Faith Definition Essay

What is faith? Faith can be described in many ways, based on the belief someone has for God. The difficult part when wanting to talk about explaining faith and what we think God brings to our life, is based on what God brought to this world for each of us specifically. Faith can be challenging in an individual's life, because for some they are never sure where they stand with the word "faith". From christianity.about.com, faith was defined as belief with strong conviction; firm belief in something for which there may be no tangible proof; complete trust, confidence, reliance or devotion. Faith is the opposite of doubt. I will prove in this paper that faith is not only about what was defined, but more about what one believes and how one acts on their own faith. There is a lot more to faith than just a strong belief. I would argue that belief of faith consists of three key components; commitment, sacrifice, and belief. Before I explain more about commitment, sacrifice, and belief, I want to see what Christian faith is, and from where it comes, how it may be nurtured, and lastly, how can it impact someone's everyday life. Two versus from 1 John really stand out to me when it comes to Christian faith. In 1 John 5:5 it says, "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." Therefore, stating for whomever is gifted the gift of life shall believe in Jesus, and in doing so you are stated as the son of God. 1 John 5:13 says, "I

Get more content

Definition Of Faith

From the first moment I could remember, I was taught to have faith in what I could not see. I believed Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy, despite the fact that I had never, even once, laid eyes on them. My family has always consistently attended church, so the idea of believing in a God that cannot be seen with the naked eye was something that I just accepted. As I have grown older, I have realized that there is a whole lot more to faith than just simply stating that something has an existence. A general definition of faith is thetrust that one has in a person, place, thing, or idea. When I see someone struggling to complete a task that they have been assigned, I would normally say, "You can do it. I have faith in you." This...show more content...

There are families every day who endure horrible situations like divorce, bankruptcy, death, poverty, and disease. My own family has experienced a great deal of hardship and heartache, especially in the past year. A year ago I was living in the house that I grew up in, my family was complete, and the biggest problem I had was figuring out how I was going to pass Chemistry I. Now I live in an apartment, my mom is out of the picture, and I care more about being strong for my family than passing my classes with the grades I desire. My life literally changed completely overnight, and, for a while, I believed that my life was falling apart. Needless to say, my life actually fell into place. The emotional, and even the physical, health of my family has greatly improved. My family is happier now than we ever were before, and the catastrophe that my family experienced was a giant lesson in faith. To my family, faith means that God is in control, and that everything will be ok. I know for sure now that God has a plan and that no matter what happens, His Will will be Get more content

What is faith? Faith is something different to everyone. If you asked a hundred different people, it is possible that you would get many diverse answers. Religious faith and non–religious faith are two very distinct terms. Faith holds an extremely complex meaning when discussing it in the context of religion. Faith is a belief. That holds true to every religious and non–religious person. Every faith involves a decision. It is not about what we claim to believe, but what we actually do believe, that is true faith. Throughout this paper, I am going to discuss Christian faith, how it pertains to daily life and Christianity as a whole. I also intend to delve into George W. Forell's discussion of Christian faith and analyze and...show more content...

You can not have religion without faith. George W. Forell states that "faith is universal," (Forell 1). By this Forell is saying that everyone has some sort of belief, they believe in something or somebody. Forell is not limiting this belief to God, or gods for that matter, he simply means that all humans believe in something– money, or education, or the general goodness of mankind. Forell goes on to also describe Christian faith; "Classical Protestantism asserts that God wants fellowship with man and that if we trust completely in Jesus Christ and his work we will have communion with God. This complete and utter trust in Jesus Christ is faith," (Forell 19). I tend to side with George W. Forell and his explanation of Christian faith.

Christian faith has an implication of love. It is strictly a personal act. The "agape" that exists between the lord and all of his creations is manifested into each religion's faith. This agape is the respect, connection, and intellectual virtue that exist between men and women and their belief in God. Faith can also be thought of as a perception. It is not a conclusion or a proof; "it is not an explanation of the world, an argument from causality, an apologetic of creation," (Chenu 2). Faith is neither black or

Get more content

Everyone lives by faith. Even the atheist. It is an inescapable reality of life on planet earth.

We must all live by faith because none of us knows everything. Were we all–knowing, as the Bible declares God to be, faith would be quite unnecessary. Faith addresses things we believe but do not absolutely know to be true.Faith is inextricably woven into the fabric of our daily lives. In May of 2000 my wife, daughter, and I boarded a Boeing 777 and flew for over 12 hours twice (to and from Japan) with a belief that the plane would safely reach our respective destinations. In business we sign contracts making long–term financial commitments with a belief that we will be able to pay or get paid, depending upon which side of the deal we stand. We buy advance tickets to concerts, plays, and sporting events with the belief that we will be well and otherwise able to attend.

Faith is no longer an issue once I have stepped into the terminal at the destination airport; then I know. I need no faith when the contract is completed; then I know I have given or received what was expected. Faith is no longer an issue once the concert or the game is over; then I know whether or not I got my money's worth.

We can be so confident of faith issues, have amassed such subjectively strong supportive evidence, that we would say we "know" such and such. I do. For instance, I could be heard saying "I know there is a God." When I make such a statement, however, I don't mean that this reality has such Get more content

A Leap of Faith

Tiffany Evans Cross

ENG1340–PO51

9 March 2011

"A Leap of Faith" Everyone in the world has faith in something or someone whether it's God, themselves, or material objects. Do they even know what faith is? According to Webster's New World Dictionary, the definition is, in a nut shell, "unquestioningbelief and complete trust." With that said it broadens the idea of faith. I believe faith is an absolute belief in someone or something. Now let us explore what the basic concept of what faith is not. Faith is not mistrust or doubt. So although you may believe someone is telling the truth, the fact of the matter is that you really do not have faith in them if you have the slightest doubt in the back of your head that they are lying....show more content... Going out on a limb is like the perfect metaphor for faith with all the basic concepts included: trust, belief, and commitment. Faith is the absolute belief in someone or something. Friendship, a religious belief, or just your everyday court trial can show some sense of what faith really is. What faith isn't, however, is mistrust or doubt. Once one of these attributes enters your friendship or the way you feel about your religion, it takes time to get it straightened out again. Faith is going out on a limb and fully trusting in whatever it is you have faith in.

Works Cited

Webster's New World Dictionary. 4th ed. Michael Agnes Ohio: Wiley, 2002.

Get more content

What is faith and does it really work? People rely on faith for things hoped for, but have not yet received. Faith is commonly associated with religion. Faith is embracing the unknown. Faith gives people hope and courage. People encourage others with faith. People get on bending knee and pray with faith. Faith can be someone's first name. Faith gives help through hard times. Faith is not tangible. Faith is in people's heart. Faith is hoping for a better world. Faith is touching someone's heart. Faith is a promise for a better tomorrow. Faith is difficult to define, yet people rely on faith every day. According to Webster's online dictionary faith is, "complete trust and confidence in someone or something." Faith is trust, courage, and assurance...show more content...

Adolescents and adults face difficult challenges. Family, sports, illness, and even death can question our faith time to time. Faith can give a person courage. "Let your faith be bigger than your fears." Courage is a feeling inspired by faith. Courage is a spark of hope and belief to challenge what to overcome. "A leap of faith" is a term used when presented a challenge. To embrace faith can give evidence and trust that they received what they asked for. Real faith is more than just believing in something. Real faith includes acting on that faith. To have faith in yourself and challenge yourself takes real faith. Faith comes into play when we lose a loved one. Death challenges our faith in many ways. Faith can believe the loved one is now in a better place. One may question faith after a death. A sudden death can cause loss of faith. Why was he or she taken? Why were prayers unanswered? Why is the world so cruel? Why did he or she get sick? Faith can be loss when we may have wished for a different outcome. Faith restores when we have a prayer answered. For many people it is natural to blame someone when questioning faith. Courage to have faith again is hard for some Get more content

What is religion? Each person's definition of religion is different. Each person's faith is different. This is a question that has been asked for centuries, and regardless of the answer given there is no right or wrong answer. Religion can be defined as a group of people who have shared beliefs who feel their life has purpose or meaning. This feeling or belief that their life has meaning can come from outside of themselves, as well as within. Taking this one step further, these shared beliefs put into action in the form of worship, can be easily identified because they happen regularly. It can be said the Primal religions were in fact not religions. Some may argue Confucianism is not areligion. Others may say Taoism is not a...show more content...

They are teachings learned by previous generations then passed down, they are not always actions. The fifth feature of religion is grace. Grace is defined by Smith as "the belief and assurance that reality is on our side and can be counted on." Lastly there is mystery. For this there is no exact definition, but it is all of what a religion cannot explain, it is all that the human mind cannot grasp, it is the certain "higher power" that religion offers. Of these six features, there are three that are present in most all religions, they are: authority, tradition, and mystery. Authority, tradition, and mystery further explore and define religion when looking specifically at Primal Religions, Confucianism, and Taoism. Primal Religions are often mistaken to be the religion of the primitive man, often thought to be unintelligent. There is a definition of "primal" that is better suited than unintelligent or primitive. Primal in terms of religion, refers to the lack of exposure to technology, it is not "knowing" the state of consciousness given to many by the technological environment. Primal religions preceded organized religion as we know it today by thousands of years, in some cases millions, but are still present in the world today; we now call them tribal religions. Within primal religions there are people who are knowledgeable about life, who are knowledgeable about Defining Religion–4 traditions, and who are Get more content

Statement of Faith

I believe that the structure of the church should not be determined by culture, business practices, or denominational traditions. The Bible is the only possible common denominator upon which most, if not all, of the God–fearing people of the land can unite. I believe that there is only one God and this God is manifested in three persons–Father, Son and Holy Spirit (trinity). He is the creator of the universe and of all life, the sustainer of all things, who is infinite in glory, wisdom, holiness, justice, power and love. God is love and thus is a personal God establishing a personal relationship with those who are called His people. I believe man was created in the image and likeness of God. However, through the...show more content...

His purpose is to convict Man of sin instructing and empowering the believer for Godly living and service. The Holy Spirit guides and gives power to the church, convicts the world of sin and un–righteousness. He directs Man to Christ as the Savior to the world and aids believers in their walk and growth in Christ. He also gives spiritual gifts which are given to build up God's people and His Kingdom. I believe Salvation is the gift of God and includes the forgiveness of sins, righteousness and the gift of eternal life. I also believe that salvation is received by faith alone, apart from all good works and deeds. Those, who by faith alone and no merit of their own receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are miraculously born again of the Holy Spirit and become children of God and partakers of His divine nature and eternal life. I believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes all true believers in that he dwells in believers bestowing spiritual gifts upon them and empowers them for service and holy living.

I believe the church, the Body of Christ is composed of all those who have heard the Gospel and through faith have been regenerated by the spirit of God. I also believe that the purpose of the church is to witness concerning Jesus Christ according to the scriptures and to preach the gospel among all nations. The church should also serve as a sanctuary that welcomes diversity and promotes unity in the Body of

Get more content

I am honored to be your first debate! Welcome to DDO and good luck.

Argumentation:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints places Faith as the first Principle of the gospel. How is faith defined and taught?

In Hebrews 11: 1 we read "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (1) Notice the lack of evidence is inherent in the definition provided of faith. Alma 32: 21 from the Book of Mormon says "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." (2) Finally from LDS.org we read that to have faith is to "show.. hope for something that we cannot yet see."(3)

From this we see that the LDS concept of faith is to hope for...show more content...

In James 2:17–18 we read that "Faith without works is dead."(7) Thus it is not enough to profess belief in something without grounds to believe, you must act on it. Let say, for example, I have faith that the world is to end tomorrow. This means that despite lack of evidence of any kind I believe that the world is to end. I must now act in a way that demonstrates this belief. No matter what evidence is provided, rational reasoning, persuasion or whatever, doesn't matter. "Because the foolishness ofGod is wiser than man" I am to have my faith override all. (8) This makes those acting on faith unable to be reasoned with...

Get more content

The dictionary definition of faith is "complete trust or confidence in someone or something". Now how many of us people who consider ourselves Christians can say we have complete trust in God. Practically no one, so by that definition the approximate 2.1 billion people in the world who identify as Christian can't be true Christians because it's human nature to rely on our own self rather than anyone else. But who am I to say who or what a true Christian is. Who am I to measure your relation with God. I am not you, I'm not in your mind, and I'm certainly not God. So what I mean by a true Christian, is being a clone of Christ, which is the goal but unfortunately, very few actually reach it. You can't compare your walk with God to anyone else's.

Get more content