Defining Faith
What is faith, and why is it so important to the survival of
the supernatural being? Merriam-Webster.com defines faith as "strong
belief or trust in someone or something." God honors faith. This statement
made me question where faith comes from. Many people argue their faith as if it
belongs to them, but according to the definition of faith, it belongs to
someone else. That someone else can be anyone, so it does not have to be God,
or a deity of any kind; however, according to the Bible God never falls short
of his glory, and his glory is to keep his promise. His promise is the faith
that he bestows upon us. So for the sake of this post I am choosing to focus on
Faith in God.
Have you ever heard or used this the word faith to describe
your trust in someone else? I reference faith all the time, especially when I
say, "I trust God." There can be no faith without evidence of trust.
Before one can trust, there must be a promise to accept. Now, if we consider
that salvation is the promise that God gave us, then we should realize that
faith is a matter of eternal relevance. For this reason, faith cannot be
honored until we experience death. This is why faith is highly important to the
survival of our supernatural being. Here's a question, "What proof exist that
faith will be honored?" Well, we could turn to the bible for this answer.
Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Why?
Because He showed the world that there is life after death. Jesus Christ is the
only security that a believer needs that God will honor faith.
Faith versus Hope
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the
conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, English Standard Version).
What does it mean to hope? Have you ever hoped for something?
Merriam-Webster.com defines hope as "to want something to happen or be
true and think that it could happen or be true." So hope is purely
personal. Hope belongs to the individual, regardless of who are what is in
control of the end result. You can hope for warmer weather and lower taxes, but
you'd be a half-baked cake if you did not pursue assurance for your hopes.
I think that is important to note that both faith and hope
are action words, also known as verbs. Do you realize that faith without works
is meaningless (James 2:17). Also, "without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6, King James
Version). What does this mean? It means that God will not honor the faithless.
It means that hope is not enough to please God. God does not care about what
you want to be true because He is truth.
Obtaining Faith
What must you do to obtain faith? The answer is simple. You
must seek God. Then your faith will be the evidence of the things you hope for.
What should you hope for? Perhaps you should hope to experience the reward of
God's honor, also known as faith. Hope for the strength to endure. Hope for
things that bring peace to your mind, but have faith in God; He is the author
and finisher of your faith.
References:
Faith. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 30,
2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faith
Hope. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 30,
2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hope
