What is faith?

I'm thinking that now would be a good time to actually define Biblical faith. In other words, how does God define faith for the Christian?

The first passage that comes to my mind is Hebrews 11. Can I just say that I LOVE the book of Hebrews! It is truly amazing. It is a great book to read during the lent season as we look ahead to Good Friday and Easter. But, lets just look at Chapter 11 for awhile.

The chapter begins with:
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I know many of us could quote this scripture verbatim, but have we ever really dissected it? Have we really meditated on its meaning? Lets look deeper.

The Greek word for "faith" in this verse is pistis which literally means
"faith, faithfulness, belief, trust, with an implication that actions based on that trust may follow"
So, when we talk about faith, action is implied. I may be taking this out of context a bit, but this is why I believe that we need to start paying attention to our actions and behaviors. If they aren't lining up with God's Word, then we are believing a lie. When we believe a lie, sin results. When we believe God and His Word, joy, peace, and victory results!

Okay, back to the verse. "Now FAITH (faithfulness, belief, trust, with implication of action) is being sure of what we hope for. In other words, Faith = being sure of what we hope for. The Greek word for being sure is "hypostasis" which means being confident, sure, having confidence. Faith is being confident and certain about what we hope for.

What do we hope for? I have to admit I had to do some thinking and digging! I don't think about this enough!!

That's a big question isn't it? What do we hope for as followers of Christ?
The word here for hope translates to hope, hope for, put hope in, expect, an attitude of confidently looking forward to what is good and beneficial. As Christians, what are we looking forward to (or what are we SUPPOSED to be looking forward to? Here are just some of God's promises that we hope for:

Eternal life in heaven with God! Not only will we dwell with Him for eternity but we will have bodies that will know no pain, suffering, or aging. Paul, in Romans, puts it this way: "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Paul also implies in other verses that we will be completely without sin. No more struggling with obeying God and trusting Him! But even now, in this human flesh, we can experience a taste of what it will be like in heaven. PLEASE READ 2 Corinthians 3:7-4:1; 4:6-9; 4:13-18, 5:1-9. Oh, if you have a Bible PLEASE stop and read this passage. You will be so glad you did!

These verses are a perfect portrait of someone who is living out Hebrews 11:1.

I have to say that I have at times forgotten what it is I am hoping for. I just don't think about the specifics I hope for as a Christian. If you are in the same boat, just keep reading those verses and they will re-ignite your passion for all things eternal!! Eternity is our REALITY! Paul knew and understood that.

All of the stuff we strive for and all of the things we do out of believing lies will not go with us. In other words, if you are striving for success in the world's eyes: wealth, prominence, outward beauty, high achievement, etc. these things are temporal and will not go into eternity with you. So, why are we wasting so much time doing things that are essentially "dead"? UGH! I get so frustrated with myself in this area sometimes--especially when I choose to filter everything through temporal eyes rather than eternal ones.

This is essentially what the writer of Hebrews is pointing out in the second half of verse 1 of Hebrews 11. "Faith is being...certain of what we do not see."
"What we do not see" is essentially everything that is eternal. Everything we can see with our eyes is not going to last, including our bodies. So, we should start spending LESS time trying to hold onto things that aren't going to last. We should spend less time talking negatively about someone's appearance, behavior, and social status and start praying for God to show us how to reach their HEARTS/SPIRITS. Man, this one hits me between the eyes.

So often I look at the outward appearance (1 Sam. 16:7) and behaviors of someone rather than looking into their heart and having compassion on them. Wow, that could be a whole other posting!

All this to say...if anyone is still reading...when we live by the kind of faith this verse talks about, we are absolutely and positively certain about our future in heaven with Christ and we do not waste our days frivolously trying to hold on to things that are going to decay, disappear, and even burn.

I don't know about you, but a deeper look into this verse has convicted me and shown me that I need to start living my days more SPIRITUALLY focused. I'm not saying I shouldn't take care of my body and work hard at the job God has given me, but they should not be the priority.

If I live tomorrow with the Biblical definition of faith described in this verse then I will:

1) Spend more time reading the Bible INSTEAD of watching TV, surfing the net, updating Facebook, etc, or even cleaning house!

2) Make sure I am teaching my children scriptures and praying with them and talking with them about God. I will set aside time for this everyday and not just focus on Caroline's readiness for preschool!

3) Instead of fixating on loosing the last 10 pregnancy pounds, I will ask God to reveal to me the areas of my heart that he is wanting to shape into His character and likeness.

4) When I look at myself in the mirror I will speak truth from his word rather than the lies society feeds me about how I'm supposed to look.

5) I will pray for OTHERS, stay in contact and offer words of encouragement to all the people God brings to my mind. I will just stop thinking about MYSELF so much and start focusing on accomplishing God's purpose for the day.

6) I will begin the day by asking Him for HELP and will continue to ask Him for wisdom, anointing of His Spirit, and strength throughout the day. Because, none of this can be sustained in my own strength. I need Him constantly!


What will your day look like?