What is Faith?

Faith, at its most basic level, is trust or confidence in something or someone.

This morning, I got in my car with a quiet confidence that when I pressed the brake pedal, my mechanic’s work would hold and the brake pads wouldn’t fail. Last night, I poured a bowl of Apple Jacks cereal (yum!) trusting my local grocer hadn’t slipped something harmful in the milk. Last month, when my mom flew to Philadelphia to join us for vacation, she put her confidence in a flight crew she had never met, believing they would carry her safely from point A to point B.

Even at an everyday level, faith is more than blind optimism. It’s confidence in someone or something that has earned your trust. They’ve proven themselves before, and you can believe they will do it again.

Biblical faith isn’t much different. It’s a confidence in the character, promises and proven track record of God, a trust that anchors you when life feels uncertain and the path ahead seems unclear.

Hebrew 11:1 - Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

That means faith in the Lord involves two crucial ingredients: 1) confidence - assurance, and 2) conviction - certainty of who God is and how he will act based on what you’ve seen him do before - whether in your own life, the lives of others or in the scriptures. Faith says, I know that I know that I know - this is who God is, this is how He operates and I’ll stake my life on it.

Hebrew 11:6 - Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

This means faith is also believing God is there, ever-present, ready to help. It’s stunning how many Christians live as functional atheists: claiming belief in God, yet living as though He’s not present, not listening, and not actually in control. As a result, they don’t pray, don’t read the life-giving scriptures, don’t gather regularly with God’s people, don’t speak His name, and don’t live with eternity in view of their decisions. Maybe functional atheism has crept into your heart and life in one or several of these various ways.

This means faith is also about seeking God. And yet, how much of our time and energy is consumed chasing what will fade - pleasure, possessions, relationships - while giving God only the table scraps of our attention? Instead of a prayer closet / war room mentality of prayer, we rely on “prayer flares” as last ditch efforts for help from a God who seems distant. Instead of digging deep into the life-giving Word of God, we settle for bumper-sticker theology that we see on social media or hear from the radio. Instead of treating God’s family, the Church, like the place where God’s glory dwells (Ephesians 3:20,21), we treat church like we’re consumers at a concert.

Faith is about taking God at His word and living like your life depends on it. Abraham left his home and all that he knew in faith, believing God had something great. Peter stepped out of the boat, believing his God was bigger than the waves around him. The woman who touched Jesus' garment, sick for twelve years, believed that a mere touch from the Savior could heal her.

Faith isn’t blind optimism, nor is it wishful thinking. It’s taking God at His word because He’s proven Himself and living in full alignment with what He says.

So here’s the question: What does that look like for you this week? How can you step out in faith based on what God has already said? How has God proven Himself to you in the past and how can that change the way you trust hHm with your future? How would your life look different today, tomorrow, this week or next month if you lived by faith and not by sight?