What is Faith?
Tom Green
Having recently retired from full-time ministry with Organic Outreach International, Pastor Tom Green serves OOI as a consultant who trains, mentors, and coaches Outreach Influence Leaders throughout the world. He and his wife, Jill, have a heart for international ministry. They have spent many years ministering in Eastern Europe and India, including establishing Grace Mercy Children's home in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.
If Christians are going to have any chance to reach the world and follow the commands of Jesus to fulfill the Great Commission, then now is the time for believers to be equipped to share their faith and to be sent out into the harvest field. While there are many ways to equip and train people to share their faith and plenty of methods and applications available with simple steps to follow, it seems that a proper understanding of faith would be the most appropriate tool for growing a passion for reaching the lost and to help properly articulate our beliefs to those who lack the knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is and what He can mean to their lives.
The belief that Jesus is the Supreme Being and Lord of All is fundamental and universal in all realms of Christianity but the question “what does this mean to my life personally?” is a good starting point if we want a true understanding of what Christian Faith really is. And then, of course, the Bible is the obvious starting place when it comes to proper theological perspective and correct understanding, especially when we are talking about something as important as knowing God and having eternal life with Him.
So, to answer this question of “What is faith, and what does it mean to my life personally?” Let’s turn to scripture and to the simple definition of faith we see in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV).
Throughout mankind, some constants seem to drive humanity toward certain actions and values. I’ve had the opportunity to travel and while interacting with different cultures and people groups around the world I’ve noticed that even with all our differences many values remain the same. All mankind seems to strive for happiness in their life. To have a good job, to get ahead, to enjoy good things. To have stability, purpose, and fulfillment. To find a partner, someone to spend life with, and even a desire for family, those to share life with, and a longing to be around loved ones who will remember us long after we are gone.
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for… What is it that you hope for? What is that longing in the human soul that strives so radically to find happiness and fulfillment? No one comes out of the womb with a plan to have a downright terrible life filled with difficulties, pain, and sorrow. No, we commonly strive apart from God to try to have a life that is not broken but rather one that brings us lasting satisfaction. So, let me ask you this question, “Does it work?” Does striving for happiness in our own sinful nature and without God’s direction for our life lead us to a pleasant and satisfying life? Will we find complete satisfaction apart from God? It doesn’t take long as you stare humanity in the face to find that the evident answer is “no.”
What is it that we are searching for as we seek worthwhile sustenance when we want a good career with meaning and purpose for our lives? We want to know that life has significance and that we will be taken care of, we don’t want to have to worry about tomorrow. What drives a person to find a partner, someone to spend their life with? Or the desire to have a family; what drives the human soul to find gain from that? God has established in the heart of all mankind the hope of purpose and fulfillment, to be cared for, and to have guidance toward happiness in life. He has given every person the desire to love and to be loved in return. But God’s design for all of this is that every person on the planet would find their happiness and joy in Him.
"True faith requires confidence in what we hope for. That’s what real faith is. Confidence that God loves us more than we can possibly imagine."
The satisfying hope that causes peace, comfort, and, yes, true fulfillment can only be found through unfailing trust in Jesus. When we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God loves us enough to die in our place for all the wrong we’ve done and as we embrace His love and seek His presence, then our longing to be loved can be fulfilled. In Him, we don’t have to question for a moment what we will be provided for because we have complete confidence that He will provide all we need. Then, and only then, will we exist in perfect peace. When His love profoundly grips our hearts and we passionately love Him in return, then our thirst for love is quenched and we can love others with purity and receive their love in return.
True faith requires confidence in what we hope for. That’s what real faith is. Confidence that God loves us more than we can possibly imagine. Confidence that He will always provide all that we need, that He has a purpose for our lives, and that He has our very lives in the palm of His mighty hand. Confidence that God is always good, that He always has our best in mind, and that His love will never fail us.
And assurance about what we do not see… This scripture in Hebrews 11:1 allows us to understand that faith can start blind but does not remain that way. I have found in my walk with Jesus that the more confident I am in my faith, the more real God becomes to me. When I trust in His provision, He takes care of me. When I seek to be loved by Him, I feel his love in return. When I ask for wisdom or direction, He so often miraculously intervenes. Even as the Lord tells us in Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of our heart” (NIV), He has given us a prescription to live the best life a person can possibly live. If God is the ultimate priority of our lives, He remains in control and our lives are overflowing with purpose and fulfillment and they bring glory to Him and His Kingdom. This is the true definition of faith.
Even though the disciples had been with and even lived with Jesus for some time, they needed a strict lesson on this type of belief. We read about this lesson on faith in Luke 8:22-25; 22“One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger (NIV).
Many of these men were professional fishermen, tough guys who had been out on this body of water many, many times. When the Bible says the waters were raging and they were in great danger I’m sure it meant that these men were fearing for their lives.
24The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25“Where is your faith?” He asked his disciples (NIV).
While being in great danger and fearing for their lives the disciples woke Jesus up. After He got up and rebuked the storm and all became calm, Jesus proceeded to rebuke the disciples saying “Where is your faith?” Essentially questioning them, “Where is your perception that I am God, Creator of all things, I do not slumber or sleep and I have your very lives in the palm of my hand?”
In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him” (NIV).
There again is the true definition of faith. Being confident in what we hope for, our provision, purpose, and fulfillment, to love and be loved in return, to see eternity ahead of us and run the race that was set for us. To be free from worries of this life because God Almighty has our lives in the very palm of His hand. And then, in reverent fear and amazement continually recognizing His power and work in our lives
So what does this mean to my life personally? It means faith is more than a belief that God exists. The Bible is clear that even the demons believe that. Faith is active. Faith is real. It is personal and important to us, and it is important to God. True faith will always trust, always love, and always persevere. And faith will prove itself. God will prove Himself. He will comfort, He will sustain, and He will love.
I really believe that when we keep our walk with Jesus real and authentic, and keep our faith in the forefront of our lives we will want others to know Him. As God helps us through difficulties in our lives, we will have the confidence that He is there not only for us but also for others and wants to help them too. As we feel loved by Him, we will want other loved-starved people to also know His love. We may want to look up a good Gospel-sharing app, but the desire to help others come to know the Savior of the world will come naturally when we are infatuated with our passion for Him.