What does the Bible say about faith?

It is not a definition of this principle, that the epistle gives us at the commencement of Hebrews 11, but a declaration of its powers and action. Faith realises (gives substance to) that which we hope for, and is a demonstration to the soul of that which we do not see.

"Now faith is the substantiating of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1, N.Tr.). The better and enduring substance was substantiated to the early Hebrew Christian by faith.

Faith makes real to us the things of God, which are brought before us by the Spirit in God's Word; the things that are to come and the things that are within the veil are ministered to us, and faith appropriates them. The man who is merely natural, even if religious, cannot receive them.

Ephesians 2:8 tells us that faith is "not of ourselves," but is "the gift of God." How, then, does it come to us? Romans 10:17 answers the question — "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." A report, God's Word, brings it to us.

A little child was asked, "What is faith?" She simply replied, "Believing what God says, because God says it."

Faith is like a window. It receives the light. The sunlight is there. It shines upon the wall outside, but in at the window; nothing is added to it, but its rays illumine the otherwise darkened room.

Faith is reposing wholly upon Christ — with both feet off the ground.

The offering that Abel brought was not the result of a fortunate guess but the fruit of faith, which perceived that on him as a sinner the death penalty rested, and so God could only be approached on the ground of death. Thus he was accounted righteous, and he knew it. So also, faith enabled Enoch to walk with God... And further, what was it that enabled Noah to persist year after year building the enormous ship on dry land? It was faith, believing that God would do what He had said He would do.

Abraham departed from Ur of the Chaldees, though it was no mean city — as modern excavations have proved — to go forth into the unknown. His faith enabled him to envisage a city that had foundations that were laid by God Himself. And so we move on through the patriarchs until we come to Moses, when we find a man, who "endured, as seeing Him, who is invisible."

The one who possesses it is endowed with the power to endure. Indeed we may say that faith never shines more brightly than when it is confronted by adverse power. Moses chose "rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."

In offering up Isaac there was that absolute confidence in God which, at His command, can renounce even God's own promises as possessed after the flesh, sure that God would restore them through the exercise of His power, overcoming death and every obstacle.

Inasmuch as "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God," it is not surprising that God should bring into manifestation His righteousness... What is so wonderful is that now God's righteousness has been manifested in such a way as to be "to" or "towards all, and upon all them that believe." Righteousness, God's righteousness, is, as it were, stretching out its hands benignly towards all men instead of frowning upon them; and as for those that believe, it descends upon them as a robe.

On our side faith is necessary; for only believers are justified. In this sense we are, "justified by faith" (Rom. 5:1). Only as yielding "the obedience of faith" to our Lord Jesus do we come in under the benefits of His work... Faith is the link which connects us with Him and the justifying merits of His blood.

He was delivered to death with our sins in view: He was raised again with our justification in view. But the justification of each individual only becomes effective as and when they believe.

Both Paul in Romans and James in his Epistle cite Abraham as the great Old Testament example. In the life of that remarkable man... we see faith as a living reality between his soul and God; when gazing into the starlit heavens he "believed God" — accepting as certain that which was humanly impossible — "and it was counted to him for righteousness." We also see a great work of faith when years afterwards, in simple obedience, he went forth to Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac... This public act proved it beyond dispute before men. It was the outward evidence of the inward faith.

Like the fable which tells of two men, one inside a hollow ball, the other outside — one declaring it to be concave, the other insisting upon its being convex — Paul gives us the inside view, and cries "by faith." James viewing things externally, says "by works" — only, unlike the fable, in so saying, they do not disagree over it.

The trial of your faith is like the refining of gold; and, you observe it says, "of gold that perishes." Gold is an enduring thing but it perishes; the inference evidently being that faith does not. Faith is much more precious than gold that perishes. God treasures your faith, and that is the adjective He applies to it. In the sight of God faith is something of very, very great price.

If we Christians suffer no testings we shall never be anything but weaklings in a spiritual sense: It is the very testings that make us spiritually strong.

From the days of Abel right on to the present time there have been men of faith, but it was not till Christ came that the faith was "delivered to the saints."

It was revealed when Christ came, and not before (Gal. 3:22-26). Many speak of Christianity when it would be better and safer to speak of that which the Spirit terms "the faith."... We conclude that it is the whole scheme of God's revelation given in this present dispensation, the Centre of which is our Lord Jesus Christ, and in which true believers stand in abiding relationship with Him.

Today we can be sure of being just with God by taking Christ as our Saviour, then if death should be our portion we are sure of being absent from the body and present with the Lord, awaiting that resurrection morning when, soul and body in conformity, we shall be like Christ in glory.

"THIS IS THE VICTORY THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, EVEN OUR FAITH! WHO IS HE THAT OVERCOMETH THE WORLD, BUT HE THAT BELIEVES THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?"