What is Faith | A Principle of Action and Power

What is faith?  My favorite definition is in the book of Hebrews.

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

Overlooked examples  Faith is the moving cause of all action.  I have heard people say, “I don’t have faith” but they actually perform acts of faith each day, similar to the following examples.

• Would you get an education if you did not believe it would result in obtaining a good job?  Did you know what job you would be offered before you completed your college degree?
• Would you plant a garden if you did not believe it would provide you with vegetables?  Did you see the full-grown vegetables before they grew in your garden?
• Would you ask God for your desires and needs if you did not believe you would receive them?  Did you know for certain how God would answer your prayers?
• Did you buy your home with the belief you would be able to pay for the home?  Did you know 100% for sure that you were going to be able to pay for your home?
• Did you have children with the belief you would be able to provide and care for them? When your children were born, did you know what they would be like as adults?
• Do you go on vacation with the belief you are going to have a wonderful time?  Did you see exactly what your vacation would be like before going?

All action we take is an acts of faith.  Even if something appears to be certain, there is nothing that is 100% certain. Taking action before seeing the end result and defining the opposite Faith is taking action before we see the end result of what that action will be.  We can also answer the question, “What is faith?” by defining the opposite.  Faith is the opposite of fear.  Fear is a tool of the adversary, while the opposite is God’s tool.

Belief grows When we have a belief and then take action in that belief, it becomes faith.  At some uncertain time as we gain an increased belief that become a mightier faith that is powerful similar to accounts recorded in the scriptures.

 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions. Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.  Hebrews 11:32-34

The creation

I gained a much better understanding of faith after studying the Lectures on Faith.  This excerpt explains that the creation was done by power, which reminds us that faith is power.

It was by faith that the worlds were framed-God spake, chaos heard, and worlds came into order, by reason of the faith there was in Him. So with man also-he spake by faith in the name of God, and the sun stood still, the moon obeyed, mountains removed, prisons fell, lions’ mouths were closed, the human heart lost its enmity, fire its violence, armies their power, the sword its terror, and death its dominion; and all this by reason of the faith which was in them.  pg 10, Lectures on Faith

Without faith, there is no power, and without power, there could not have been a creation or existence. Top featured Photo by Samuel Scrimshaw