What is faith?

From a secular, even agnostic point of view, faith is the trust that someone places in beliefs that nobody can neither prove nor disprove. Believing, for instance, in the existence—as well as in the non-existence—of God demands faith. Indeed, there is no need of faith to accept what is already established. And persisting in pinning one’s hopes on something whose falsity has been demonstrated is called bad faith.

Although there is truth in this definition, it is not the way the apostles of the New Testament see faith. For Saint Paul, faith is the conviction and confidence Heb. 11.1, Young, 1862 that arise in the heart of a person when he hears God speak to him Rom. 10.17, King James.

This kind of faith may make him believe things that even reality contradicts.

In Rom. 4, Paul takes as an example Abraham, who believed that he would become a father of many nations because God had told him so Gen. 17.5, and in spite of the fact that all hope seemed foolish Rom. 4.18, Parole vivante, 2001:

Being almost a hundred years old, he knew that his body no longer had the power to procreate; he also knew that Sara [who was barren] was [definitively] no longer able to have children. But all these considerations did not make him falter in his faith.

Relying on the divine promise, he did not succumb to doubt. Drawing his strength from faith, he honoured God, being fully persuaded that God is able to keep his word and fulfil what he has promised. It is precisely this attitude which attracted divine favour to him; this faith was credited to him as righteousness, and because of it he was declared to be righteous.

Faith is neither imagination, nor a probability calculation, nor presumption, nor positive thinking, nor autosuggestion, nor a technique or recipe to realise one’s own desires Fontaine, 2007, pp. 13–16. Faith begins when God’s will is known Fontaine, 2007, p. 14.

Faith is the conviction and confidence Heb. 11.1, Young, 1862 that arise in the heart of a person when he hears God speak to him Rom. 10.17, King James.

But how can somebody be sure that what he has heard comes really from God? Christ answered this question in Matt. 7.15–20. He said, A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Matt. 7.18, King James

The words of God are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace, purified seven times Ps. 12.6, King James. They produce in those who receive them life, healing, and peace Prov. 4.20–22, John 6.63, Rom. 8.6.

Hearing God is not a privilege reserved for religious people. Abraham was neither Jewish, nor Muslim, nor Christian when God spoke to him Gen. 12.1–2, Gen. 15.5–6, Gen. 17.4–6. He was uncircumcised Rom. 4.10 and his father was an idolater Jos. 24.2.

To hear God, we must recognise his voice, and to recognise his voice, we must get to know him.

Here, we will develop our knowledge of God. We will see what the basic teachings of Christ Heb. 6.1–2 reveal to us about him.

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Questions

1. The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, depicts a God who converses with human beings. Does this seem implausible to you? Why?
2. If faith is born by listening to God, what are the possible causes of a lack of faith? Can the faith of someone who spends his time listening to what people say or pondering over his problems be strong?
3. Do we have to go to a specific place to hear God? Do we need an intermediary who listens to God in our place—perhaps because God does not want to speak to us directly—and who passes on to us the messages he has heard for us? Does the example of Abraham corroborate your answers to these two questions?
4. You can read a lot about God on this blog or in many other excellent sources. But which is more valuable: knowing God or knowing things about God? Explain the difference. Will knowing things about God give you faith?

Quotations

Presumption […]. […] Conjecture, conclusion formed on clues or appearances, and whose soundness is only probable.

We cannot make presumptions about what God will do. Faith begins when God’s will is known! […]

Presumption often leads to tragedy; see the biblical example Num. 14.44-45, Jerusalem Bible, 1968: Yet, they set out presumptuously toward the heights of the highlands. Neither the ark of the covenant of Yahweh nor Moses left the camp. The Amalekite and the Canaanite who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them, and harried them all the way to Hormah. […]

Biblically, we do not find an example where faith is defeated or disappointed. Many faith failures are actually acts of presumption.

How God’s Word is heard

If thou wouldst hear the Eternal Word speak unto thee,
First must thou wholly lose the hearing faculty.

The Word is heard from within

Believe it or not, God’s Word is heard inwardly
By he who, from external disturbance, is free.

The Word is heard in silence

God speaketh in thee louder than through people’s mouth;
Thou canst hear his Word if thou art silent enough.

Further thoughts on faith

Faith is not positive thinking, but faith makes someone optimistic. For God is a good God Wommack, n.d.. God is good. God is the very definition of good Mark 10.18.

To hear his voice is to hear everyday something good.

This is what God does: he gives his best—like his warming sun and the refreshing rain—to everyone, regardless: good or evil, righteous or crooked.

Bibliography

Photographic credits