What is faith?

[Chris†opher Paul]

We often hear about faith.  What is it?  How do you define it?  Is it something that comes from you, or from the Lord? 

Does it simply mean accepting what you can't see, or is it something different, like knowing something that you can't see, but are given the knowledge that it is true, somehow?

 

[Julie]

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

Heb 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him:

Romans 5 
1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(Rom. 10:17) - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Thanks for the scriptures, but I could have just done that myself. I wanted a more theological approach.

 

[Sharky]

faith is something in your heart. It's like trust and belief. If you had a dad who says (forgive my lousy example) 'i'm not going to let anything happen to you' in the middle of a vicious forest full of tigers who are hungry and want your guts for breakfast, usually you put your faith in him that he will protect you. Same with God. You put your faith in him.

There's no way to define faith directly in my opinion. Not on this world at least . Hard to describe for me. My english is not as shiny as it looks .

(i don't know what theological means either)

 

[papakapp]

Originally posted by s0uljah
Thanks for the scriptures, but I could have just done that myself. I wanted a more theological approach.

Are you suggesting there is a more theological approach that quoting bible veses?

If it is long, wordy answers you are looking for, I suggest you go to the christian apologetics forum.

 

[foolsparade]

"trusting" that your conclusions are correct.having faith in a God does exclude one from the possesion of a recognized fact.?

 

[GraftMeIn]

What is Faith?

Faith is...
Jumping out of an airplane, and trusting that your parachute will not fail to open.

Faith is...
Crossing a long bridge over water, and trusting that it will not break as you cross it, even though you cannot see the bottom of the pillars that form it's foundation.

Faith is...
Buying box of cracker jacks, because you want the prize inside, even though you are unable to see if it's realy there.

Faith is...
Waiting for a bus, and trusting it will be on time.

Faith is...
Getting into the shower, and trusting there will be enough hot water, even though can't see how much water is in the hot water tank.

Faith is....
Eating the cookies your Mother baked for you. You didn't see her bake them, but trust they wont contain anything harmful.

Faith is...
Trying a new recipe. You don't know what it will taste like, but you hope it will be good.

Faith is...
Trusting in what is unseen, each time you put faith in something, you put that faith to a test, each time that faith does not fail, the more faith you have in whatever it is.

 

 

[Othniel]

Faith is a deep and consuming knowledge of God's real and constant presence.  It is not emotion and it is not intellectual acceptance, but it is His own Spirit stirring within you, reminding you how fallen you are, and how righteous He is.

Is it from us? Not a chance. It is not the ground which scatters the seed, but the sewer.

Peace to all who seek it,
<><

 

[wogand]

Faith is keeping yourself focused on God especially when you are going through storms.

 

[Rising_Suns]

Originally posted by wogand
Faith is keeping yourself focused on God especially when you are going through storms.

 

Yes, you're faith is tested through rough times...if, at your lowest points in life, you also feel closest to God, then you know you have faith. If you feel closest to God at all times, including the good times, then you know you have great faith..

Put another way, it's one thing to turn to God when everything else goes wrong. It's another to stay focussed on Him when everything is "right". That's when you know your happiness is truly happiness, because it's God blessing you with His thankfullness.

 

[Rising_Suns]

bump

 

[LightBearer]

Here is the best explanation I'v ever seen.

The word “faith” is translated from the Greek pi'stis, primarily conveying the thought of confidence, trust, firm persuasion. Depending on the context, the Greek word may also be understood to mean “faithfulness” or “fidelity.”—1Th 3:7; [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] 2:10.

The Scriptures tell us: “Faith is the assured expectation of things hoped for, the evident demonstration of realities though not beheld.” (Heb 11:1) “Assured expectation” translates the Greek word hy·po'sta·sis. This term is common in ancient papyrus business documents. It conveys the idea of something that underlies visible conditions and guarantees a future possession. In view of this, Moulton and Milligan suggest the rendering: “Faith is the title deed of things hoped for.” (Vocabulary of the Greek Testament, 1963, p. 660) The Greek word e'leg·khos, rendered “evident demonstration,” conveys the idea of bringing forth evidence that demonstrates something, particularly something contrary to what appears to be the case. Thereby this evidence makes clear what has not been discerned before and so refutes what has only appeared to be the case. “The evident demonstration,” or evidence for conviction, is so positive or powerful that faith is said to be it.

Faith is, therefore, the basis for hope and the evidence for conviction concerning unseen realities. The entire body of truths delivered by Jesus Christ and his inspired disciples constitutes the true Christian “faith.” (Joh 18:37; Ga 1:7-9; Ac 6:7; 1Ti 5:8) Christian faith is based on the complete Word of God, including the Hebrew Scriptures, to which Jesus and the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures frequently referred in support of their statements.
Faith is based on concrete evidence. The visible creative works testify to the existence of an invisible Creator. (Ro 1:20) The actual occurrences taking place during the ministry and earthly life of Jesus Christ identify him as the Son of God. (Mt 27:54; see JESUS CHRIST.) God’s record of providing for his earthly creatures serves as a valid basis for believing that he will surely provide for his servants, and his record as a Giver and Restorer of life lends ample evidence to the credibility of the resurrection hope. (Mt 6:26, 30, 33; Ac 17:31; 1Co 15:3-8, 20, 21) Furthermore, the reliability of God’s Word and the accurate fulfillment of its prophecies instill confidence in the realization of all of His promises. (Jos 23:14) Thus, in these many ways, “faith follows the thing heard.”—Ro 10:17; compare Joh 4:7-30, 39-42; Ac 14:8-10.

So faith is not credulity. The person who may ridicule faith usually has faith himself in tried and trusted friends. The scientist has faith in the principles of his branch of science. He bases new experiments on past discoveries and looks for new discoveries on the basis of those things already established as true. Likewise, the farmer prepares his soil and sows the seed, expecting, as in previous years, that the seed will sprout and that the plants will grow as they receive the needed moisture and sunshine. Therefore faith in the stability of the natural laws governing the universe actually constitutes a foundation for man’s plans and activities. Such stability is alluded to by the wise writer of Ecclesiastes: “The sun also has flashed forth, and the sun has set, and it is coming panting to its place where it is going to flash forth. The wind is going to the south, and it is circling around to the north. Round and round it is continually circling, and right back to its circlings the wind is returning. All the winter torrents are going forth to the sea, yet the sea itself is not full. To the place where the winter torrents are going forth, there they are returning so as to go forth.”—Ec 1:5-7.

 

[Duane Morse]

Faith is ignorance.

 

[Job_38]

Faith is pulling the trigger when the enemy is in front of you and and thinking if the bullet ejects.

Faith is witnessing to someone.

 

[Julie]

a more theological approach.
Heb 1:11
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Heb 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him:

Romans 5
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

(Rom. 10:17) - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

I think faith simply means trust. How can you trust something that you don't *know* exists. Once you are in contact with Him, you have faith that he will make everything ok in the end. Trust.

 

[Duane Morse]

But faith in its essence is ignorance, a lack of knowledge.
If you had all knowledge, faith would be unnecessary, and in fact faith could not be in you if you had all knowledge.

When Jesus said that if you had the faith of a mustard seed you could move mountains, what was He telling us?

Was He saying that a little faith is powerful?
Was He implying that more faith would be more powerful?

Faith is your lack of knowledge, so if you have the faith of a mustard seed you would have much knowledge that needs very little faith for belief in the Truth. If you have great faith, as in the faith of a watermelon, then you have very little actual knowledge. Your amount of faith is the difference between your knowledge and ignorance.

God's people die from a lack of knowledge, not from a lack of faith.
We should not want great faith, we should want great knowledge.

But as we can never know everything, we must always have a little faith for the things we can not understand. Faith is and always will be required, even in heaven.

 

[Chris†opher Paul]

Taking pride in our knowledge of the natural world is a sin.

 

[Duane Morse]

I said nothing about taking pride in our knowledge of the natural world.
We were discussing what faith is.
I am speaking of the knowledge of the kingdom, of God, of Gods ways.
And that includes knowledge of this world. This is part of the kingdom of God also. Pride in the knowledge my be a sin, but obtaining knowledge is not.

 

[Pastor N.B.]

Originally posted by s0uljah
We often hear about faith.  What is it?  How do you define it?  Is it something that comes from you, or from the Lord? 

Does it simply mean accepting what you can't see, or is it something different, like knowing something that you can't see, but are given the knowledge that it is true, somehow?

********
Hi,
I am an old timer. This is a great question! Not for a canned quote of scripture, at least not for some.

I suspect that you are talking about before one is born again? Personally speaking, being born again is some beliveing, some faith! You know? God spake, and it stood fast! Do 'i' believe this to be true? Sure do! But did i always believe this? NO! My problem even then, was not wanting to be a Christian & continuing on living like the 'd'evil that i was! (in past tense) Even then, being a lost sinner, i did not want to be a hypocritical professed Christialn.
Why? You tell me??? Like i said before, the seed was long before sown.

So, you might ask what took place? What made the change? Where did this FAITH come from?? If you read Heb. 6:4-5's [POSITIVES ONLY,] you will see what God does to every 'surrendered will'!
My case at least came after i gave up, 'the total will'! Complete total spiritual will suicide. I give up Lord! In my case, i had been taught (Matt. 28:20) what i still hold on to. That 'man liveth by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God' Matt. 4:4.

The 'seed' (Word of God) had been sown. And it took time for me to surender the will to the Everlasting Gospel and the Everlasting Covenant.
And when this was [finally] done, my mind completely changed! My likes & my dis/likes were amazingly changed! FAITH?? I now BELIEVE (FAITH) that when God said it, 'i' believe it, and THAT SETTLES IT WITH ME!

Can you know this type of FAITH? It surely takes FAITH from the other side of conversion! But once a person has been born again, this faith is created! Try 2 Cor. 3:3. You [now] have a new [MASTER] that you LOVE & WORSHIP. You are also, [NOW,] given tools to develope character with! These tools or provisions are found in Phil. 4:13 & Pauls words in 2 Cor. 12:9. And the REASON IS THAT YOU NOW TRUELY LOVE TO KEEP THE NEW MASTER'S COMMANDMENTS! (see John 14:15)

Saul was an evil killer called Saul in Acts 9:1, and a converted saint who BECAME Paul in verse 9! Notice what HAD to take place [FIRST]!
"And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, [WHAT WILL YE HAVE ME TO DO?] That was 'WILL' surrender!

Have got to run... but would love to have told about Peter & what it took for him to have a real FAITH!

P/N/B/