Faith / Part 1 of 2

(NKJV) Matthew 17:20, "So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have FAITH as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.'"

Did you know the word Faith appears 769 times throughout the Bible? It is vital to the believer that Faith in God is a crucial factor into being guided by God.

So what is the definition of Faith? It is the profound trust and confidence in God and His promises as revealed in the Scriptures. It is both a gift from God and a response to His revelation. Faith is not merely intellectual, but involves the whole persons mind, heart, and will in which he/she commits his/her life to God and His truth of Scripture.

Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible."

When we read the Apostle Paul's writings, he is constantly reminding us that Christ sent him to proclaim the Gospel, but not by relying on worldly wisdom. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:17-24 that we are indeed destroyed by our own worldly wisdom, our own knowledge and nothing comes bearing fruit out of our own cleverness. In fact, Paul calls those who rely on their own knowledge ones who practice "foolishness" and Proverbs 12:15 says, 'only a fool believes in himself'.

When God created the heavens and the earth, God has displayed His invisible attributes, His power, His deity, and has made Himself accessible to us in order for us to understand the ways of God, Romans 1:19-20.

Which Do We Rely On? Reason or Faith?

The definition of reason is defined as, 'those natural human powers that enable access to a variety of truths'. Examples of these truths are perception, intuition, making inferences, decisions on what to do, recalling memory, and testimony. But is that all it is? No.

Believers in Christ agree that faith is the proper and primary response to God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). For Christians, Faith involves trusting Christ with one's entire life (Proverbs 3:5, John 20:31, Hebrews 12:2).

Having such trust requires us to embrace what our story is, what our testimony shares about who we are through Scripture and to the church as a whole. By fully grasping what our testimony is, it allows us to understand more of what the Scriptures teaches us (2 Timothy 3:14-17, 2 Thessalonians 2:15).

As we grow in our Faith in Christ, we begin to encounter our three aspects of why we have Faith.

1.) Affective Faith: gives assurance and confidence.

(1 John 5:14, Hebrews 10:22, 11:1-40)

2.) Cognitive Faith: gives us growth in knowledge and belief.

(Genesis 15:6 Hebrews 11:3)

3.) Volitional Faith: gives us the ability to trust and obey God.

(Genesis 12:1-4)

Our faith in God is both a state of understanding and an act of worship, not merely knowledge.

What are some examples of Faith in the Old and New Testament?

Old Testament - Abraham, the fore father of modern day Israel. In Genesis 15:6 it describes Abraham as one who 'believed the LORD, and it was credited to him as righteousness'. (Genesis 15:6) Abraham also demonstrated faith when God told him to take his only son Issac and take him atop of a mountain and sacrifice him on an altar he would build with wood. Abraham was heartbroken by this request of God, but he willingly obeyed. However, because of Abraham's obedience to God, God stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son after he had already tied him up, laid him atop of the altar, and was about the slew him. God provided a ram in a thicket of a bush and they, Abraham and Issac, sacrificed the ram on the altar.

Another man of faith was Moses, another patriarch. He was used by God when he felt he had no honor or ability of speech to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. By obeying God, trusting God in faith, God did many signs and wonders through Moses in demonstrating that no god was above the Almighty God in Heaven. Through Moses, God freed the Israelites from Pharaohs grasp and Egypt was no more.

I encourage you to go read Exodus to understand Moses backstory.

New Testament - In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus tells His Disciples in Mark 11:22-24, "Have faith in God," Jesus said to them. "Truly I tell you that if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and has no doubt in his heart but believes that it will happen, it will be done for him." Jesus' teaching is highlighting that the power of faith in prayer is on who has faith in God through their active relationship.

In the New Testament, there are several examples of faith. The woman with the issue of blood, the man at the pool of Bethesda, the Leper, the cripple who lied on the mat, Zacchaeus wanting to see Jesus, and many more.

Conclusion To Part 1

You have read only a portion of what Faith actually is. You've seen the definition of faith, how solely knowledge is not merely enough to believe in God, what is effective Christian faith in three areas, and examples of faith in the New and Old Testament.

I pray that this excited you and will help you grow further in your new found Faith in Jesus Christ.

Blessings To You Brother's & Sister's.

Until we meet again.

~ Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!