Faith

Introduction

Tonight I want to talk to you a little bit about faith. And while we may have had many uh talks and lessons up here about faith, uh it’s still a good reminder to bring it up every now and then, because in this world today, faith is a very misconstrued word. It means different things depending on the context that you talk about it, and it means different things to different people depending on the context that you talk about it. A simple definition of faith that we probably all probably equate in our minds is that of just belief. Just simple belief, that’s what faith is, right? But that definition does not really give the full meaning and connotation of what faith is. Um, if you look on Google and just Google what faith is, you’ll see that there’s two definitions for faith.

And they actually kind of both contradict each other. So the first definition says complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Which sounds like a pretty good definition. And I would venture to say that I agree with that definition. You have complete confidence in something or someone. You know, I could say I have complete confidence in God. However, the second definition says strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof. Which is quite a contrast from that first definition there. And we see that here the definition of faith then depends on the context that you’re going to use it in. So, yeah, if you’re gonna use it in the context of talking to your coworker, saying, hey, I have faith that you’re gonna do great with this task that I’m giving you.

1. What Really Is the Definition of Faith?

That’s great. You have complete trust in them, and that’s an okay way to use that word faith. But when we’re talking about religion, well, hold on now, we we need to change our definition there. And the connotation now is it’s just belief. There’s there’s no proof for this faith that you have in God and in this religion that you’re using that you believe in. So, with these two contrasting views, what what really is the definition of faith? Well, that answer is very simple because in the Bible it actually just very clearly plainly gives it to us in Hebrews chapter 11. If you look in Hebrews chapter 11, where we see the uh the hall of faith here, it starts off, the hall of faith actually starts off with the very definition of what faith is in verse 1.

Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Well, that sounds a lot like the first definition that the dictionary gave me, right? Except what’s the context of this? Well, I would argue coming from the Bible and from the book of Hebrews, that it’s a religious context. So we can actually have that first definition of complete trust and confidence in someone in a religious context. In fact, in Hebrews, you know, what’s the hope that we have, and what’s the conviction of the things that we haven’t seen? Well, is that hope that we’ll be with God in heaven, that Jesus, our priest, will intercede for us. And so now that we’ve kind of looked at what faith is and we see what the Bible, how the Bible defines it, what do we have faith in?

2. I Have Faith in God: I Believe in God

How are the ways in which we as Christians might use that word? Well, one very common phrase I think we do is we see what we say is, I have faith in God. And there’s kind of two ways that we kind of look at that is say, we might say, I believe in God. So you believe in God. You’re saying that you believe in the existence of God. You believe that He created the heavens and the earth, and you believe that He sustains all things, that He is in control. Is that belief, as the dictionary might say in a religious context, is that based off of no proof? Or is it based off of conviction of the things that we have hope for? Well, I can’t go into all the evidences tonight of what I might give you for why I believe and have faith that God exists.

We do know, like in Psalm 19, verse 1, that it says, the heavens are telling of the glory of God, and their expanse is declaring the work of his hands. God created the world. Why did he create the universe? To tell of his glory. And in Romans 1, verse 20 says, For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made. And so my evidence, my proof for why God exists in this and these verses here, is that the creation is there to tell and tell of his glory so that we might be brought to him, to the knowledge of him. In fact, in the rest of Romans, that first chapter there says that those who don’t believe in God have no excuse because of the very fact of the creation that is all around us.

3. Looking for God to Take Action

Another way that we might use this term or this phrase, I have faith in God, is when we’re looking for God to take action. So we might say, I have faith that God is going to get me through these hard times, or I have faith that God is going to guide me through life. But those that’s not based off of no proof. It’s not based off of spiritual apprehension. No, that’s based off of God’s promises that he gives us in the Bible. Of course, we have to first base that off of the fact that we believe in God is the first, the former uh phrase that we looked at. But our conviction that I have faith in God, that God is going to do something for me is based off of the fact that he has fulfilled his promises throughout all of time.

In fact, if you look at Joshua chapter 21, the Israelites experienced this firsthand. In Joshua chapter 21, we read in verse 43. So the Lord gave Israel all the land which he had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, according to all that he had sworn to their fathers, and no one of all their enemies stood before them. The Lord gave all their enemies into their hand. Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed. All came to pass. So we see that God fulfills all of his promises. What’s what the entire Old Testament shows us? Not one of the promises that God has made has ever failed.

And so why then should we now today think that the promises he still owes us is going to fail? We have no reason to. And that is my conviction that God is going to do something for me. And what is that something? Well, it is that assurance of the things that I hope for. What do I hope for? I hope for salvation. I’m convicted of the things that I have not seen. What have I not seen? I haven’t seen heaven with my own two eyes. I haven’t seen God with my own two eyes, or Jesus for that matter. But I’m convicted that they are there. And I am assured that I am saved, that I have salvation and will one day be with God in heaven.

Conclusion

And so I leave you tonight with a simple question of how is your faith? Are you convicted that God can save you? That God has saved you.

Let us know. We can help you. We can provide you with that evidence, that proof so that you can be convicted of the knowledge of God and of the hope that he gives us. Or maybe you have faith and you are convicted, but you haven’t actually obeyed him yet. And you don’t experience the same joy that us Christians have of the hope that is in us. If you have any need, any need for help in strengthening your faith tonight towards obedience to him. Come now as we stand and as we sing.