here on earth, is also something we do not see, but our faith in God makes us certain of these things. Again, we count not on scientific, tangible proof but on the absolute reliability of God’s character.
Where do we learn about the character of God so we can have faith in him? The obvious answer is the Bible, in which God reveals himself fully to his followers. Everything we need to know about God is found there, and it is an accurate, in-depth picture of his nature.
One of the things we learn about God in the Bible is he is incapable of lying. His integrity is perfect; therefore, when he declares the Bible to be true, we can accept that statement, based on God’s character. Many passages in the Bible are difficult to understand, yet Christians accept them because of faith in a trustworthy God.
Why We Need Faith
The Bible is Christianity’s instruction book. It not only tells followers who to have faith in but why we should have faith in him.
In our day-to-day lives, Christians are assailed on every side by doubts. Doubt was the dirty little secret of the apostle Thomas, who had traveled with Jesus Christ for three years, listening to him every day, observing his actions, even watching him raise people from the dead. But when it came to Christ’s resurrection, Thomas demanded touchy-feely proof:
Then (Jesus) said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stopdoubting and believe.”(John 20:27)
Thomas was the Bible’s most famous doubter. On the other side of the coin, in Hebrews chapter 11, the Bible introduces an impressive list of heroic believers from the Old Testament in a passage often called the"Faith Hall of Fame." These men and women and their stories stand out to encourage and challenge our faith.
For believers, faith starts a chain of events that ultimately leads to heaven:
- By faith through God'sgrace, Christians are forgiven. We receive the gift of salvation by faith in thesacrifice of Jesus Christ.
- By trusting wholly in God through faith inJesus Christ, believers are saved from God's judgment of sin and its consequences.
- Finally, by God's grace we go on to become heroes of faith by following the Lord into ever greateradventures in faith.
How to Get Faith
Sadly, one of the great misconceptions in the Christian life is that we can create faith on our own. We can’t.
We struggle to stoke up faith by doing Christian works, by praying more, by reading the Bible more; in other words, by doing, doing, doing. But Scripture says that’s not how we get it:
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Martin Luther, one of the early Christian reformers, insisted faith comes from God working in us and through no other source:
“Ask God to work faith in you, or you will remain forever without faith, no matter what you wish, say or cando.”
Luther and other theologians put great stock in the act of hearing the gospel being preached:
"For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?'So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:16-17,ESV)
That’s why the sermon became the centerpiece of Protestant worship services. The spoken Word of God has supernatural power to build faith in listeners. Corporate worship is vital to fostering faith as the Word of God is preached.
When a distraught father came to Jesus asking for his demon-possessed son to be healed, the man uttered this heartbreaking plea:
“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, ‘I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!’”(Mark 9:24, NIV)
The man knew his faith was weak, but he had sense enough to turn to the right place for help: Jesus.
Faith is the fuel of the Christian life:
"For we live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV).
It is often difficult to see through the fog of this world and beyond the challenges of this life. We cannot always feel God's presence or understand His guidance. It takes faith to find God and faith to keep our eyes on Him so that we persevere until the end (Hebrews 11:13-16).
FAQs
Christian faith is the “assurance of things hoped for” and the “conviction of things not seen.” It means relying on the person, work, and promises of Jesus Christ. That's my simple definition derived from Hebrews 11:1.
What is the meaning of faith according to the Bible? ›
The closest that the Bible comes to offering an exact definition is Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” From this particular passage we see that the central feature of faith is confidence or trust. In the Bible, the object of faith is God and his promises.
What is the best explanation of faith? ›
Biblically, faith is considered a belief and trust in God based on evidence but without total proof. This idea is associated with “taking a leap of faith,” a common English idiom. Among all definitions, faith holds a common theme: trust. Whether you're putting faith in a person, duty or belief, trust is a necessity.
What are the four types of faith? ›
The Bible records four kinds of faith: “little faith, great faith, weak faith and strong faith.” Matthew 16:8 – “Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?”
What does God teach us about faith? ›
The word of God puts it this way: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV). As followers of Christ, we seek to trust and grow in our relationship with him, even though we have never physically seen him.
What did Jesus mean by faith? ›
Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in his Word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel. Receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.
What is the original meaning of faith? ›
The English word faith finds its roots in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) root *bheidh-, signifying concepts of trust, confidence, and persuasion. This root has given rise to various terms across different languages, such as Greek πίστις (pístis), meaning "faith", and Latin fidēs, meaning "trust", "faith", "confidence".
What are the three types of faith in the Bible? ›
I found a great outline to help organize this message ~ three kinds of faith: dead faith, demonic faith, dynamic faith ~ Warren Wiersbe, the man of the outline said: "No man can come to Christ by faith and remain the same, anymore than he can come into contact with a 220-volt wire and remain the same." Faith in Jesus ...
What is the definition of faith in the KJV Bible? ›
[1] Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. [2] For by it the elders obtained a good report. [3] Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
How do we get faith according to the Bible? ›
Scripture consistently teaches that faith is not conjured up by the human will but is a sovereignly granted gift of God. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). And “No one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father” (John 6:65).
The 5 Cs | Eastportbiblechurch. We want to see lives changed for the glory of God. One helpful way to look at this process is through a model called the five C's. The fives C's are the Community, Crowd, Congregation, Committed, and the Core.
What are the 4 P's of faith? ›
The 4 P's - Pray, Participate, Promote, Provide. First Priority is a strategy for students to share the Love and Hope of Jesus Christ with every student in their school before they graduate high school. We connect the CHURCH to the CAMPUS to share CHRIST with students.
What are the three P's of faith? ›
Jesus prevented the demons from revealing who he is, because it is not yet his time (Mark 3:11). Three things, then, for our consideration, as we try to live our lives as Christians, that we can learn from Mark's Gospel: presence, prayer, and patience.
What is a powerful Bible verse for faith? ›
Top Bible Verses about Faith
Luke 1:37 - For nothing will be impossible with God. 2 Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight. Romans 10:17 - So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Hebrews 11:1 - Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
What is the best definition of faith? ›
: belief and trust in and loyalty to God. b. : belief in the doctrines of a religion. c. : firm belief even in the absence of proof.
What is the spiritual meaning of faith? ›
Biblical Definition of Faith
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. Hebrews 11:1 – 3.
What are the three aspects of faith? ›
Three aspects of Faith: In Whom do we believe; what do we believe; and why do we believe?
What is an example of faith? ›
Faith is spiritual proof that things we cannot see or hear do exist and are true. For example, we did not see Jesus die for us or suffer for our sins, but we know through faith that He did.
What does it mean to live by faith? ›
Living by faith means every day, no matter what, you have a quiet confidence that God is good. He is not withholding His goodness from us, but rather He is working out all things together for the good of those who love Him (see Romans 8:28). “You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.” Psalm 119:68.
