What is faith? We hear the word often in our world today. "Take a leap of faith." "Take it on blind faith." "I will do it in good faith." "Have a little faith." Though we toss the word around it seems so many people have a poor understanding of what faith really is. Saddest of all, many people in our churches barely understand what faith is all about, and we are suppose to be a people of faith.
Often times when you talk to people in the church about faith it is as though faith is an action they did in the past, or a possession they currently have. When asking about faith you will hear a response such as "I placed my faith in Jesus," or "I have faith in God." If you were to press them on that, I am not sure how many would really be able to explain what it is to have faith in God, or to have placed their faith in Jesus. They might equate faith with trust or believing, but there is more to faith than that.
The Bible defines faith in Hebrews 11:1 as "the substance of things hoped for. the evidence of things not seen." Faith is trusting to the point of knowing that the promises are a done deal and living upon that understanding. It is the substance, the Greek word here is hupostasis which was a scientific term used for the physical substances that would be found in liquids, like curds in milk, or sand settling in water. The idea is that this is the tangibles. Faith is the tangible part of hope, the evident part of a belief.
Faith is not just a thing of the past, or possession to be held, but the very way you live your life. James says in James 2:20 "faith without works is dead." Faith that does not produce one to action, is not any kind of faith at all. We do what we believe. Everything we do is done out of faith in one regards or another. If you were told that you were about to be punched you would move or do something hoping to not get hit. Your action is the substance of your hoped for outcome, the evidence of what you believed to be true.
For the Christian we hope for the Salvation God has promised. We hope to stand before the God of heaven and earth and hear Him say "well done my good and faithful servant." If our hope is truly in that, our faith should permeate our lives in every action we do. Everything we do should be for the glory of God. Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians 10:31 "whether therefore you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God."
What are you hoping in today? What do your actions show you to believe? Where is your faith?
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