What is Faith?

One of the most widely misunderstood/mistaught things in the western church today is this thing called faith.

What is this faith? Is it really just 'belief' or 'trust' as we all have been taught? I would assert that it is not... and here's why.

I have heard the analogy of sitting in a chair used a 1000 times to describe 'faith' in that until you actually sit in that chair you have no way of knowing whether or not it will support your weight. So therefore you exercise 'faith' in that moment just before you actually do sit in that chair and then you find out quickly if you were correct in your 'faith' or not.

I would disagree that this is the same type of 'faith' that is being described in the scriptures because typically when you sit in a chair (especially one you are unfamiliar with), you use your eyes to check out that chair as you are deciding whether or not you are going to sit in it. You are processing and evaluating the decision based on sensory data and experiential data from your memory banks which you have collected over time as you approach that chair. You may not be aware of the process, but you ARE doing it.

However, when we look at the faith that is described in the Word, we see something totally different... and it has NOTHING to do with natural sensory data at all. 

First of all, how do we get this faith? Look with me at Rom 10:17
"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." It is important to notice that this type of faith does NOT come FROM the Word of God. It comes from HEARING... and this HEARING is what comes from the Word of God. It is also important to notice that, contrary to popular teaching today, faith is not just dropped or deposited in you by God directly... so praying and asking for faith, or for God to increase your faith is NOT going to result in getting, or getting more of this faith!

Now let's look at this verse in Heb 11:1... "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Notice that this FAITH is the substance of (or literally... 'that which makes up') things HOPED for. So what happens in this equation if there is no HOPE? FAITH has nothing to direct it... it doesn't know what to 'make up' so it will be idle. So then HOPE is like a set of plans, blueprints, or set of instructions that direct the FAITH on what to bring to pass (or 'make up') in the natural world.

And this is exactly what I believe the HEARING is from the previous verse we looked at in Romans 10:17... allowing the scriptures to generate hope in us... and then along with believing them... we step out and live life KNOWING that what we are hoping for is TRULY a reality and this FAITH is birthed within us to bring to pass those things that we have been HOPING and believing for! And all of this WITHOUT seeing anything or being able to rationally or naturally evaluate anything until that moment that it is already manifested into reality.

Only by spending time in the Word of God and letting the Holy Spirit really speak that Word into your heart and truly HEARING, believing and allowing it to birth a strong HOPE in you... THEN that Word can birth this kind of faith in your heart!

You can CLEARLY see this process happen in  the story of the woman with the issue of blood that touched the hem of Jesus garment and was healed. Read her story in Mark 5:25-34...
25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years,26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. 28 For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 29 Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 32 And He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

33 But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

See in verse 27... she HEARD of Jesus and obviously that generated a LOT of HOPE in her that she could be made well... and it is evident that she BELIEVED what she heard as well because in verse 28 she said to herself that "... if she could just touch the hem of His garment that she would be made well..." and we know how the story ends. She touched the hem of His garment and was healed of her problem! 

But I would call your attention to what Jesus said to her in verse 34, He said, "... daughter, YOUR FAITH has made you well..." it was HER faith the made her well!

Do you see how the scriptures above in Hebrews and Romans paint a clear picture of how this faith is obtained and operated? In order to obtain this GOD KIND OF FAITH we must be constantly in God's Word... hearing and believing what the Holy Spirit is showing us and allowing what we are hearing to birth a strong HOPE inside of us then just stepping out and doing what we have 'heard' in the Word in faith... confident that it is the truth and without any doubting!!

Really meditate on this and ask the Holy Spirit for a revelation of these truths... ask Him to show you how to get that type of FAITH operating in your life DAILY!

If you want some good inspiration, read the whole rest of Hebrews 11... just for a brief look at the amazing potential of having and living in this GOD-KIND of FAITH! But remember... you FIRST have to believe it and then allow it to birth a strong HOPE inside of you so that this GOD KIND of FAITH has something to begin bringing to pass in your life!!

Jesus said in John 14:12...“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."
 Can you believe that? Can you allow that to begin to birth a strong HOPE in you? Just IMAGINE what that would look like... what an awesome thing it would be if we ALL started living like that!

We love you brothers and sisters and pray that the Lord opens the eyes of your heart to the truth of His Word in Jesus' mighty name!