What is faith?
 

What is faith? by Alive to God

In English we have two words: a noun, FAITH; a verb, TO BELIEVE. In Greek we have ‘pistis’, FAITH and ‘pisteuo’, TO BELIEVE, both words having the same root ‘pist’. Therefore to have faith is to believe.

The Greek words formed from this root occur almost 600 times in the New Testament. This many occurrences of this word obviously represent a theme that is central to the message of the Bible. To have faith in God is to believe in God. It means we do not have faith in all these other things, but we believe in God and His ability, power and final authority.

FAITH DEFINED:

Hebrews 11:1 says, ‘Now faith is the SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE (conviction) of things not seen.’

‘SUBSTANCE’ literally means, ‘that which stands under or provides the basis for’. For example, a title deed is the substance of ownership, it proves ownership.

‘EVIDENCE’ is like a bank guaranteed cheque! – A proof of things not seen; a proof that there is cash in the bank. In other words faith relates us to the invisible world – the world of the unseen.

Hebrews 11:3 ‘By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.’

Hebrews 11:27 ‘It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.’