What is Faith?
The Unseen Force of Belief
A Measure of Faith
Where do you place your Godly faith? How much faith do you have? Do you have any faith at all?
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)
Mark Twain once said, “faith is the conviction that God will always do what He promises to do, regardless of the circumstances.”
Evidence of Faith
If you believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, you must possess a measure of Godly faith in knowing God exists. You may not be able to see God in front of you, but the evidence is all around you. You cannot deny the results of His handiwork.
This Earth, with all its complexity, travels around the sun. This sun travels around the galaxy, which in turn travels through the vastness of space. With all of this knowledge, we have accumulated about our world and all the space around us. Not one person has been able to prove how we as a race came into existence.
There is the theory of evolution, which is taught as fact, but theories are not facts. Theories bear the burden of definitive proof.
Belief In Things Yet To Come
Faith is not wishful thinking in something that will never come true. Faith is a belief in things that are yet to come; for example:
Noah Built by Godly Faith
Noah, by Godly faith, built an ark. He believed in the Spirit of God and His Word, and through this faith, saved his family and all the animals God directed two by two.
Abraham Followed in Faith
Abraham believed in God; by faith, he led his family to a distant land, not knowing his destination. In faith, he believed God’s word that he would be the patriarch of a great nation. His offspring would be more numerous than the grains of sand. Now I may add that both Abraham and his wife Sarah were well beyond childbearing years; however, Isaac was born, and his offspring led to the great nation of Isreal.
Joseph was Strengthened by Faith
Young Joseph was sold into slavery and falsely imprisoned. His faith in God strengthened him to endure through this tragedy, which eventually lifted Joseph to second in command of the entire Egyptian nation. Keeping his faith in God, Joseph saved the land, his family, and his nation from famine and starvation.
Moses Led by Faith
Moses was a man raised within the Egyptian ruling aristocracy. In faith, his parents placed him in a basket. In faith, he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. In faith, Moses’ mother was hired to be his nanny. He could have been called the son of Phoaroes’ daughter. However, in Godly faith, he followed God’s word and led the Hebrews out of Egyptian bondage.
A Centurion’s Faith in Jesus
A Roman centurion, a pagan by birth, a man whose very job was to subject the Jewish people under Roman rule, amazed Jesus. He sent an elder to ask Jesus if He would save a servant from death, now this servant was Jewish and helped build the town’s synagogue. The centurion also stated that he was not worthy of having Jesus come under his roof and all He (Jesus) had to do was say the word, and his servant would be healed. The same way this centurion would command other Roman soldiers and say, “Do this…” and someone would do it. This Gentile, this pagan Roman soldier, understood the meaning of faith and believed without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus had the power to heal this man.
These examples demonstrate faith, a belief that God can and will do what He promises to do. These people believed in God, the Roman soldier believed in the power of God in Jesus.
Faith Yet To Come
The Holy Spirit does His work in you through faith. As your faith strengthens, your discernment of God improves; just believe.
The Bible is full of old testament prophesies that have come true. However, many prophecies have yet to happen. In faith, you will realize, if you don’t know already that God’s plans are true, that Jesus is the Son of God, and He will return for the faithful, for you, if you believe.
What faith will Jesus find in you? If you doubt it’s ok, that means you’re curious, and there’s room to grow. Please continue reading, “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” The Bible is the true source of knowledge regarding God. Study this book. Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, your insight into Him will increase. Your understanding will grow, and your faith in our Risen Saviour will strengthen in your heart if you allow it.
The Bible was written by God, penned by faithful men led by the Holy Spirit so that humanity can study Him. This book is for our benefit, not God’s. Many people have tried to disprove the Bible and turned, in faith, to Christ as a result.
What faith will Jesus find in you? When the day of judgment comes, what will He find in your heart? The answer is totally up to you. There is an open invitation from God to you. The Bible is right there, wipe off the dust, crack the cover, and allow the Holy Spirit to teach you about Him. Let Him grow your faith in God. Why? God made you, Jesus Saved you, and the Holy Spirit is calling you; if you believe. Again, why? Because you are loved.