A guest post by our brother, Andrew
Faith, what is it? Most of us are
confident enough in our understanding to make certain assertions and absolute
statements regarding it, but do we understand what God means when He uses the
word? We should because without understanding it we cannot please Him.
It is important to realize when
defining Biblical terms that the Bible often defines words slightly differently
than the spoken language from which the word originates. An example of this is
the Greek word for a love that has no sexual connotation, agape, which is used
in ancient texts to denote feelings for one’s children, spouse, or even a good
meal but early Christians (Bible authors among them) more narrowly defined as
self sacrificing love or charity or Christ’s love.
Things became clearer for me when it
was pointed out that faith and trust are in fact synonyms in the Bible. It’s
just that trust is used in the Old Testament and the word faith in the new.
However 1st Corinthians 13:13 which says “And now abideth faith,
hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” clearly demonstrates
that trust/faith and hope are not the same thing. Hope is a desire reliant, at
least in part, upon the motives and abilities of someone or something apart
from one’s self.
Faith/trust, which I will from now on
refer to as simply faith, is a bit trickier to define because the Bible defines
it much more narrowly than mainstream culture. This is no surprise given the
massive importance of faith in God’s economy, contrasted to the casual way that
contemporary cultures regard the definitions of their own languages’ words.
We often use trust, faith, and
confidence as synonyms but, while the Bible does as well, the Bible never uses
them the way confidence alone can be used. Perhaps the following hypothetical
situation will clarify what I mean:
If I survive a wreck on the
interstate but come out badly burned with broken bones and a punctured lung I
am totally confident that, no matter how high my medical expenses become, Bill
Gates can pay for them. But if I were to be Bill Gates’ son and I were to
survive the same wreck I would have total faith that Bill Gates would pay my
expenses.
The difference is obvious. We have
confidence in facts and abilities but we have faith in the motives that drive
those facts and abilities. God does not acknowledge confidence on its own but
He requires and rewards faith.
Is this my opinion or can it be
demonstrated from the Bible? I think it can
In Matthew 6 verse 7 Jesus says, “But
when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that
they shall be heard for their much speaking.” The heathen are persuaded of the
ability but not the motive, which does not equal faith and Jesus commands us
“Be not ye therefore like unto them…”
James states in Chapter 2 verse 19
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe
and tremble.” Millions have died and gone to hell believing in God but not
believing on Him.
Jonah preached in what we would call
faith. He tried to flee God’s presence because of his faith or, correctly put,
confidence. He was confident that if he preached to the Ninevites they would
repent and God would be merciful; so when that very thing happened he aired his
grievances to God in Jonah chapter 4. I will concede that, to some degree,
Jonah had faith in God’s motives which accounts for his reluctance to preach
repentance to his enemies, but he certainly did not have agreement with God’s
motives and in fact watched the city from a hill for a time hoping against
faith that God would destroy it. It’s also worth noting that Jonah’s name is
not mentioned in Hebrews 11.
Contrast this to Abraham who was
asked to sacrifice his son, his only son whom he loved, and through whom he was
to receive the promises. Abraham wasn’t confident how God would work or if he
was, accounting that God was able to raise his son up even from the dead, he
was confidently mistaken but he didn’t have faith in the scenario he had faith
in the motives of the One who he knew could and would control the scenario.
So what is the practical import of
this difference?
If a child or spouse dies and we only
believe in God’s abilities but question His motives then the fact that He is in
control is of little to no comfort. The Apostle Paul shares a similar sentiment
in 1st Corinthians 15:19 when he says “If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”
Jesus wants us to have total faith in
His motives. Why else would He tell the prophet Jeremiah “For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of
evil, to give you an expected end.” And why else would He assure the disciples
in Mark 10:29-30 of the hundred fold reward for the sacrifices we make here on
earth for Christ’s sake.
It is no accident that after a long
list of good examples in Hebrews 11, who “received not the promises” but
trusted God’s motives entirely, the writer turns to us and exhorts us to lay
aside our baggage and consider Him who endured such contradictions of sinners
against Himself and indeed to count the very pain of chastisement as evidence
of our adoption.
I have few friends whose motives I
have complete faith in all the way and at all times and fewer still who’s
abilities I never question, but I do have one in whom my faith can be unshakeable
on both counts: His name is Christ.
