What is faith?  Is it believing something is true?  What kinds of faith are there?  I have heard many different definitions of faith.  In view of the confusion, how can we find out what faith truly is?

The place to look for the answers is the Bible.  

•  Hebrews 11:1 states, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen."

What does Hebrews 11:1 mean?

Two illustrations might be helpful.  The first illustration will deal with the "substance of things hoped for."

Two men were fishing in their own boats in the same area of a large lake.  A third fisherman named William met them and showed each of the first two men some huge fish he had caught in another part of the lake.

The men asked William where he caught his fish.  William gave both men directions to the fishing spot then shouted, "So long and good fishing!"  He then headed to shore with his prize catch.

The first man pulled up anchor and sped away toward the location given by William.  The second man thought, "If nothing happens here I'll try that area."  But he never did.  Yet, he wondered how the first man had done.

Which man demonstrated faith in the words of William, the direction giver?

The first man, of course.  The substance of the first man's hope was the action of pulling up anchor and heading toward the new fishing area.  The demonstration or "substance" of his hope was his action.

Another illustration might help explain the second part of the definition of faith, (evidence of things not seen).

Two men wanted to cross a busy street.  One goes to the corner and sees a red sign that says, "Don't Walk."  He waits at the corner until the sign changes to green and reads, "Walk."  He immediately leaves the curb and crosses the street. 

Without realizing his convictions the man has demostrated faith in at least two ways.  First, he demonstrated his belief that the crosswalk sign was functioning properly.  Second, he demonstrated his belief that oncoming traffic would obey the traffic sign.

The other man arriving at the same crosswalk pays no attention to the crosswalk sign, but looks in every direction and dashes across the street when he believes he can cross the street avoiding any oncoming traffic.  This man demonstrated  a belief in his own ability to traverse the street without any outside help. 

Both men demonstrated "evidence" of their beliefs, or "in things not seen."

•  James 2:17-18 states, "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  Yea, a man many say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

The Bible clearly shows there are two kinds of faith: Dead Faith and Living Faith.

Dead Faith is talk without action.

Living Faith has action.

It is not what a man says that determines his faith, but what a man does.

Christian faith is likened to two men confined to wheelchairs.  (Every Christian when he first comes to Christ is spiritually handicapped in one way or another).

The doctor, (Jesus Christ, the healer of man's soul), tells the men they can walk.

One man states he knows he can walk, but never gets out of the wheelchair.

The other man gets up and takes a step.  He falls time after time.  A nurse (another Christian) helps him.  He still falls and even pulls the nurse to the floor as he falls  sometimes, but he continues his course.

Eventually he is able to walk on his own.  At first he takes baby steps.  He stumbles from time to time, but he continues.  Later strength is gained in his legs and he walks better and better until he is able to help another take his first steps.

Which man do you suppose pleases God?

Faith is given by God, but we need to give action to that faith or we will never grow in the Lord.

J-me
copyright 2009 J-me