FAITH. What is it?

[TruthMiner]

In the Bible there are two words. One is a noun, one is a verb. In the Greek, there is no such thing as a difference between "belief" and "faith."

What is faith?

Some are led to believe a verse from Hebrews 11 contains a definition of faith. This is because the verse says, "Faith IS...." But this does not constitute a definition. "A banana IS tasty in my mouth." Is this a definition because the word "IS" is there? NO. The Heb 11 verse is not defining faith per se. It is telling you something important about it.

To believe one must have knowledge. We hope the knowledge is a true knowledge and not a false one. We call true knowledge "truth." We only want to believe truth. So we hope our knowledge is the truth.

To believe rightly then, one must have truth.

To believe is to obey truth.

Do you believe this idea? 1 + 1 = 2

Do you obey this idea? 1 + 1 = 2

Same thing. To believe truth is to obey the idea.

However, in Christianity, our truth is not an idea or set of ideas/concepts as in the above illustration. In Christianity, the truth that is the foundation of our saving faith is not a set of ideas such as theological ideas. Our truth is a person himself. Our truth is not a concept about a person, but the person himself. He is not an idea to believe or obey but a person. We know a person relationally here. THIS is our TRUTH, our true knowledge. It is not knowing ABOUT him, but KNOWING HIM. Understand the difference.

"I AM the Way, the TRUTH..."

To believe is to obey truth.

Obey this truth then; obey Christ.

This is our faith.

No one will be saved by believing theological ideas about Jesus to be true, trusting such ideas to be true, or anything of the like. Confess you believe these ideas to be true all you like. It will do your eternal destiny no good. This would amount to a form of Gnosticism. Even the demons believe in such a manner. Even in the Bible they confess he is the Son of God.

Saving faith IS obeying Christ.

Saving faith is DOING.

 

[NPH]

I would have said that faith is our co-operation (and I mean more than mere mental assent) with God's Grace, which seems to agree with what you said.

 

[Yusuf Evans]

Faith is nothing more than trusting in the unseen Lord. Keep your eyes heavenward and your feet moving forward, and that Holy Spirit will guide you.

 

[dennis777]

If i pray BECAUSE Jesus told us to pray, that is Faith.

If I refrain from stealing BECAUSE Jesus forbad us to steal, that is faith.

If I help the poor BECAUSE Jesus told us to help the poor, that is faith.

If I say that I believe the teachings of God (Christ), and my deeds (and life-style) are different from the teachings/commandments of Christ/God, then , I'm not a believer. I'm a hypocrite.

dennis777

 

[Dragons87]

Faith...you know you have it when you have it...

 

[Dondi]

I think faith is belief in action.

You can believe something all you want, but are you willing to act on that belief, that is the question. The list of "faith heroes" in Hebrews 11 all demonstrated their faith in one form or another. Noah built the Ark, Abraham journeyed to Canaan, Sara bore Isaac past age, Abraham offered up Isaac, Isaac blessed Jacob, Joseph gave commandment about his bones, Moses' mother hid him in the bushes, Moses rejected his Egyptian heretage in favor of his Hebrew descent, and so on.

Having faith means that you are willing to go against your natural inclination (and your control of the situation) and let God perform the work, either through you, through others, or through circumstances. And that simply means that you are willing to obey God and trust God for whatever He would have you to do.

 

[CaliforniaJosiah]

In MY opinion...

In the Bible there are two words. One is a noun, one is a verb. In the Greek, there is no such thing as a difference between "belief" and "faith."

What is faith?

Some are led to believe a verse from Hebrews 11 contains a definition of faith. This is because the verse says, "Faith IS...." But this does not constitute a definition. "A banana IS tasty in my mouth." Is this a definition because the word "IS" is there? NO. The Heb 11 verse is not defining faith per se. It is telling you something important about it.

To believe one must have knowledge. We hope the knowledge is a true knowledge and not a false one. We call true knowledge "truth." We only want to believe truth. So we hope our knowledge is the truth.

To believe rightly then, one must have truth.

To believe is to obey truth.

Do you believe this idea? 1 + 1 = 2

Do you obey this idea? 1 + 1 = 2

Same thing. To believe truth is to obey the idea.

However, in Christianity, our truth is not an idea or set of ideas/concepts as in the above illustration. In Christianity, the truth that is the foundation of our saving faith is not a set of ideas such as theological ideas. Our truth is a person himself. Our truth is not a concept about a person, but the person himself. He is not an idea to believe or obey but a person. We know a person relationally here. THIS is our TRUTH, our true knowledge. It is not knowing ABOUT him, but KNOWING HIM. Understand the difference.

"I AM the Way, the TRUTH..."

To believe is to obey truth.

Obey this truth then; obey Christ.

This is our faith.

No one will be saved by believing theological ideas about Jesus to be true, trusting such ideas to be true, or anything of the like. Confess you believe these ideas to be true all you like. It will do your eternal destiny no good. This would amount to a form of Gnosticism. Even the demons believe in such a manner. Even in the Bible they confess he is the Son of God.

Saving faith IS obeying Christ.

Saving faith is DOING.

In MY opinion...


Definition:


Faith can be a noun (in which case it applies to the subject of our faith) or as a verb (in which case it applies to the trust/reliance in that subject).

I'll address it from the standpoint of the verb since that's the use we commonly use.


"Faith" = to trust, to rely.

Especially trust and reliance in something that cannot be empiracally proven. Theologically, to trust and rely on God.



Illustrations...




When I was a kid, I had heart surgery (long story, doesn't matter). It was actually my second such surgery, although the first was when I was a baby and I don't remember that one. Anyway, I was just old enough to know I could die - and what that meant. I actually was okay with that. It had very little to do with heaven (a concept not yet in my heart or head) but with 1 John 4:8, "We rely on the love of God, because God is love."

I remember meeting the surgeon in the hospital - and that he kept calling me by the wrong name (Joseph, I think). I realized, he doesn't know me - much less love me or even care about me. That was powerful. And yet, Mom and Dad told me he was a good doctor and God could use him. I was okay with that... I remember being rolled down the hall, my Mom holding back tears, walking next to me, Dad comforting her. I remember being moved onto the cold, hard table with the huge light above me - although by this time I was already very sleepy - fighting that as best I could.

I didn't know anything about the surgery, I didn't know anything about this surgeon, and clearly he knew nothing about me (not even my name) - or any of the rest of the staff involved in all this. And yet, I entrusted my life. Willingly. And I sooooo remember being okay wih that. I sooooo remember thinking: no matter what, it's okay, God loves me, and all that I love.

While my reliance was active on my part (I placed my life in their hands), there were no "works" on my part involved. There was no "obedience" other than I laid limp and allowed to happen whatever happened.



I'm a physics major in college so I know how planes fly; I understand the principles involved. Still, whenever I board one of those HUGE planes, I am amazed. They are soooooo big and heavy! And inside, they are STUFFED with overweight Americans (probably more so than the engineers planned for), and under them, all their luggage - too much. It's always the same. I look at those wings and that curvature and think, "no way!" And, of course, I don't know the pilot and he doesn't know me (or care). I don't know the flight plan or the weather report. I don't know the mechanics or their reports or when this plane was last overhauled. In fact, I know NOTHING about this particular plan or crew or flight. And I realize that when a plane stops working at 40K feet, well, it means we'll all be meeting Jesus. While the ODDS of that are very small, that means little for this particular flight - this could be that 1% (or whatever). It bothers me not. I board the plane. And as it takes off, as it's going down the runway, I hope to be able to see the wings and sit (passively!) in awe of it all, and then, surprisingly soon, the wheels chirp, and the plane rises - gloriously, and Hawaii is just 5 hours away.



Faith and Knowledge


While there's a relationship here, it's not a causitive or mechanical one, but a relational one. See my two illustrations above.

To insist that faith is the RESULT of knowledge is to deny that those below a certain IQ or age are capable of faith and therefore of salvation. And, IMO, undermines the very nature of faith which is to rest, rely, trust.

I am well aware that I can't "prove" much of anything in my heart. Actually, I "understand" probably LESS today than I did 3 or 4 years ago, more aware of the questions than the answers I have, more aware of mystery. It hasn't impacted my faith at all (if anything, it's increased it).



Faith, works, obedience




Luther said, "Faith is a busy, active thing." Faith changes us - from the inside out, and that reveals itself in genuine, not forced, things. Faith that is just some claim, words we chant, is not faith. Just chanting the right syllables is not faith.

There's two senses in which faith is to be active:

1. Faith causes us to rely, to rest, to trust. To use the airplane illustration above, another person may have the exactly same information (or LACK thereof!!!!) and yet does not board the plane. In his/her case, there is no faith. The irony is that faith, while active, is rest - and therefore passive.

2. Faith is a change in our heart and results in a change in our lives. "By their fruits you will know them." "Faith without works is dead." A good tree bears fruit. But don't press this TOO far! The "transformation" of faith is not complete (this side of heaven), we remain here always incomplete, always saint AND sinner at the same time. And while faith is constant, the opportunities are not. To insist, for example, that there must be tangible good works - helping the little old lady across the street - would be to insist that a baby cannot have faith and therefore cannot be saved. I think the thief on the cross had faith and salvation - as far as I can tell from the text, he did NOTHING after coming to faith. To make works a requirement is to proclaim he went to hell. The principle is sound, but it shouldn't be pressed too far.




MY excellent opinion (LOL)...


See my "testimony" There's a link in the signature line of every one of my posts. I talk more about this there. Especially, read the part about the "Theology of the Cross" (suddenly HUGE to me) that totally relates to this.



Keep the faith! Share the love!



- Josiah



.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

If i pray BECAUSE Jesus told us to pray, that is Faith.

If I refrain from stealing BECAUSE Jesus forbad us to steal, that is faith.

If I help the poor BECAUSE Jesus told us to help the poor, that is faith.

If I say that I believe the teachings of God (Christ), and my deeds (and life-style) are different from the teachings/commandments of Christ/God, then , I'm not a believer. I'm a hypocrite.

dennis777

I agree with 777

 

[SurgeCurrent]

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