What Is Faith?
Faith Defined
Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the
title deed) of the things (we) hope for, being the
proofs of things (we) do not see and the conviction of
their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is
not revealed to the senses). Amplified Bible
The Greek word “Pistis” is translated many
times “Faith” which means: trust, assurance, or
confidence in another’s word. Therefore, faith in God
simply is trust and obedience to God. Faith is that unwavering confidence in God, which is built
upon absolute trust in His integrity,
believing and acting upon His Word. It is having
confidence in Him that His Word is true and that He is
faithful to keeping and performing His Word. Scripture
declares that: “He watches over His Word to perform it”.
Faith is not a creditable act as it were, but an
indispensable channel through which man receives God’s
free gift.
Faith is also a covenant relationship based upon the
belief in the faithfulness of God.
The
book of Hebrews chapter eleven verse one is not just an
introduction to faith or its definition, but also a
description of what faith does.
Faith
apprehends as a real fact what is not revealed to the
senses. It rests on that fact, acts upon it, and is
upheld by it in the face of all that seems to contradict
it.
The understanding of the scriptural text above depicts
that faith considers things hoped for as authentic and
as the proof or conviction of what we do not see and it
is not a persuasion that is the outcome of imagination
but that which is based on God’s Word. Let us examine
the following words: “Substance and Evidence.”
The Greek word for Substance is “Hupostasis,”
it means, “that which underlines the apparent, essence
or reality, support, ground work, confidence,
confirmation, title deed.” On the other hand the Greek
word for Evidence is “Elegchos,” it
means, “proof, that by which a thing is proved or
tested, conviction or manifestation.”
Things hoped for, existing always in the future, which
cannot be seen, but its non-visibility is not an
indication of non-existence, “.... for the things
which are seen are temporal, but the things which are
not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4: 18 NKJV).
This suggests that things hoped for, yet not seen or
experienced in the natural, nevertheless do exist in the
supernatural and it has higher tangibility than the
things seen or experienced in the natural. Therefore,
the substance (essence or reality, title deed, support
or ground work), the evidence (proof, that by which a
thing is proved or tested or conviction) of things hoped
for and yet not seen is faith. As a matter of
fact, scriptural faith treats things hoped for as real
and the proof or manifestation of what is unseen as
real.
In actuality, for faith to be activated, there must of
necessity be hope. By all accounts, this could be one of
the reasons for which a lot of believers and
non-believers alike are not experiencing the potency of
faith. Hence, they are of the conclusion that the
message of faith is beside the point and impotent. This
is to be seen and considered as an unscriptural and
erroneous conclusion. Considering faith as the producer
and hope as the raw material will bring clarity to this
confusion that has persisted for such a long time. It is
reasonable to infer that without the raw material, the
producer would have nothing to work on or work with, in
order to produce the desired product. Conversely this is
true of faith, for without hope, faith has nothing to
work on or with to produce the desired result.
Some are swept along by the tides of life. Others, walk
on top of those same tides, and are unhurt by them. The
difference is faith. You are impregnated with
potential not to fail and too resourceful to be
abandoned! Your present circumstance or situation should
not determine your ultimate outcome. Faith is a
prerequisite that make the flow of success in your
pursuit. If
your words and thoughts are positive, affirmative and
full of faith, then it will ultimately bring about the
changes that are congruent with your desired outcome.
You need faith, a deep down belief, a conviction that no
matter the present circumstance is that you will make
it, and achieve your purpose and goals that you have set
out to accomplish.
What you believe for you will receive. Faith
without result is as impossible as rain without
water, or as sunshine without light. In all your
undertaking, it is imperative that you have faith in God
and the potential in you. It is your faith that
will bring into your life that which you hope for as
against your present circumstance. No barrier is
insurmountable to those who walk and speak the command
of faith.
Faith and fear are both a matter of expectation. The
difference between them lies only in the things
expected.
Faith will activate the power of God in and through your
life and over your circumstances.
Fear is one of the worst
enemies of success, it
anticipates disaster, whereas faith anticipates
triumph. Which of these two will govern your life? It is
a matter of personal choice.
Faith and fear both find their activation in the thing
you choose to be hopeful of. If you choose to anticipate
the worst, fear will thrive, and your anticipation of
disaster will be reinforced and enlarged. Fear feeds and
grows on your insecurities. If you choose to expect the
best, faith will flourish, and your expectation of good
things will be enhanced and enlivened. A positive
expectation provides an impetus for faith that will grow
stronger and audacious as you fix your confidence on the
never failing promise of God.
“ALL
THINGS ARE POSSIBLE IF YOU BELIEVE!”
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Three
Powerful Principles for Success
By: Brian Tracy
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