What is faith?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things
not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Faith is taking God
at His word. Faith is a belief in God and a trusting
acceptance of God's will that does not rest on logical proof or physical
evidence.
Therefore, being always of good courage, and
knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- for we walk by faith, not by sight-- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather
to be absent from the body and
to be at home with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8
If everything were revealed to man then we would not have to have faith
in God - we would have the knowledge of God and all would accept Him.
God uses faith as a standard for separating those that love Him and seek
Him sight unseen from those that do not want what He has freely offered
us - that is eternal life with Him.
Faith also produces good works that glorify God. We can never be
good enough or do enough good works to earn our way into heaven but
because we have faith in the goodness of God we are compelled to do good
works as a sign of our faith in Him.
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
(James 2:26)
Also
[Gal 5:6; James 2:17, 20]
If our
faith was based on having an easy life if we did the right thing then
everyone would do the right thing. But God wants us to have faith in
Him when things are not going well as much as when they are going well
for us. That is why He lets the rain fall on the just and unjust
alike. If we only had faith in Him so that we could have good times in
our lives then it would not be faith at all – it would be payment for an
attitude.
Related:
James 2:18
But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your
faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
James 2:20
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without
works is useless?
James 2:26
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without
works is dead.
