The Bible often describes faith as a confident and unwavering belief in God, His promises, and His Word. The Bible provides several definitions and descriptions of faith, offering insights into its nature and significance. Faith is essential for our relationship with God. Believing in His existence and His faithfulness to reward those who seek Him are central aspects of genuine faith.

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This verse is one of the most well-known definitions of faith in the Bible. Faith is described as having a firm assurance or confidence in the things we hope for, even though we may not physically see them yet.

Romans 10:17 (ESV) – “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Faith is not something that originates from within ourselves; rather, it is a response to God’s Word. By hearing and internalizing the Word of God, our faith is strengthened and nurtured.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Faith is the means through which we receive God’s saving grace. It is not achieved through our own efforts or merits but is a gift from God, granted to us by His grace.

Jesus Only Healing a Few

There are so many verses that talk about faith because it IS that important. In the New Testament when Jesus would heal people, He would often say that their faith healed them or made them well. See Mark 5:25-34. On the contrary, when Jesus went to his home town of Nazareth, the people there had little to no faith that Jesus is the Messiah. They knew him as the carpenter’s son and knew His family, they thought nothing great of Him. Jesus was only able to preform a few miracles to those who had faith in him. You have to look at it like this, God didn’t prevent the miracles, their lack of faith did.

Taking The First Step

One of my favorite parts of the Old Testament is when God led Joshua and the Israelites to the Jordan River. Just like what God did for Moses with the Red Sea. God said to Joshua, in Joshua 3:7-8 “‘Yahweh said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” Before God rose up the waters of the Jordan the priests had to have the soles of their feet in the Jordan first. They had to have faith that God was going to part the waters for them to cross Joshua 3:13-17. You should also apply this in your life with your journey with God. Trust in Him that he will deliver, but you also need to put in some work. Whatever God has called you to do, you need to make that “leap of faith” and know that God will be there with you every step of the way and will catch you if or when you fall.

The Consequences of the Lack of Faith

Having a lack of faith causes a lot of issues with your walk with God. Take Moses and the Israelite people for example, God had put Moses in charge to take the Israelites to the Promised Land. Throughout the journey the Israelites had zero faith in God. They wanted their old gods back that they worshipped in Egypt. They also complained the whole way through the wilderness. The Israelite people would have rather gone back to Egypt and become slaves again than trust in God to get them to the Promised Land. At one point they cried and said they would rather live in the wilderness and die there than to continue on their journey. Moses was getting fed up with the constant complaining from his people and the lack of faith they had. The Israelites were crying that they were thirsty. God told Moses to speak to a rock to bring forth water. Instead, Moses, getting angry at the constant complaining, disobeyed God and struck the rock and said, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” Numbers 20:10-11. What’s wrong with what Moses did was one, God said to speak to the rock, not strike it. Moses did not have faith that God was going to give them water simply by speaking to it. Second, I feel as if Moses and Aaron put themselves on the same level as God because Moses said “shall WE bring water out of this rock…” Moses wasn’t doing any miracles that whole journey, God was. No one was glorifying God in this moment. Because of that, Moses’ and Aaron’s punishment was that they were not going into the Promised Land. Moses was instructed by God to choose Joshua and teach him the law because Joshua was the one that would leading the Israelite people after Moses dies. Also, a lot, if not all of the elders of the Israelite people got what they wanted. They were to remain in the wilderness and die there. They also were not going to the Promised Land. God gave them what their heart desired.

Outro!

12 Powerful Faith Scriptures

I am going to leave you with a few scriptures to read over about faith. Faith is important because if represents trust, submission, and a desire to please God. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God, as you saw in my Moses example. Faith is the foundation of a relationship with God.

1. Hebrews 11:1 (ESV) “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
2. Romans 10:17 (ESV) “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
3. Matthew 17:20 (ESV) “He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.'”
4. Mark 11:24 (ESV) “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
5. Isaiah 40:31 (ESV) “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
6. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
7. James 1:6 (ESV) “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”
8. Galatians 2:20 (ESV) “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
9. Psalm 56:3 (ESV) “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
10. 1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV) “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
11. Romans 4:20-21 (ESV) “No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.”
12. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

Remember, have faith in the Lord!