Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
יְהֹוָה
Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life—throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God.
And indeed, my brethren, even those who know what faith is, personally and experimentally, do not always find it easy to give a good definition of it. They think they have hit the mark, and then, afterwards, they lament that they have failed. Straining themselves to describe some one part of faith, they find they have forgotten another, and in the excess of their earnestness to clear the poor sinner out of one mistake, they often lead him into a worse error. So that I think I may say that, while faith is the simplest thing in all the world, yet it is one of the most difficult upon which to write; because from its very importance, our soul begins to tremble while speaking of it, and then we are not able to describe it so clearly as we would.
~C.H. Spurgeon
Faith is the vital catalyst of G_d’s Grace. He starts the reaction by planting a seed of faith in us. But then, by His unfathomable Grace, He enables us to allow that seed to grow. This faith is an inner buoyancy growing into something that enables us to believe and engage the very Power, Goodness, and Grace of G_d in our lives. Fully born, faith then is an absolute confidence which facilitates the work of Almighty G_d in us, through us and on our behalf.
· Faith is fundamental. A must-have. A non-negotiable.
· The Bible does not make sense without faith.
· Salvation does not happen without faith.
· Life does not work without faith.
· Fear is the absence of faith.
· Faith without works is dead
>>>>> But works without faith are equally dead.
“The Message” renders Hebrews 11:1 as follows: The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.
Application: In Bedrock: The Bible is True, I stated that there are many good reasons to go along with the Bible. However, I have discovered a vital element to this equation: Moving from mere intellectual consent or assent to heart-level faith in G_d and His Word has been the key to unleashing Their power in my life. My simple obedience to the fact that there is substance to my hope, that there IS evidence of things unseen puts me into a whole new situation. Suddenly, the stage is set for God to do His thing in my life.
How do we get faith? How does faith grow?
The Bible has an uncomplicated answer: Romans 10:17: So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. As we hear and read the Bible, my faith can grow. As my faith grows, we are able to accept more of His Word. And as we accept more of His Word our faith grows… and so on. It is a beautiful, ever-increasing positive cycle.
So, here is the recipe for faith:
“Syncretism Alert!” regardless… this quote carries some important truth:
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
~Frank Herbert, from the Dunian Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear
