Day 60: What is Faith and Why Is It So Important?
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for,
being convinced of what we do not see. {NET}
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen. {KJV}
Throughout MilktoMeat we explore the relationship of Hope, Faith, and Love. These three virtues are intertwined and inseparable. In our fist Phase, Discovering the Way, we focused on Hope as being the “first thing” that our Heavenly Father gives us through the Message of the Gospel (see Colossians 1:4-6). Yesterday we reviewed the foundational role Hope plays in our lives. Now we are going to focus on understanding Faith.
Faith is Assurance based in God’s Faithfulness.
As a starting point, take note in the verses above that Hope comes before Faith —faith is being sure of what we hope for. We hope in something or someone before we trust them. We don’t want to press this point too far because these ideas are so closely linked together. But it is important to note that faith flows from hope. Faith brings assurance to the things that we hope for. Faith says that since Father-God Himself is faithful, the things that He has promised to us are as good as done. Faith is being sure that God will be faithful to us based on what He has said and promised to us.
Faith is the “evidence” of God’s Invisible work.
Notice also that faith “is being convinced of what we do not see.” This will become an important truth to unpack as we move along. The writer of Hebrews gives us some practical application by going on to say,
Hebrews 11:3
By faith we understand that the universe was created by God’s command, so that what is seen has been made from things that are not visible.
We did not see God speak all things into creation, but we have faith (we trust) in God who told us that this is the way things happened. Much of the work that Father-God is doing within us, in Christ is invisible. (Remember, our lives are hidden in Him!) As we have already heard, when we received Christ by trusting Him alone as our Savior, the Holy Spirit came to dwell within our hearts. We did not “see” this happen, nevertheless, we are called to trust that this is true. The very fact that we can believe this is part of the evidence that the Father gives to confirm that this is reality.
With these basic things in mind lets give a general definition of faith:
Key Definition: Faith
Faith is placing our ultimate and final confidence (trust) in God The Father, Son and Spirit as they oversee and direct our lives. Faith brings assurance to our hope. Faith is the evidence that Father-God is working in Christ through the Holy Spirit in and through us.
Faith is the instrument of God’s power protecting us.
Let’s take these truths a little further. Take a look at this:
1 Peter 1:3-5
Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1:4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 1:5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
Here Peter is talking about the full and complete reality of our salvation. For Peter (and all the New Testament writers) our Salvation will not be perfectly complete until we are present with Christ in redeemed, glorified bodies. Yet even now, we have been given a new birth (A New Origin) and a new inheritance that is protected in Heaven for us (A New Destiny). Our Hope is focused toward this New Heavenly Inheritance. While we are here on Planet Earth, we live in the reality of our New Birth, looking toward the Hope of our New Inheritance.
But how can we be sure that we will make it to this New Inheritance? Peter gives us a wonderful answer: we are being protected in the present time by God’s power through our faith! Faith is the “tool,” the instrument that God uses to implement His protective power in our lives. We will develop this as we move along.
Our Faith pleases Father God.
Hebrews 11:2–6
For by it (Faith) the people of old received their commendation… And without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that he rewards those who seek him. {ESV}
The last thing that we need to remember about faith is that it is what sets us in a right relationship with God. We are commended by God on the basis of our faith, trust, confidence in Him. We please God through faith. This is an important truth to keep in mind throughout this study. The most pleasing thing that we do is to trust our Father who has given us all things in Christ through the Holy Spirit.
As we close out today, you can think about Hope>Faith>Love in terms of our Journey here on Earth. In Hope we see the Future Reality of the Glorious fulfillment of our lives at the end of our Earthly journey in Christ. By Faith we engage the journey hopefully, even taking great risk, because we are confident in God. Along the way we are able to follow Christ’s example of Love, even to the point of self-sacrifice, because we know that this present life is not all that we have.
Take a minute to review what you have read today. Mark some of these key passages in your Bible. Could you explain what Faith is to someone else?
Think about this truth: Father-God is protecting you powerfully through faith. What does that say about the significance of faith? What does that say about the security of your relationship with the Father?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
