Much has been written and said about faith and how it works in our Christian life. It is defined and described in so many ways, with each definition reflecting the very essence of its meaning. So what is faith? How does the Bible define faith and what is the importance of faith in the Christian life?

Christians are blessed to have the precise definition of faith in the Bible, the written word of God. Although the authorship of the book of Hebrews is still in question, the fact that it was established as canonical gives it the same authority as the other books in the Bible have.

Definitions of Faith

On one hand, the world defines faith as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof (ref: Webster dictionary). It is believing in something that we are not sure of because of the lack or non-existence of any evidence to back up the belief.

On the other hand, in spirituality, (ref: Genuine Faith: The Faith that Saves), faith in God rests upon the best evidence, the infallible Word of God. The author goes further to describe that faith impels loving obedience and good works. However, most popularly defined in the Bible, faith is having the things hoped for happened, the evidence of things that we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).

How Do We Receive Faith?

Contrary to what the world says, the Christian faith is a firm belief in God; not without proof but is undeniably founded on the unerring, incomparable richness of the living Word of God, which is the Holy Bible. Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the words about Christ (Romans 10:17).

If faith comes from hearing the message, then as Christians, we should not hesitate to share the message whenever we have the chance to do so. While it is true that a deeper study about the Bible, the life and deity of Jesus Christ is highly recommendable in sharing the message, it is however not an excuse not to share the good news even if we neither have a bachelor’s, a master’s nor a doctorate degree in theology, or studies of divinity.

Apostle Paul teaches us that we do not need to be eloquently relying purely on the acquired wisdom of man to share the gospel but by the guidance and anointing of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4-5). Genuine faith is rooted in the powerful Word of God. The Word that has been given to us is to be used for teaching, rebuking, correction, and training (2 Timothy 3:16).

The Importance of Faith in the Christian Life

1) We receive salvation by grace through faith.

Our Christian life began the moment we received Jesus as our personal Savior. This confirms our salvation by His grace which we have received through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). While salvation is precisely a (free) gift from God by His grace, and faith, the channel to which salvation abounds is on the part of man. It is our response to God’s invitation of salvation.

We can never please God without faith Hebrews 11:6) and without faith, we cannot receive the best gift that God has prepared for us. It is further written that faith without good deeds is dead (James 2:26). Good works are a result of our faith and the fruits of salvation.

“But 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 diligently seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6

Sadly, in the lives of many people, despite hearing and witnessing the love and wonderful works of Jesus in their personal lives, it is still very difficult for them to truly believe and put their total confidence in Him. In the Bible, Jesus has spent three years with His disciples. They were able to see Him face to face and personally interacted with Him.

Yet, when He appeared to them after His resurrection, one of His disciples (Thomas) couldn’t even believe that He came back to life until he saw Jesus’ nail-pierced hands. He needed to see Jesus’ nail-pierced hands and put his finger on His wounds to believe (John 20:24-29).

Believing without Seeing

Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” – John 20:29

We, the Christians after the life of Jesus here on earth, are blessed because we have not seen Him yet we believed. This has all started once in our life when we have heard the message about Christ, believed in His infallible words, and believed in His promises as they unfold right before our own eyes in our daily lives.

We continue in our walk with Christ, looking forward to the salvation that we will experience in heaven which is yet to come based on His promises.

2) Through faith, we overcome the world which leads to a fruitful life.

Jesus has overcome the world when He died on the cross so that we may live. He has risen back from the dead for us. We should not be taking this greatest sacrifice for granted. He has won the victory with a price so that whoever believes shall overcome (1 John 5:4-5).

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10b

We can overcome all the things of this world; all the works of the devil through our faith in Jesus (1 John 2:16). The devil has already been defeated and has no more authority on us, for Jesus has paid the ransom with His own flesh and blood. We need not wait for heaven to experience victory in our lives for it is God’s purpose that we are blessed with a victorious life even if we are still here on earth. He wants to bless us so that we can live life abundantly (John 10:10).

Related Article: What is the victorious Christian life?

He has come to prepare everything for us and He wanted us to remain in Him, our faith to be rooted in His words that bring life, that through our trust and confidence in Him, we shall never fail to bear fruits in season (John 15:5; Jeremiah 17:7-8).

3) We overcome trials through faith.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we learn that each of us shall go through trials and temptations that are common to man. God allows these trials to come our way so that through all these trials, we are pressed closer to Jesus. The closer we are pressed, the clearer His image is inscribed in our hearts as we grow more like Jesus. Each trial is designed such that Jesus will see us through it. He never leaves us alone and through our faith in Him, we overcome trials.

In times of trials, let our prayers be for the asking of a renewed and strengthened spirit so there is nothing we can’t bear. The pain and troubles we go through are temporary and if we persevere in endurance with the spirit, the difficulties we face are nothing compared to the joy that awaits us (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39

God is Faithful

We will never learn what is in store for us and what we are really made of if we do not face these trials. An American author John A. Shedd once wrote, “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” God has created us to be an overcomer and He is always faithful in His promises. There is nothing in this world that can trample us if we only believe and have faith in God. He has overcome the world and nothing can ever separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

When Jesus told Joshua not to be afraid of the enemies for they have already been given into his hand and that no one of them is able to withstand him (Joshua 10:8), God is literally speaking about the enemies that Joshua and his army will be facing in every war there is.

To us, the present-day Christians, these “enemies” figuratively mean the trials that we have to face. God has already given them into our hands through our faith in Him and he who has faith in God overcomes the world!

Learning to have Faith as the Great People in the Bible did

Many people in the Bible have experienced the hands of God through faith by whom anyone can be inspired.

1) Noah and the Great Flood. 

Noah was instructed to build a huge ship in preparation for the great flood when there was no sign that it would rain at all. But Noah believed in God and put his trust in Him, so his family and every kind of animal have been saved from the floods.

2) Abraham, by faith never doubted God’s promises. 

He was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, believing God will raise him up from the dead (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3), for God had promised him earlier that through Isaac he will become the father of many nations.

3) Sarah who by faith was enabled to bear a child at an old age (Romans 10:10). 

Sarah remained faithful and believed in God’s promise of an heir. For 25 years, she and her husband Abraham waited, and indeed, she bore a son in the most unfavorable situation anyone could ever imagine, that is, being old and barren.

4) The Centurion’s faith in Matthew 8:8-13, was described by Jesus Himself as the kind of faith that He never saw existed in all of Israel. The centurion needed not more than Jesus’ words to believe that his servant is healed.

5) The people, who by faith, crossed the Red Sea on dry land (Exodus 14:15-16; 21-22).

The people were being chased by the Egyptian soldiers from behind and they are approaching a huge body of water, the Red Sea. God promised Moses that by his leadership and God’s blessings, they will escape from the hands of the Egyptians, and by faith, they were able to cross the Red Sea on dry land.

Other Significant Things Related to Our Faith

F – Fulfillment (Philippians 4:11-12).

Under any circumstance, faith brings forth fulfillment in life.

A – Assurance (Ephesians 2:8-9).

There is nothing more secure than the assurance that we have received by putting our faith in God. It is because of His love and grace for us, that He gave His only one begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

I – Impossible (Matthew 19:26 and Hebrews 11:6).

It is impossible for man but for God, nothing is impossible. We need only to believe for without faith, it is impossible to please God.

T – Trust (Isaiah 26:3).

We can have perfect peace if we only put our trust in God.

H – Hope (Romans 4:18-19).

By faith, we see hope in hopelessness.

Conclusion

In ending, it is by God’s grace through our faith that we experience the greatness of God’s works in our lives. In the midst of difficulties that we encounter in life, let us put our trust and faith in God the way Abraham, Moses, Noah, and many more did.

Let us use the examples of Joshua and Caleb who focused more on the positive side of the news rather than on the inconveniences from its negative side. For it is only in believing and putting our trust in God that we receive the gift of salvation. Through faith, we can overcome the world with Him and live a victorious life even while we are still here on earth.

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Faith: Believing in the God Who Works on Your Behalf by Yonggi Cho and Wayne Goodall

What can we learn from the Scriptures about how to trust God no matter what, and believe in something that is not yet seen?

As a young man with only weeks to live, Yonggi Cho was healed of terminal illness, saw the resurrected Jesus, and quickly began sharing God’s hope with others. Those listeners became the world’s largest church.

In Faith, Pastor Cho and Dr. Wayde Goodall share how to:

• Understand and grow in your faith.
• Walk with the Holy Spirit and produce the fruit of the Spirit.
• Overcome mistakes and continue to depend on Christ in times of discouragement.
• Believe in and trust God’s supernatural power.
• Use every situation to accomplish tremendous things for God’s kingdom.

 For our lives to work, we need faith—the kind of faith that gives birth to hope and chooses to believe in every circumstance. God will answer prayer, heal, and perform signs and wonders as we walk daily by faith.

You can trust God as your source, security, and assurance.