Faith: What is it?

[coc333]

What is Faith? Is it a "blind leap in the dark?" Is it believing in something that we can not know? Further, is faith an action or is it a thought?

[Guest]

What is Faith? Is it a "blind leap in the dark?" Is it believing in something that we can not know? Further, is faith an action or is it a thought?

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

[Bro Jim]

Hebrews 11 the faith chapter.
1917 Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Heb 11:391 faithThe essence of faith consists in receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He hath sent, which receives Him as Saviour and Lord, and impels to loving obedience and good works Joh 1:12; Jas 2:14-26. The particular uses of faith give rise to its secondary definitions:

(1) For salvation, faith is personal trust, apart from meritorious works, in the Lord Jesus Christ, as delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification Ro 4:5,23-25.

(2) As used in prayer, faith is the "confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us" 1Jo 5:14-15.

(3) As used in reference to unseen things of which Scripture speaks, faith "gives substance" to them, so that we act upon the conviction of their reality. Heb 11:1-3.

(4) As a working principle in life, the uses of faith are illustrated in Heb 11:1-39.




Copied from Swordseacher.

[John81]

If one reads and studies the Word of God it's clear the idea of "blind faith" isn't what God calls us to. The Bible is filled with all we need to know that God is who He says He is and the way of salvation is clear.

Faith is accepting what God has revealed to us and trusting in His sure promises to us. God doesn't translate us into perfect people upon our being born again in Christ nor does He immediately take us heaven, but He does seal us with His Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit resides in our hearts bearing witness to our salvation and the fact we belong to God in Christ. We can trust God that what He has said is true and in the future we will receive all God has promised for His people.

[no name joe]

People today beleive that faith is merely believing. It is not. For it is written that even Satan believes.

Faith involves action. Faith without works is dead. Can there be faith without works? The answer is a resounding No! The old illustration is that of sitting in a chair. I can believe all day long that a chair will hold me when I sit in it, but until I actually transfer my weight into it, I have no faith. I just have belief.

True faith will be demonstrated by the fruits of the spirit....love, joy, peace patience, goodness, kindess and self control. If we say we have faith, but go on living in the darkness, we lie. Faith involves hearing the call of God on our lives, believing, and acting upon that call.

[HappyChristian]

Great answers! I like the acronym:

Forsaking
All
I
Trust
Him

[Saved IFB]

People today beleive that faith is merely believing. It is not. For it is written that even Satan believes.

Faith involves action. Faith without works is dead. Can there be faith without works? The answer is a resounding No! The old illustration is that of sitting in a chair. I can believe all day long that a chair will hold me when I sit in it, but until I actually transfer my weight into it, I have no faith. I just have belief.

True faith will be demonstrated by the fruits of the spirit....love, joy, peace patience, goodness, kindess and self control. If we say we have faith, but go on living in the darkness, we lie. Faith involves hearing the call of God on our lives, believing, and acting upon that call.

Is not faith and living a certain way two separate issues?

[John81]

Is not faith and living a certain way two separate issues?

Faith comes first, but if one has true faith it will show by the change in their lives away from sin and towards godliness. We are known by our fruits.

[Saved IFB]

Faith comes first, but if one has true faith it will show by the change in their lives away from sin and towards godliness. We are known by our fruits.

Progression...

[no name joe]

Is not faith and living a certain way two separate issues?

One can live in a certain manner without faith.

However, one cannot faith without the faith manifesting itself in works. Faith and works cannot be divorced. Belief and works can be separated, but faith and works cannot be. As James writes, faith without works is dead, it is nothing.

These issues are one and the same. I can say I believe and have faith, but if I do nothing in response to that belief and faith, do I realy believe?

Jesus told the rich young ruler to go sell all of his possessions and then follow him. Jesus knew that to that ruler, riches prevented faith. It was not enough for the rich young ruler to say "I believe" and go back to his wealth. It took belief and action. It took saying "I believe," selling all his possessions and giving them to the poor, and following Christ.

It was not enough for the disciples to say I believe when Jesus issued his call to follow him. They had to leave their fishing nets and act and become fishers of men, following Christ. If they said they believed but stayed at their fishing nets, did they really beleive?

I don't think the two can be separated.

Now, one can clearly act like a believer, and not have faith and not believe. The Pharisees did just that. They had works, but they did not have faith. They were trying to obtain salvation through their own works.

[Guest]

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Here is faith...

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Your hope is in Jesus Christ who you cannot see.

2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

1 Peter 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

John 20:29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

...faith, that is from usward, is only toward Jesus Christ, very God.

Nothing...nothing...nothing else. Edited December 7, 2010 by 1Tim115

[Saved IFB]

So it is not as complicated as some people make it out to be.

[coc333]

Thank you all for your response. While there are one or two points made that I disagree with, most of the answers are good sound answers.

What I wanted to really focus on is 1. faith is not a "blind leap in the dark," 2. faith, at least the faith we read of in the Bible is more than a simple thought but is an action (it is active.) James 2 is discussed and certainly is to the point in this discussion. Faith without works is dead. It isn't enough to simply say that I have faith; one must actually act upon his "faith."

Too many seem to think that faith is believing in something that one can not know. I have faith that God exist; I know that He exist. My faith is based on clear evidence both in the Word of God and in the world/creation around us (Psm 19:1). Too many seem to think that faith excludes works (works of faith not of merit). Merit is excluded obedience is not.

Thank you again for the responses. Faith is a wonderful subject and important study. Maybe I will bring a lesson on faith for Sunday evening.

[1Timothy115]

Thank you all for your response. While there are one or two points made that I disagree with, most of the answers are good sound answers.

What I wanted to really focus on is 1. faith is not a "blind leap in the dark," 2. faith, at least the faith we read of in the Bible is more than a simple thought but is an action (it is active.) James 2 is discussed and certainly is to the point in this discussion. Faith without works is dead. It isn't enough to simply say that I have faith; one must actually act upon his "faith."

Too many seem to think that faith is believing in something that one can not know. I have faith that God exist; I know that He exist. My faith is based on clear evidence both in the Word of God and in the world/creation around us (Psm 19:1). Too many seem to think that faith excludes works (works of faith not of merit). Merit is excluded obedience is not.

Thank you again for the responses. Faith is a wonderful subject and important study. Maybe I will bring a lesson on faith for Sunday evening.

Ah! I see, you're question deals with (1) how the lost perceive we who have faith in Jesus Christ; and (2) what saving faith in Jesus Christ motivates us to do.

I thought you were asking about saving faith.

[coc333]

Ah! I see, you're question deals with (1) how the lost perceive we who have faith in Jesus Christ; and (2) what saving faith in Jesus Christ motivates us to do.

I thought you were asking about saving faith.

My question was about faith.