What is Faith?

            What is faith? Much is said about faith in the world today. “If you are going to be able to get through a crisis you must have faith?” “You must have faith to believe that America will survive what it is encountering today.” “Stand on faith and you will be strong.” These are but a few sayings that we hear today. However, there is one very important ingredient left out of the equation: Faith in who or what?

Are we to have faith in our fellow man? Man has continuously fallen into corruption and continues to take advantage of the less fortunate. It is not difficult to watch the news and discover that yet another power is taking advantage of unfortunate people.

Should we have faith in the government? Governments are full of men and women who are as corrupt as the previously mentioned individuals. America, for example, seems to produce men and women who seek to make America a better place to live. They seem to get into an office seeking to serve the people by whom they were elected. Nevertheless, the allure of the office soon turns to power and they forget the very people they claim to serve.  They remain in the “Glass Capital” and lose track of common individuals who make up America.

Faith has no power if one only has faith in Faith.

            Maybe we should have faith in the preachers. After all, they are called men of God who seek to serve him with all of their heart. Surely they would not lead anyone astray. Unfortunately, they too are men and tend to forget the calling in which God has placed on them. And even if they remember, their congregations are made up of people who are subject to failure and degradation.

As stated above, Hebrews says that faith is “substance.” Many look at faith as something that cannot be grasped; something that cannot be possessed. It is merely a comfort that men and women have to get them through a struggle or a hope for something they are seeking. The reality is that is true if you are only having faith in faith itself. Faith holds no answers. Faith does not give comfort. Faith does not solve problems. Faith on its own is merely a word. It is a crutch to rest on one’s shortcomings.

However, the Bible speaks of faith as “substance.” How can that be? Isn’t faith just a hope that one cannot be sure of? Perhaps it is best to go to the Word and discover what is told to us from the Author of Faith, Jesus Christ.

My purpose in writing this book is simple. The other day I was reading Facebook and there was someone testifying that there have been testimonies of people being raised from the dead in South America. Of course, there were many comments that followed, but one caught my attention in particular. One young man said that all of the miracles stopped with the death of the last Apostle. God could no longer do miracles in our time, or he chooses not to. Therefore, my purpose is to ask you to look at God’s Word with an open mind. Come to him knowing that God is still the same yesterday, today and forever.

Basically, what most people who don’t believe in miracles are saying is, “I have never seen a miracle, therefore they do not exist.” The arrogance of such a statement might be obvious, but most likely most people don’t know how or where to look.

As we look at faith and its role in the life of the Christian, perhaps you might begin to understand that there is more to faith than simply believing there is an almighty God. Faith is all encompassing in the life of a Christian. Faith must fill every aspect of the follower of Jesus Christ.

Faith is truly the substance we stand on to know that we have a loving Savior who cares about every facet of the life we lead on this earth and to guide us to the life we will live with him throughout eternity.

Chapter eleven of Hebrews begins with “Now.” It was written to Jews who were considering turning away from the faith. This chapter is a continuation of the previous chapters which explain that Christ is better than Judaism.

The author was writing to those who had “been in the church,” but had not accepted a relationship with Christ. They were simply testing the waters of Jesus and trying to decide if they should devote their life to him. The author of Hebrews says they had even gone through persecution (Hebrews 10:32-34). However, the author makes it clear if they do not persevere it will prove that they were not saved. The author of Hebrews is encouraging them to make the final step and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

1 John 2:19 says, “  They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” In other words, if they had been saved they would not have left. But they were not saved so they left. Even though they were in the church, they did not have a relationship with Christ.