What is Faith?

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

Faith is defined as “belief and trust in something; firm belief in something for which there is no proof.” We believe that God created the earth in six days. We read the biblical account of creation in Genesis and our faith in the word of God shows us that the world’s “theory” of evolution is false. No one on earth saw God create everything that we see today, but we accept it through faith. 

Hebrews 11:3, “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.”

The world wants to reject the fact that there is a God, that it was He who created everything. They don’t have faith in the scriptures. I have heard it said that the theory of the “big bang” is like a tornado going through a junkyard filled with scrap cars, and with all the vehicle parts flying through the air, somehow they assembled and when the storm stopped, there was a complete, functioning car. Our faith in God realizes that that is just ridiculous! Only God can create life.   

Our faith needs to be placed in God and His teachings, not what the world tells us. We need to believe the Word of God, over the word of man.

Faith will lead to action. In Genesis, God warned Noah that the world was going to be destroyed by the flood. Noah’s faith caused him to build the ark. Imagine building a boat for 100 years! Noah didn’t stop halfway through. Year after year he continued to build, his faith continued to go on. Noah’s faith in God saved himself and his family.

Abraham waited for years for a child, because God had promised him that he would have one some day. But when God asked Abraham to offer his son Isaac on an altar, Abraham’s faith was so strong that he knew that God could raise him back from the dead. “Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence he received him in a figure.” -Hebrews 11:19

Moses was a prince in Egypt. But his faith in God caused him to leave all the riches and treasure that Egypt had to offer him. “By faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.” – Hebrews 11:24-26.

We see the faith of these men, what their faith caused them to do. Noah couldn’t see the flood a hundred years before it happened. His faith in the word of God caused him to undertake an incredible task by building the ark. Just imaging building 450 feet long by 75 ft wide by 43 feet tall(roughly). Imagine building it all by hand! That is what Noah did. 

Faith will cause an action in your life. Faith will cause you to stand up for what is right, and condemn what is wrong. It will be evident in your lives.

Our faith needs to be placed in Jesus, not in the teachings of man. We need to accept through faith everything that is written in the bible. Our faith needs to be strong like the centurion in Matthew 8:5-10, “And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldeth come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”

This centurion’s faith in Christ was so strong that he knew that all Jesus had to do was speak the words, and his servant would be healed. He didn’t need to see it happen. He knew that Jesus would do what He said. “For we walk by faith, not by sight:” -2 Corinthians 5:7

Sometimes our faith will be tested. We need to stand strong in our faith when these times happen. We need to equip the “shield of faith” and resist the devil. 

Ephesians 6:16, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

When our faith is tested, we have the opportunity to defeat any temptation that comes our way. Every time we are tested, our faith becomes stronger.  “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” -James 1:3

Pray to the Lord, that He will continue to increase our faith every day. Pray that others will see our faith in Him, so that their faith can be increased also.

In Christ,

Andrew