What is Faith?

(By Henry Chukwu)

I have come to discover that most of the problems in the Church among believers is as a result of a lack of faith. Words of people in the Church either show faith, or a lack of it. Proceedings of Church meetings could show no faith or dead faith, and at some times could be full of faith. Daily lives of people show that they are either lacking faith or full of it. You can see faith in how works are planned and executed.

Faith comes from God while fear is from Satan. Satan uses fear as a spell or tool against man. God works with our faith. He is faithful, and does every thing by faith. Faith pleases God and without faith it is impossible to please Him. While He was on earth, Jesus Christ rebuked faithlessness in His disciples. When fear replaces faith in a believer’s life, this fellow becomes ineffective, inoperational, and unfruitful in the hands of God, but whosoever operates by faith, to him God will manifest Himself with great signs and wonders. I do not know whether you who are reading this now live in fear or in faith, and you may be asking, ‘What is this faith after all?’

Scriptural definition of faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV).

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it (Hebrews 11:1, NCV).

What is faith?

It is the confident assurance that something we want is going to happen. It is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead (Hebrews 11:1, TLB).

Story to illustrate faith

The faith of the Centurion (Matthew 8:5–13, TLB)

When Jesus arrived Capernaum, a Roman army captain came and pled with Him to come to his home and heal his servant boy who was in bed paralyzed and racked with pain.

 “Yes” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him”.

Then the officer said, “Sir, I am not worthy to have You in my home (and it isn’t necessary for you to come.). If You will only stand here and say, ‘Be healed’, my servant will get well! I know, because I am under the authority of my superior officers and I have authority over my soldiers, and I say to one ‘Go’ and he goes, and to another, ‘come’, and he comes, and to my slave boy, ‘Do this or that’, and he does it. And I know You have authority to tell his sickness to go—and it will go!”

Jesus stood there amazed! Turning to the crowd He said, “I haven’t seen faith like this in all the land of Israel! And I tell you this, that many Gentiles (like this Roman officer), shall come from all over the world and sit down in the kingdom of Heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And many an Israelites—those for whom the kingdom was prepared— shall be cast into outer darkness, into the place of weeping and torment.”

Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go home. What you have believed has happened! And the boy was healed that same hour!

In this story, faith here means believe. The Roman officer believed that Jesus has the authority of heaven and whatever He says will surely come to pass. Faith is believing in God’s word; that whatever God says must surely come true. Faith stands on God’s word. Faith does not stand on empty air but on the living word of God. God’s word can never fail. Heaven and earth will pass away but His word must come to pass. Believe that because Jesus lives you must also live. Believe that you shall not die in this hopeless situation, but live to see changes. Believe that this sickness is not unto death but to life. Believe that victory is yours in all your afflictions, oppositions, and oppressions. Stop doubting and start believing. Put your believing into work today.

All things are possible with God, and all things are possible to them that believe. Cast away all your fears and put on faith always. Keep feeding on the word of God daily and keep on believing God in everything. God shall be pleased to have you work with Him, and men shall see great wonders He shall work out through you. Have faith in God from henceforth.


This article first appeared in THE MESSAGE.

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