Faithful to Believe

Many of times we hear the word Faith and how we should apply it to our lives. But what is Faith really and how important is it in our walk with God? A loaded question indeed, but don't worry...we have time lol

What is Faith?

Webster defines Faith as

-Fidelity to one's promises: sincerity of intentions

-A belief and trust in and loyalty to God.

-Firm belief in something for which there is no proof

-Complete truth

-Something that is believed especially with strong conviction

The Bible defines Faith, via Hebrews 11:1, as:

"Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (KJV)

"Now Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see." (NIV)

"Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don't see." (CEB)

"Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses." (AMP)

Notice the words used to define Faith:

Substance: The real physical matter of which a person or thing consists of which has tangible solid presence. {all of me]

Confidence: the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.

Reality: the world or state of things as they actually exist; opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.

Assurance: A positive declaration intended to give confidence; a promise.

Conviction: a firmly held belief or opinion.

When we add all of these together we can better define Faith as

Faith - a Firm trust, state of being, positive declaration belief in things hoped for and the proof, evidence, and reality of their existence.

Faith is a positive declaration; state of reality; and a firm unwavering belief.

To take it a step further.....

Each translation spoke to me in a different, yet unifying way.

When the King James Version, KJV, stated, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for...' I heard the spirit of the Lord say, "ALL of me." Substance is the real physical matter things consists of. You need to believe in God and what you hope for with all of you. An example of this expression of Faith would be Jesus Christ & The Apostle Paul.

When the New International Version, NIV, stated, "Now Faith is the confidence in what we hope for.." I heard the spirit of the Lord say, "Firm trust." A solid firm trust in Him. To say that "I trust in the Lord" to that capacity says, "I believe you Lord, I believe your law, and what you say to me is true. You will do exactly what you say. You are faithful and I trust you with everything." An example of this expression of Faith would be the life and experiences of Abraham.

When the Common English Bible, CEB, stated, "Faith is the reality of what we hope for..." I heard the spirit of the Lord say, "Your reality." The Lord wants you to believe and trust him to a point that everything he tells you is Your Reality even though it may not appear before you. The evidence and the proof is in his [spoken] word. Your faith has to be YOUR Reality. It has to be real to you. It has to be real to you to work. Real enough for you to experience in all 4/5 senses. So real you can feel it, taste it, breathe it, smell it, & see it. The best examples of this expression of Faith would be The parting of the Red Sea and The Faith of the Centurion.

When the Amplified version stated, "Now FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for..." I heard the spirit of the Lord say, "a promise with backing." Having Faith in God is more than a simple wish or idea, but surety in a promise with backing. It takes more effort than a simple thought and/or realization with no backing. An example of this expression of Faith are of Elizabeth and Mary.

When the Amplified version stated, "...the conviction of their reality..." Conviction meaning a firmly held belief. The Lord reminded me of a passage from The Bait of Satan by John Bevere. Bevere wrote that the meaning of believe has been weakened into a mere acknowledgement of a certain fact. He added, If we remain true to the context of scripture we will find that the main element of believing is obedience (p101-102). So when the Lord spoke belief to me, He reminded me that we must obey Him. Having Faith in the Lord means to Firmly obey Him and His teachings.

Faith Revisited: Faith is a positive declaration; state of reality; and a firm unwavering obedience.

Where does Faith come from?

Faith is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8 states, "For it is by grace, you have been saved--Through faith, that it is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." So when you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Faith is a free gift automatically deposited into your spirit. Kind of like receiving a "keep sake" after attending a wedding or baby shower.

Romans 12:3 confirms by saying "think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance to the faith God has distributed each of you." God has distributed each of us with the amount of faith and grace we will need to achieve His perfect will.

Why is Faith important?

Hebrews 11:6 says, "And without Faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

I'm pretty sure you want to please the Lord. Why? Because you're on my blog site! LOL If you didn't care you would've stopped reading a long time ago.

Hahaha Ok in all seriousness.

If Faith is that important to God it would make sense for every believer to have a clear understanding of what Faith actually is so we can please Him correctly, right? I mean we all want to please God. We love Him. He is our Abba Father; however, the most important way to please him is to have...Faith. Yes, I said, MOST IMPORTANT, meaning

✔ I can read and memorize the whole Bible,

✔I can feed the sick & clothe the hungry,

✔I can minister to my neighbors and travel the world spreading the Gospel,

✔I can Love my enemies and bless those who curse me,

✔I can give and tithe millions of dollars to my local church,

✔ I can adopt 80 children,

✔I can go to church every Sunday,

✔I can attend every Bible Study, every prayer service, every special service,

✔I can serve in over 3 help ministries at church,

✔I can assist with bringing thousands of converts to Christ,

See where I am going with this...

✔ I can do everything the Red Letters tell me to do (Red letters are used to identify the words spoken by Jesus Christ in the New Testament)

But I don't have Faith, I have failed to please God.

We are not only held accountable by our works, but more highly accountable by our Faith.

According to the Apostle Paul, It is Faith that completes our works.

Sounds foreign?...Let's find it in the scriptures.

(Let's get interactive! Click on the Hyperlinks or pull out your Bible.)

Romans 5:1

Not only is Faith important because it is a way to please God, but it is also a way to manifest spiritual promises into the physical world.

Let's Research it!

In an article entitled "The Surprising Links between Faith and Health" Rob Mill stated, "spiritual practices like faith, can reduce blood pressure, strengthen the immune system, and help stave off some effects of Mental illness about as well as many drugs on the market."

Speaking of drugs on the market, Have you ever heard of the Placebo effect ?

Faith has been scientifically proven to improve one's health through an experiment called "The Power of Placebo" by Gideon Ariel in 1972. In short, During the experiment Ariel gathered 15 athletes for a steroid study that would last for 11 weeks. The athletes were to work out as usual and the top six were to be rewarded with an anabolic steroid pill for the remaining 4 weeks of training. Only, the the "top" six were randomly selected and the steroid pill was a placebo or "sugar pill." The goal of the experiment was to test the improvement of the athletes based on their belief that the steroid would actually help them. The results shocked everyone!

Four weeks later, when the researchers conducted the final test, the athletes set all-time personal records in every exercise tested. Before the placebo pills, the lifters added an average of 5.8 lbs (2.6 kg) to their squat during the first 7 weeks of training. After they believed they were taking steroids, they added an average of 41.8 lbs (18.9 kg) in just 4 more weeks of training. That’s a 7x increase in nearly half the time.

The same scene played out in nearly every exercise. During the first 7 weeks of training, the lifters increased their bench press by about 10 lbs (4.5 kg) on average. After 4 weeks of receiving placebo pills that they believed to be steroids, the athletes added an average of 29.3 lbs (13.3 kg) to their bench press numbers. On military press, they increased by an average of 1.6 lbs (0.7 kg) during the initial 7-week period, but added an average of 16.7 lbs (7.6 kg) during the 4 weeks on placebo pills.

The results have averaged about the same in every testing of the Placebo. Cancer victims, weight loss, You name it! People receive miraculous healing and/or results because they not only believed [acknowledged] it would work, but because they believed with expectation! If this can be done with Faith alone. Imagine the power believers have when they align their Faith with the Word of God in strategic prayer! (See James 5:16)

How do I build Faith?

Now that we have a pretty good understanding of what Faith is, its importance, origin, & power. Let's delve into the scriptures to see how to build it!

Here are a few ways that we can grow our Faith:

✔By remaining faithful through Hardships

✔Through studying the bible

✔Through Prayer-Communing with the Holy Spirit

✔Having Accountability partners

Romans 4:20 says, "Yet he [Abraham] did not waiver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God."

Acts 14:22, "Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."

Jude 1:20, "to build our faith by praying in the Holy Ghost and keeping ourselves in the love of God."

Colossians 2:7, "having God as your foundation will give you strong roots in Him. Then our faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."

1 Timothy 3:13, "those who serve well will have an increased confidence in their faith in Jesus Christ."

Titus 1:13, "the body of Christ should be accountable to each other and correct each other firmly so we will be sound in our faith."

Thank you for staying with me and reading to the very end haha. It's a lot of information and jam packed with sources that further confirm the scriptures. It's okay to take it in doses because the goal is not to finish fast or know and regurgitate, but to learn and apply it to your life. The Lord placed it on my heart and lead me to write this post to make sure that His people have a better and/or clearer understanding of Faith. It is important to Him and I hope you have learned as much as I did in the process! Trust the Lord and ask Him to assist you in applying all that you have learned to your life as well as the lives of others! There is so much more to learn and discover about Faith, but I would hope this post will give you a sturdy foundation as you search for a deeper understanding through Christ Jesus. My prayers are with you! Here's to another shot at not only "Getting it Right, but "Getting it Righteous."

Feel free to leave comments and share with your family and friends!

My love to all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.

-1 Corinthians 16:24

Sources:

Bevere John. "The Rock of Offense." The Bait of Satan: Your Response Determines Your Future. Lake Mary, FL: Creation House; 1994.101-102. Print.
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=31481
http://archives.relevantmagazine.com/life/surprising-links-between-faith-and-health
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/the-power-of-placebo-what_b_10221474.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/who-is-Jesus.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Paul.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Abraham.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/parting-Red-Sea.html
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+8:5-13
https://www.gotquestions.org/Elizabeth-in-the-Bible.html
https://www.gotquestions.org/virgin-birth.html
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith

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