What Is Faith?

Faith is something Christians often talk about, but few understand it. Faith is mentioned over two hundred times in the Bible and Jesus spoke of it often. The only way we can be saved is through faith in Jesus. It's obvious this is one of the most important things, so it's good to know what the definition of faith is.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines faith as a firm belief in something for which there is no proof or belief and trust in God. The biblical definition of faith, found in Hebrews 11:1, is, “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.” (NASB.) In other words, faith is believing something will happen, even though we have no proof. It's trusting and having confidence in God and His love, abilities, and plans.

What does this look like in every day life? It means trusting that there's a purpose to the path God has us on. It's making decisions based on the Bible and God's will despite how insane it might seem, believing He's guiding and taking care of us. It's praying for something in His will and believing it will happen.

Is any of this easy? No, not at all. Faith doesn't come naturally to anyone. But if we ask for faith, God will give it to us.

Below are some verses in the Bible that talk about faith and believing.

“Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen.”(Hebrews 11:1, NASB.)

“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for the one who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He proves to be One who rewards those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NASB.)

“And He said to them, 'Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of 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.” (Matthew 17:20, NASB.)

“Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'It shall be done for you according to your faith.'” (Matthew 9:29, NASB.)

“For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: 'But the righteous one will live by faith.'” (Romans 1:17, NASB.)

Faith is one of the most important aspects of Christianity and also one of the hardest. But it is also rewarding. God acts depending on our faith. We can't get to Heaven without it. And without it, we can't accomplish great things for God. But faith is possible for anyone, and the great thing is the God we put our faith in won't let us down.