Faith
What is Faith
The dictionary says…
faith
/fāTH/
noun
noun: faith
1.
complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
"this restores one's faith in politicians"
2.
strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.
"bereaved people who have shown supreme faith"
The KJV Bible says….
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3Through 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.”
A few examples are….
Hebrews 11:4 “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speakth.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went”. – KJV
These are just a few you will find in the bible.
FAITH THAT YOU HAVE
Each and everyone of you have so much faith, but may not even realize it. Think about things you do everyday.
If you drive a car, you have faith that the on coming traffic will stay on their own side of the road.
If you walk, or ride a bike. You have faith, the cars won’t jump the sidewalk, and run you over.
Even if you stay home all the time, you have faith that the power stays on, so your air-conditioning keeps you cool. Or your heat keeps you warm.
People have so much faith just in everyday things, why is it, that some can’t have Faith in God?
Having Faith in God should be the most important of all.
Some of the most popular verses in the Bible is about Faith.
Like….
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Kjv
This verse and others like it make a strong case for the importance of faith. Not everyone, however, shares the view of those who wrote the preceding statements. H. L. Mencken defined faith as "an illogical belief in the occurrence of the impossible."
Ambrose Bierce said that faith is "belief without evidence, in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel."
George Bernard Shaw said that "people will believe anything that amuses them, gratifies them, or promises some sort of profit."
F.M. Knowles said that "faith is the boast of a man who is too lazy to investigate."
But without Faith, No one can please God.
Like in….
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” – KJV
God is so good, in so many ways, and if you can have Faith in your everyday life. Why not have Faith in God too.
Faith is a condition for the hope of eternal life: And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, (see Num. 21:4-9), even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John. 3:14-16). He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John.3:18; see also John 8:24). – KJV
FAITH IS OBEDIENT
John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – KJV
Does the "belief" of this passage include action (obedience)? Compare this passage with Heb. 5:8-9, which tells us the result of Jesus is being perfected through His obedience in suffering on the cross: he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. John 3:16 says believing results in eternal life. Heb. 5:8-9 says obedience brings the same result. Thus, saving faith is that which acts (obeys).
So we need Faith
Having Faith in God gives you so much more chances to live better, live stronger, live the way God wants you to.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: But you need Faith.” – KJV
A Godly Faith is defined as trust, relying on God when looking to the future, and obeying even when we don't fully understand all details. The great figures of the Old Testament, such as Abraham, Moses, and David, even Noah, all lived according to this type of Faith. That means trusting God's intent to make good on His promises from an eternal perspective. The type of Faith presented by those people, in all of the struggles they faced, ought to inspire others toward a more confident, purposeful Faith.
“It has me.”
Mark 11:22 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” – KJV
Jesus wants All of us to have Faith in Him. If one asks something in prayer then he/she should believe that definitely he/she is going to get it.
Ephesians 6:16 “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” – KJV
We should use Faith as a shield to protect ourselves from the devil’s plan. Trust me. I went on a mission trip, and if it wasn’t for “Faith” I probably wouldn’t be writing this now.
Faith in God will help you everyday, every hour, every minute. The way I see it, you can’t live right without faith. People put faith in Doctors, but did you ask them to see their licenses, or degrees, to make sure they can do the job you need them to do?
Most people don’t think about that, they just have Faith in them. So why not have faith in God?
What does “Faith” mean to you?
Please…..
Below in the comments, please give a brief description of what Faith means to you.
Thank you for reading.
Karen "KC"
Comments
First, I want to say this was a very good read. Great job Karen. Now for your question,
What faith means to me? - -
Faith is having complete trust in someone or something no matter what. It’s not about having hope that something will happen; instead, it’s about knowing that something will happen, because you believe that it will. Faith determines your whole outlook on life. It gives you a reason to live. If you have no faith, you will never have anything to strive for. It is involved with everything in life: from religion to family, to relationships, and even to sports. Faith is the one thing that gives you purpose.
Faith dictates how you view life. With it, faith can make your whole outlook on things positive; but without it, your view will be clouded with negativity. It helps you reach any goal you put your mind to. If you believe that you can achieve something, you will achieve it. On the other hand, if you don’t have faith in yourself, you will never reach those goals. Without it, you would have nothing to look forward to, and life would be an interminable bore. It would be pointless to live a life not having faith.
You have to have faith in yourself in order to do good in whatever you are playing. That does not mean that you have to be conceited and full of yourself. When I play baseball I am not vain, but I do have confidence in myself to make plays. I also have faith in my team. I trust them to make plays and do what they have to do in order for us to succeed. I have faith in my coaches that they will teach and instruct us so we get better and learn from our mistakes. Having faith while playing sports can determine whether you win or lose.
Life is full of faith. Everything you do involves this concept of having complete trust in someone or something no matter what. Whether it be with goals, God, family, relationships, or sports, faith will always be there. It gives you purpose and it determines your whole outlook on life. Without it, your life would be dull and filled with emptiness. Having faith in your life makes living so much better.
Faith is everything in life, but faith in God comes first.
Wow, and Thank you
I really wasn't expecting someone to write a big chapter like you did, but thank you very much, and I agree with you very much.
Godbless
— Lee Strobel
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." – Hebrews 11:1 NASB
The question here is from where did that "assurance" and "conviction" come? I would posit that it comes from the evidence of what we can see. This is why Christianity is not a "blind" faith, but rather a reasonable faith.