A common questions people ask is “What is faith?”
Faith is contingent on the thing it’s trusting. Faith is hope and trust we place in “something” – whether the plane we’re about to fly or the weatherman’s report or a life-philosophy. Faith, in this way, is a verb. It is active. It leans on something. But if the thing that it leans on is not real, then is the faith is in vain? Yes. And then again, no.
Faith has the power to heal. It has the power to bring peace or joy. That’s because faith works with the human psyche to activate the latent power of the soul—our own inner abilities to self-transform. But that kind of transformation doesn’t necessarily last because it’s dependant on self. And self is very, very limited. Worse, it is flawed.
Take Buddists for example. Right now there’s a huge, jade Buddha statue in San Diego, and many people are conjuring up their faith and hoping it will bring them peace, harmony etc. The sad thing is, it is possible, because of their own faith, that they find peace. But this faith will not lead them to eternal peace. (It does not solve the problem of sin and reconciliation to God.)
In other words, their belief-system may comfort them in much the same way as belief in Santa Claus enthuses children. But, truth is, Santa’s not real. When that’s discovered, the joy dissolves. Likewise, neither the Buddha statue nor the one it represents—the fat guy who reportedly left his wife and children to seek his own wellbeing—provide lasting peace. They serve only to summon the human power of belief.
So what, if anything, is different about the Christian faith?
The Bible describes faith this way:
“…faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV).
Here are some other translations of that same verse:
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (NIV).
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” (NLT).
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (NAS).
Real faith is confidence, assurance, sureness…substance and it allows us to walk in the things we don’t see but know to be real.
Biblical faith is based on a person—the one who lived a sinless life, paid for the sins of mankind through his propitiatory death on the cross and, most important of all, rose again. The Son of God. Jesus.
What makes general faith different from faith in the Christ? It is the substance, the solidity, the foundation behind the belief. And how does one prove it? There is only one way: it requires accepting Jesus as God’s Son and asking Him to become your Lord and Savior. Only then can a person’s eyes be opened by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth. Without this “step of faith”, you can’t know real faith.
If you do this, and you take time to get to know Jesus through His Word, the Bible, you’ll soon taste the difference between faith in Him and, well, just “faith.”
Learn more about Jesus at JesusCentral.com
Janey L. DeMeo M.A.
Copyright © February 2011
Comments
Janey,
Recently I (the Philadelphia Christian Perspectives Examiner) challenged the Philadelphia Atheist Examiner to pose five questions for Christians while I posed five questions for the Atheists.
Knowing how the Atheists usually come out en masse to support the cause, I am hoping to drum up some wise and learned brothers and sisters to join our side in what I expect will be a "spirited debate."
Here are the two links:
http://www.examiner.com/christian-perspectives-in-philadelphia/five-questions-for-my-atheist-friends
http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-philadelphia/five-questions-for-christians
I'd love for you to join in when the debate gets going, but it's up to you.
Thanks,
Steve
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