What Does it Mean to Have Faith?

Faith is mentioned in the bible over 422 times, Faith defined is trust or confidence in a person or thing. The Christian theology version describes faith as trust in God and his promises as made by Christ and the Scriptures through which we are justified and saved. The opposite of faith is doubt, distrust, disbelief, and rejection. We all must have some form of faith as we face the world each day, for example we have faith in little things like our car will get us to work, or that we will receive our paycheck at the end of the week. Unfortunately some put to much confidence in a person or things that demonstrate to be unfaithful like the stock market, housing industry, careers, marriages and other “things”. Obviously we live in a fallen world and have little control over others. Is there really anything truly worthy of our faith?

Acceptance is essentially a big part of Faith and Faith in God is considered Truth. We all live with the Spirit of Truth within us (John 14:17 14:38). Those who choose not to accept the truth will be unable to discern what is from God. (1 John 4:6) We are given by God the choice of free will and have the option to accept, that which is in each of us.

(1 Corinthians 1:18)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate

Faith is accepting truth for things you may not fully comprehend, believing and expecting for the things you cannot see. We realize faith from accepting Jesus as the Son of God the redeemer, forgiver of our sins and promise of eternal life. When we accept Christ we do so by faith from what we have learned from the word of God and his testimony, laying our sinful nature aside by asking for forgiveness and seeking his divine direction in all we do. When we accept Christ he reveals truth to us as we mature in faith, through his word and the holy sprit that lives within each of us and acts as a moral compass for what is godly.

(John 16:13)
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

We are not saved by our faith in God, but rather by his simple grace given to us however we must open ourselves up to his grace by falling into humble obedience to his will for our life. (Proverbs 3:33-35,James 4:5-7, 1 Peter 5:4-6) Gods will is twofold his basic will for us as a whole and his specific will for your life alone. So how can we learn the will of God for our life? His basic will is for us to seek him in all our decisions laying our burdens before him as our source for all things. It is through our obedience of continued prayer, meditation and renewing of our minds through scriptures daily that we display our faith moving away from sin and closer to him so that he may reveal a good work in us. (Romans 8:27-29)

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God wants to be the source for all our needs over people and things in which we place any faith. (Romans 15:13), (1 John 5:3-5). Faith is boldly professing Gods truths and his promises over our life and the lives of others in light of our circumstances, living with expectation that we will be rewarded for our faith regardless of how long it takes. (Psalm 130:5, Hebrews 11:29-30, Romans 4:18-25)

The bible is filled with stories of people who stepped out in faith and boldly cried out to God in prayer and he answered them. 1 Chronicles 4:10, Luke 1:13, Mathew 21:21-23, Mark 9:23, Mark 11:24.

So considering the state of our world and the difficulties we face, and the evil that exist I ask you again what do you have faith in? (Romans 1:16-18, Revelation 1:16-18)

Revelation 22:12-14
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.