Thoughts On Faith

Faith is a simple and common theme in all of Scripture. The biblical concept of “faith” is a simple concept, yet commonly misunderstood. In order to think about “faith,” it is essential, if not critical, to properly understand what we mean by the word and its concept, biblically.


(As I write, I assume a Christian worldview based solely on the Bible. I affirm the Bible is the only truly inspired or God-breathed Word of God. I affirm that only the 66 books of the Bible, contained in the Old and New Testaments are the inspired and infallible Word of God- in all its parts, as well as the whole. In the Bible, alone, God speaks authoritatively to all peoples everywhere for all time. “What the Bible says, God says, and what God says the Bible says.” This latter quote is attributed to my college professor, but it was not original to him).


If our concept is not biblical, then the term, the word, or the concept will always be misused, and misunderstood- as is most common today. Faith today is used to mean many things or represent many ideas, and that, of course, may be well and good for humanity. But the word, Scripturally speaking, has a simple, particular, meaning, not necessarily related to popular concepts or ideas. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1987, page 446, gives the following definitions:

Faith \ [the etymology indicates the word comes from Middle English, old French, and Latin. The Latin words are fides and fidere, meaning to TRUST – more at BIDE]. 1 a: allegiance to duty or a person: Loyalty. b. 1) fidelity to one’s promises. 2) sincerity of intentions. 2 a: 1) belief and trust in and loyalty to God. 2) belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion. b: 1) firm belief in something for which there is no proof. 2) complete trust. 3 something that is believed, especially with strong conviction: esp., a system of religious beliefs. Syn. See belief – in faith: without doubt or question: verily. Believe, trust.

The above dictionary definitions are, of course, valid and helpful in understanding the word, and its use. Biblically, however, the word is used in regard to two important matters: It is used as related to salvation and how it is acquired, or it is used to characterize how the Christian life is to be lived. The word simply means: Trust, confidence, belief, and obedience. Specifically, in regard to living the Chrisitan life, once regeneration has taken place in the believer, the biblical concept is one of absolute confidence and trust in God, which automatically results in humble loving obedience. It is important to understand that the emphasis, biblically, is not on the individual person, (who may exercise or not, faith, or who may or may not have faith) but on the object of one’s faith. (How faith is born, generated, or obtained, is another issue or discussion which I’ll refer to at some other time, especially in regard to regeneration). The Bible considers the object of the faith as more important than faith itself- both for salvation and santification! It is the object of the faith that proves the faith to be valid or invalid- sufficient and adequate or inadequate. For this reason, and contrary to popular belief, it does not matter how much faith a person has. The issue, biblically, is not how much faith you have, but where do you deposit that faith? That is, in the truth, and in God, or not? The only valid object of faith then, scripturally speaking, is God himself! The Lord Jesus Christ said that if you have faith “as small as mustard seed” it is valid! (Luke 17:6, NIV). (The “mustard seed” is regarded as the smallest of all seeds found in Palestine). I can conclude, and think we all can, that one must have at least that much faith! Otherwise, perhaps, there is no true biblical faith in the person! We should or can ask a question, “Who or what do you believe in?” This is the all important issue! Do you believe in the one true and only living God? (That is, in the God of the Bible). Do you believe in truth and in the universe as God created it? (Although it is now stained by sin?). Someone has said, “A person’s faith is only as good as the object of his faith.” (Anonymous quote. A common quote in some Christian circles). Considering this to be the case then, we should then ask, “Who is God?” Because knowing who God is is the birth of faith! Otherwise, no valid biblical “living” faith exists in a person- regardless of what he or she may claim. All they would have is a sub-faith or human faith in themselves or something else, but of no value before God for regeneration or santification.