Faith vs. Unbelief
Faith is recognizing God’s will in a given matter and acting upon it.
Definition The Greek word for faith is pistis. It comes from the root word peitho, which means “to be persuaded, to convince by reason, to agree with evidence, to rely with inward certainty, to be confident.” Faith is based on the promises of God, which are so certain that waiting for them is not discouraging, and acting upon them is natural. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).
Why Is Faith So Important? “Without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). • We are justified by faith (made perfect in God’s sight). (See Romans 3:28.)
• We are saved from our sins by faith. (See Ephesians 2:8–9.) • We are sanctified and cleansed by faith. (See Acts 26:18.) • Our hearts are purified by faith. (See Acts 15:9.)
• We have access by faith into God’s grace. (See Romans 5:2.) • We can “move mountains” by faith. (See Matthew 17:20.)
How Do We Get Faith? An initial measure of faith to believe in God is given to every person in the world. Jesus commended the faith of little children by stating, “Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein” (Mark 10:15). Faith for salvation comes by hearing the Word of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17) . After salvation, faith grows as we engraft Scripture and act upon it. Before Scripture was written, the great men and women of faith often heard directly from God. Noah was warned of God to build the ark, and Abraham was called by God to go out of his country. (See Hebrews 11:7–8.)
How Does the Word of God Activate Faith? There are two primary Greek words that describe Scripture which are translated word in the New Testament. The first, logos, refers principally to the total inspired Word of God and to Jesus, Who is the living logos. (See John 1:1.) The second word is rhema; it can describe specific Scripture that the Holy Spirit gives us for personal application. When Jesus
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aith is absolute trust and reliance on the realities we can discern through our spiritual senses. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” —II Corinthians 5:7
“Faith never means gullibility. The man who believes everything is as far from God as the man who refuses to believe anything.” —A.W. Tozer
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aith and obedience are so closely intertwined that you cannot have one without the other.
“Faith and obedience are bound up in the same bundle; he that obeys God trusts God; and he that trusts God —C. H. Spurgeon obeys God.” Faith
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told Peter to cast the fishing nets on the other side of the boat, Peter answered, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word [rhema] I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). Further passages that explain the rhemas of God are as follows. “Faith by its nature must be tried. . . . Faith untried has no character value for the individual.” —Oswald Chambers
• “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [rhema] that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). • “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word [rhema] of God” (Romans 10:17). • “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God” (Ephesians 6:17). • “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word [rhema]” (Ephesians 5:25–26).
Although not equipped with wings, the flying squirrel takes a “leap of faith” each time it glides from branch to branch.
• “If ye abide in me, and my words [rhema] abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).
Personal Evaluation How strong is your faith? • Do you watch for rhemas as you read through Scripture? • Do you memorize and meditate upon the rhemas God gives you? • Do you believe that God is living and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him? • Do you pray in generalities or take specific requests to the Lord? • Do you wait for God’s provision, or do you borrow money for the things you think you should have? • Do you have examples in your life of God working supernaturally through your faith? 86
Faith
The Quality of Faith Varies in Individuals • We can have weak faith or strong faith. (See Romans 4:19–20.) • We can have faith that is tested or untested. (See I Peter 1:7.) • We can have little faith or great faith. (See Matthew 8:10, 26.) • We can be lacking in faith or abounding in faith. (See I Thessalonians 3:10, II Thessalonians 1:3.)
Faith Must Be Expressed in Actions “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:17–18). In God’s Hall of Fame, those who had faith acted upon it. By faith Noah built an ark. By faith Abraham went out from his homeland. By faith Moses rejected the treasures of Egypt and chose to suffer affliction with the children of Israel. (See Hebrews 11.)
Faith Can Be Exercised for the Benefit of Others When a man who was suffering from palsy was brought to Jesus by four of his friends, we are not told about the faith of the man. Rather, we are informed that the faith of his four friends actually caused him to be restored. “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2).