Christian faith, what is that?

Christian faith is a bit of a conundrum. Christians are told “ya gotta have faith”. Faith preachers cajole congregations that “without faith you cannot please God”. Bible scholars will point out the Bible says that same phrase in several different places; old and new testament. So, people say they have faith, not really knowing what it is. What is faith?

Immediately the reader of Hebrews and listener of many sermons on faith will say “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen”, and still they will not know what faith is. They just know they need it to please God and it is some kind of ephemeral, intangible thing they must have. Faith, therefore, is something they must have.

Some will say faith is a gift from God, a spirit, a force, a just-about-anything-you-can-imagine, but they will not say what faith is directly or exactly. Mostly because they do not know. Many speak out of theologies and doctrines of others or parrot verses from the Bible without searching the meaning of those verses. But, that is not faith. That is dogma.

The word used in Hebrews 11.1 for the English word “faith” is the Greek word “pistis”, meaning conviction or belief; derived from “peitho”, meaning to convince or persuade. Does this mean that some are persuaded, convinced into belief? Yes. But compelling words alone are not enough. It is commitment to action based on that belief that shows the level of acceptance of the persuasion.

We read in James 2.17 that faith (pistis) without works is dead. Belief without action produces nothing. In verse 18, James makes the comparison of works (implying good works) verses works or actions based on his faith. James says “I will show you my faith by my works.” James would show them his persuaded belief by his actions.

Faith leads to action. In what do you have faith? Your actions will show you exactly in what you have faith.

In Genesis 2, we read where Eve was tempted of the serpent. Eve’s failure in the deception was her putting her faith or belief in what the serpent said and acting on it. Adam’s sin was not stopping Eve, not correcting her on what God had said, and his applying faith/belief to what the serpent said rather than what God said. It was their acts of faith in those things apart from God that created their sin (act of willful separation or leaving).

Faith is a decision. The decision leads to an action. The action defines, makes known to everyone, what it is you believe.

If you believe God, your actions will show your belief; will prove your belief.

If you believe in medicine and modern chemistry, your actions will prove your belief by the number of visits you make and the number of pills you take.

If you believe in any other thing, your actions will prove your belief.

You judge no one when you see a person drunk on alcohol and determine that person’s belief in alcohol is what they believe will give them happiness, peace, joy, or whatever. Their actions prove in what it is they believe.

Change the name from “alcohol” to anything else, the result is the same. You are not their judge but you can judge their belief by their actions.

In Antioch, the people there began to call these messianic Jews “christian” (christianos; Acts 11.26). It may have been a slur. It may have been just a description, because these Jews lived their lives according to the teachings of Jesus Christ (Iesous Christos). Their actions according to their faith were like those of Jesus Christ.

Faith has substance (Hebrews 11.1). It is us.

Faith has evidence. It is our actions based on what we believe.

In whatever we believe, persuaded to do, our actions will show and justify what it is we believe.

A pilot flies a plane based on the belief that engineers were correct in their design of a vehicle that uses thrust and lift to move through the air. A passenger on that plane has faith they were all correct and capable and therefore gets on the airplane for a flight to somewhere. Both are examples of faith in action.

Jesus told his disciples and those around him to have faith. He meant have faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus. If they had even a tiny bit of faith (even as small as a mustard seed) that would be enough for God to work a miracle.

It all comes down to this one thing: in what do you chose to believe, because that will determine what you do.

Fear is a guardian emotion. It lets you know something requires a lot of attention. Now, there are just two options that occur: 1- a bad thing is about to happen, 2- a bad thing is coming but can be averted or overcome.

Fear focused on the bad thing is applying faith that the bad thing will happen. We can read in Job 3.25 where Job said the thing he feared most has come upon him. His focus was on the bad thing that could happen; not the correction or the solution.

Like it or not, we are creative beings; just like our Father, God – Creator of the Universe. Those things wherein we focus our spirits will bear fruit; sometimes very quickly, sometimes not. Where we put our faith (hope, confidence, trust, persuaded belief) is where we will see results. Psychology referred to this as “self-fulfilling prophecy”. In motorcycles and race cars, where you look is where you will go. It is a truism of life. What you say out of your spirit will come to pass. Upon what are you focusing?

You can put your focus in or toward a lot of things. But only one thing is going to lead to life. Not just because I say so. Not because I have had validating experiences. Not because some book or religion said it was so. Only because God (El Adonai, Jehovah Elohim; the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus) said it was so.

Now, put you and Him to the test. Put your persuaded belief, hope, confidence, and trust in Him and act on what Jesus said to do in the Bible. You will find the force of your faith actions can and will produce what others will call miracles.

What is Christian faith? It is simply this: choosing to believe and act on the belief that Jesus was and is God, that Jesus paid at the cross a price for our reconciliation, that Jesus gave us a right relationship with God – the Creator of Heaven and Earth, that we now have a right relationship with God due to Jesus, that we have access to all that is in God’s house, and that we can begin living out our lives in day-to-day relationship with God by His Holy Spirit.

If you want that, just ask. Apply your persuaded belief and hope. Have faith in God and in Jesus. Then act on that applied belief and hope. It is enough.