02.12. FAITH - 01 - What is Faith?

FAITH – 01 – What is Faith?

Reading: James 2:14-26.

Golden Text. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in shine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.--Romans 10:9.

WE have to deal with the foundation principle of the gospel of Christ, that without which all else is unavailing. Faith is the characteristic principle animating the Christian; so much so, that the beautiful description "believers" or "they that had believed" became a standing name for the followed of Christ (see Acts 2:44; Romans 10:4; 1 Corinthians 14:22; Acts 5:14; 1 Timothy 4:12). The word "faith" is used in the Bible in at least three distinct senses:

(a) We read of "the faith," when the religion of Jesus, the system of truth revealed by him, is meant. In Galatians 3:23, Paul says, "Before faith came, we were kept under the law" (common Version). But we know there was "faith" in pre-Christian times. The R. V. gives a better translation: "Before the faith came." See also Acts 6:7; Acts 13:8; Galatians 1:23; Jude 1:3.

(b) The word is used of the faithfulness or fidelity appropriate to believers, and required by the gospel. See Romans 1:8; Galatians 5:22; Titus 2:10.

(c) Generally a certain state of the mind is indicated by the word "faith.". It is with this third that we specially deal in his article. [It seems clear that the Greek substantive and the corresponding verb are at least as flexible as the English word "faith," extending from simple belief to a confident trust in or reliance on a person. The shades of meaning, too, almost certainly vary according as the words are used in conjunction with one preposition or another. It is possible here to give only an elementary study, in which passages between which fine shades of distinction may be made are grouped together.]

What Is Faith?

We have a suggestive description, if not definition, in Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is assurance of [or, giving substance to things hoped for, a conviction [or, test] of things not seen." Of things which are the objects of hope, as God’s promises faith is or confidence. Of the wider class of things unseen, whether objects of hope or not, faith is conviction that they are or are not so-and-so. Rotherham translates the verse: "faith is of things hoped for a confidence, of facts a conviction when they are not seen." Abraham’s belief in God’s promises (Hebrews 11:3) may be cited as an illustration of the first clause; our belief as to the making of the world (v. 3) of the second. In the same chapter is an instance of faith and belief as the same thing. See Hebrews 11:6. This is obscured by the fact that in English we have not a verb corresponding exactly to the noun "faith." If we could talk of "faithing" a thing, our language would be more nearly in the position of the Greek Sometimes we hear of men who pray for "faith to believe"; which really is equivalent to asking for faith to have faith, or for belief to believe. It is at the present day often imagined that there is a difference in kind between faith or belief as it affects the grand concern of our salvation and faith in a truth of everyday life or in a friend. Now, it must be held that it is precisely the same mental process or state for me to believe in God as to have faith in any human friend, to believe the truths regarding Jesus Christ and his salvation as to believe a man when he tells me of some alleged fact. The truth is that the difference is not one as to the kind of faith, but it is a difference in object. Why it is immeasurably better to trust in Christ than to have faith in man is because of the person of Christ and the glorious work he can do. My faith is the same, but it is directed towards a Redeemer and Savior who is worthy of confidence, and who is a rewarder of trust far beyond any human being in whom I may believe. A friend makes a statement to me and advises a certain course. I believe his word and do a he suggests. Everybody is familiar with that simple belief. Now, a similar belief in Jesus’ word and acquiescence in his will will save. It may well be said that the common use of the phrase "saving faith," is one of the misfortunes of Christendom, for it suggests to me that the efficacy is due to a difference in my faith subjectively considered, when the saving power of my faith depends wholly on the fact that its object is the Savior and that it leads me to accept and obey him as my Savior. Learn and teach this glorious truth: "The saving power of faith resides not in itself, but in the Almighty Savior on whom it rests." The faith which saves may be seen from two passages of Scripture.

(a) James, speaking of a certain man’s faith, says it is "dead." What for James is a dead faith? Simply a faith that is not allowed to have its legitimate outlet in works (James 2:17). We have indicated in this verse the weakness in the faith of many to-day. There is little fault to be found with their faith as such; the trouble is that that faith is by itself and is therefore profitless. Most men in our land believe the words of Jesus, if they would only let that belief lead them to obey Christ and have its fitting result in works of service, theirs would be a "saving faith." Man is not saved by faith alone. True, man has no meritorious works, his salvation is an act of free grace, yet he must let faith issue in action, else it is dead, barren, profitless, according to God’s Word.

(b) The Apostle Paul wrote: with the heart man believeth unto righteousness" (Romans 10:10). This verse has given rise to the popular distinction between a "heart belief" and a "head belief." There should be no incompatibility between a head and a heart belief. Apparently what Paul means is that our belief should be one in which not only our intellect, but also our affections and will, are involved. Mere intellectual assent to gospel truths is not enough. The case of the rulers who believed on Jesus, but did not confess him, since they loved men’s praise (John 12:42) may be cited as a good illustration of belief which is neither "with the heart" nor "unto righteousness."