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"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1
One of the most important components of the Christian life is faith. It is distinguished from hope, though the two are related. Whereas hope is the anticipation and expectation of something good that hasn't come or happened yet, faith is the confident trust we have in someone or something. Faith is the solid foundation of any relationship, including that with God. Our relationship with God is based on our confidence and trust in Him. Without it, it is impossible to please God.
"But 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
Though we cannot see God, we have faith that not only does He exist, but He also is there for us, and He will reward us for our trust in Him. If we say we believe in God, we must trust that He will do all the things He has done for His people in the past and present. If we cannot trust Him, then we are telling Him that we do not believe that He can do any of the things mentioned throughout scripture. Distrust is the collapse of any relationship, and our relationship with God would collapse if we have a distrust for Him. That is why Hebrews 11:6 states that without faith, it is impossible to please Him.
A good example of trusting faith is found in Luke 7:36-50. In this passage, a Pharisee invited Jesus to his home to eat and a certain woman, who was a sinner, wept before Jesus and washed His feet with her tears and anointed His head with oil. The Pharisee judged her in his heart, believing that she should not be in the presence of the Lord because she was a sinner. But Jesus forgave the woman for her sins, seeing that she expressed so much love and repentance toward Him.
“And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” Luke 7:50
She trusted in Jesus being the Son of God who came down to earth to die for mankind's sins, thus she accepted His salvation even before He went to the cross. Seeing this type of faith, Jesus accepted her repentance and forgave her. It was the woman’s faith (trust in His salvation) in Jesus that saved her from eternal punishment. When we come to God, we must have that same faith this woman had in Jesus if we want to be saved from the fiery torments of the lake of fire (see Revelation 20:15).
In Hebrews 11:1, the author states that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith stems from past things that have been proven to be true, accurate, and effective. When we come across a product online, we are presented with statistics, sales, and testimonies that prove the quality and effectiveness of the product. Therefore, we develop faith (trust) that we can rely on this product. Similarly, when we read in the Bible about the countless acts of faith and extraordinary acts of God, it shows us that the Lord is true and always fulfills His word. Based on the holy scriptures, we can rely on these truths that God will always keep His promises. When we receive these words, that is where our faith comes from and we build off of that. In Romans 10:17, the apostle Paul tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God.
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Romans 10:17
We build our faith in God when we hear (listen to) the word of God and receive it with all our heart. Throughout His ministry, Jesus often said, "He who hath an ear, let him hear." Those who listen to God can truly build faith in Him.
Now faith does not stop at simply believing in God. Many professing Christians believe in the power of God but do not exercise that faith by doing their part. For example, there are many in the churches that believe in the healing power of God. They know that God can heal them from a terminal disease or a debilitating injury. And so they think that the only thing they must do is pray and believe that God heals them. Now there is nothing wrong with prayer, but prayer alone does not always bring about healing. Just as we expect God to heal us, He also expects us to do our part in us receiving our healing. And it comes through more than just prayer. We must take the initiative to bring about our healing by taking the necessary supplements and nutritional vitamins as well as performing the correct exercises to help us heal. When you couple these things with your faith in God and His word, that is when you receive your healing. This is faith by works.
We cannot just believe in God and what He can do; we must show our trust in Him by obeying Him. In James 2:17, the apostle James stated:
"Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." James 2:17
James reiterates this point three verses later:
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20
There are Christians who believe that we do not have to do anything once we get saved, providing Ephesians 2:8 to prove their case.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” Ephesians 2:8
However, Paul was telling the Ephesians that we cannot work for salvation, for God freely provided salvation to us through His Son Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift, and you cannot work for a gift because it is given to you. We are saved from sin and death by the grace of God and through our faith in Him. This verse is not suggesting that faith is all we need to be counted righteous before God. This was the point the apostle James was making in his letter. He tells us in James 2:21-23:
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Issac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." James 2:21-23
James used the example of Abraham to show that it is by our works that our faith (trust in God) is justified. It is not to be confused with getting saved through faith. Remember, spiritual work is not required to get saved, but we are to work to justify our faith in the salvation of Jesus after we get saved.
"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." James 2:24
Throughout Hebrews 11, the acts of faith are displayed as examples of what happens when we exercise our faith in God. The author of Hebrews goes through a list of Old Testament figures who demonstrated their faith in the most incredible ways. One thing all these saints had in common was they did what they did out of obedience to God. Their faith in God was so great that they obeyed God. Faith then truly is obeying God. As James stated, faith without works (obedience) is dead. Many Christians have faith but do not completely follow God's commandments. We please God when we obey Him in all that we do. That is the difference between living faith and dead faith.