Faith

Faith is a word that appears​​ approximately​​ 250 times in the New American Standard translation of the Bible.​​ There are many aspects to consider concerning faith.​​ Faith is a critical part of our relationship with our creator, the God of the Bible, thus​​ it is helpful to​​ have some idea of what faith means. Consider the following –

1.​​ Our faith is what pleases God -​​ 

“And without faith it is impossible to please​​ Him,​​ for he who comes to God must believe that He is and​​ that​​ He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”​​ Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)

2.​​ Faith is required for our salvation –

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,​​ it is​​ the gift of God;”​​ Ephesians 2:8 (NASB)

Vine’s Expository Dictionary​​ defines​​ faith (Gr. pistis)​​ as “firm persuasion”.​​ 

Hebrews 11:1​​ tell us what faith is. Some say it is a definition of faith, others say it is a description.​​ 

 Now faith is the assurance of​​ things​​ hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.​​ Hebrews 11:1 (NASB)​​ 

I’ve always had trouble grasping what this verse meant, so I took the Greek words​​ used to translate it​​ and came up with the following definition/description of that verse​​ –​​ 

“But we are convinced and confident in our beliefs, which results in a life lived in full expectation of that which God has promised, even though the proof of our beliefs cannot yet be seen.”​​ 

Faith is a major theme in the Bible​​ and there is​​ much​​ more to consider, but hopefully, this article will give you a better understanding of what faith means. ​​ 

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