Faith

And without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that seek after him (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith. It is a word that you hear many times, especially in terms of religion. There is "religious belief." Religion involves the things that you "believe," or so you have been told. But what is faith? What makes it so necessary?

The Bible itself provides us with an excellent definition of faith.

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

Faith involves belief-- confidence in something without having concrete evidence that it is true. Religious belief involves faith, but so does every aspect of life-- everything from getting up in the morning to getting in your car to going to work. We have confidence that things will go on as usual, even if we have no proof that they will happen exactly as we have planned. Even though every aspect of our lives is touched by faith in some way or another, it is good for us to consider faith in God and its importance.

We cannot offer concrete proof of the existence of God, Jesus of Nazareth, His death, burial, and resurrection, or the spiritual Kingdom of which Christ is head (Ephesians 5:22-33). No proof can be offered against any of these things, either. We can demonstrate that the stories preserved in the Bible are consistent with their time frames and thus are believable, but a "leap of faith" is always necessary to recognize God, Christ, and the Kingdom.

The Bible's message is designed for us to come to faith in God and Christ Jesus. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ," as Paul describes it in Romans 10:17. You can have assurance regarding God and His eternal plan in Jesus Christ which He has accomplished and is accomplishing (Ephesians 3:11): it is for everyone to read, understand, and accept in His Word.

Contrary to the claims of many, the Bible does not teach that "faith alone" is what will save a man. James explicitly refutes this idea in James 2:24. It is not sufficient to mentally accept the truth claims of Jesus of Nazareth; even the demons do that, and shudder (James 2:19). As the Hebrew author indicates, we must believe in God-- and believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

To seek after God is to follow His Word and obey His will, becoming a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6, 1 John 2:1-6). We must accept that Jesus Christ is Lord, and then place our confidence and trust in Him. Those who enter Christ's Kingdom are those who have a childlike faith (Matthew 18:1-4): complete trust in and dependence upon God. Faith in Jesus Christ demands everything from you: your life, your soul, your will, your priorities. Nothing else is worthy of Jesus (Matthew 10:37-39).

Faith in God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and His Kingdom is a costly matter. Yet such is the only way to receive the eternal reward and inheritance. We encourage you to count the cost, and consider becoming a believer in Jesus Christ today!

Ethan R. Longhenry