What is Faith

There are many descriptions of faith, but almost all the definitions I have heard have made me understand it less than I did before I saw them. We may explain faith till nobody understands it and I hope I will not be guilty of that fault. Faith is the simplest of all things, and perhaps because of its simplicity it is more difficult to explain.


So what is faith? It is made up of three things, knowledge, belief and trust. Knowledge comes first. "How shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?" (Romans 10:14). I want to be informed of a fact before I can possibly believe it. "Faith cometh by hearing" (Romans 10:17). We must first hear so that we know what is to be believed. A measure of knowledge is essential to faith, hence the importance of acquiring knowledge. "Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live" (Isaiah 55:3).


Therefore we must know the gospel. Know what the good news is and how it talks of free forgiveness, of change of heart, of adoption into the family of God and of countless other blessings. Know Christ Jesus especially the Son of God, the Savior of men, united to us by his human nature and yet one with God. And thus He was able to act as a Mediator between God and man.


The mind goes on to believe that these things are true. The soul believes that God is and He hear the cries of sincere hearts. The soul believes that the Gospel is from God, and that justification by faith is the grand truth which God has revealed in these last days more clearly than before. Then the heart believes that Jesus is verily and in truth our God and Saviour, the Redeemer of men. All this is accepted as sure truth, not to be questioned. I pray that you may at once come to this. Firmly believe that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7)


So far you have made an advance toward faith, only one more ingredient is needed, trust. Commit yourself to the merciful God, rest your hope on the gracious gospel. Trust your soul on the dying and living Saviour, wash away your sins in the atoning blood, accept His perfect righteousness and all will be well. Trust is the lifeblood of faith, there is no saving faith without it. You cannot say you have faith in a person yet you don't trust him. It's like saying "I am eating but I am not swallowing." Trust can be illustrated as leaning upon something, when you trust in Jesus, you lean upon Him, you rest in Him. Commit yourself to Him, that done, you have exercised faith.


Faith is not a blind thing, for faith begins with knowledge. It is not a speculative thing, for faith believe in facts of which it is sure. It is not unpractical, dreamy thing, for faith trust and stakes its destiny on the truth of revelation. That is one way of describing what faith is.


May this explanation be of some service! I trust it may be used by the Spirit of God to direct you into immediate peace. "Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark 5:36). Trust, and be at rest.


My fear is that you will rest content with understanding what is to be done and yet never do it. The poorest real faith actually at work is better than the best ideal of it left in the region of speculation. The great matter is to believe on the Lord Jesus at once. Never mind distinctions and definitions. A hungry man eats though he does not understand the composition of his food, the anatomy of his mouth or the process of his digestion. He knows that he lives because he eats. Another far more clever person understands thoroughly the science of nutrition, but if he does not eat he will die with all his knowledge.


There are no doubt, many at this hour in hell who understood the doctrine of faith but did not believe. On the other hand, not one who has trusted in the Lord Jesus has ever been cast out, though he may never have been able to intelligently define his faith. Oh, receive the Lord Jesus into your soul and you will live forever! "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36)