What Is Faith?

Before proceeding with this discussion I would like to recognize and applaud what is known as the Faith Movement in the Christian community. I know those in this movement have taken a lot of criticism and judgment (see Dare We Trust God for Our Physical Well-Being?). And there have been abuses, as there is anywhere there are humans involved. But those who were leaders in this movement at least dared believe that what Jesus said might possibly be true and encouraged the rest of us to dare believe it too. Though they, and we, perhaps only saw in part, and did some very foolish things that we thought was faith, we were believing that God was there and that He would reward us who were diligently seeking Him (Hebrews 11:6), seeking to believe that we could experience something of what the early church experienced. And we did! We may have some ridiculous stories, but all of us who were seriously seeking God also have some glorious ones. I know I personally had the revelation that I and my children could receive divine healing and even divine health. Our son was delivered from respiratory problems and I was healed of a skin disease of over twenty years duration.I am grateful to those pioneers for what I received from God through them. When we understand that there is but one power, that it is God-power and is good (though we can use it to manifest evil) (see Belief in Two Powers and God Omnipotent), we will be able to receive from God through every vessel.

The writer of Hebrews defines faith for us:

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

and tells us that

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Jesus told us what it is that pleases God:

Luke 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

But He cannot give us the kingdom unless we can receive it. And Jesus said:

Mark 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

With our human eyes we can see neither God nor the kingdom He wishes to give us. We hope for righteousness, peace and joy (which Paul says the kingdom consists of —(Romans 14:17)) in our lives; but without faith we won’t experience it. We know of course that we all have faith because Paul tells us that we have (Romans 12:3) and because we exercise it all day every day. We have faith that our letters are going to be delivered by the post office and that the electric company is going to keep electricity coming to our house. We don’t keep checking to see if they are doing it, and we don’t keep praying that they will. We are just like the little child who expects to have breakfast when he gets out of bed.

But with God it is not the same. We know we have put the stamp on the letter and paid the electric bill. But maybe we didn’t say the prayer just right or maybe we have done something or not done something that will keep God from responding to our prayers for the kingdom to come in our earth. Or maybe we aren’t seeking Him diligently enough; maybe that is why He won’t reward us.

Let’s look at what Jesus had to say about faith. He said that if we have faith as a grain of mustard seed, nothing shall be impossible for us (Matthew 17:20). And we all know His words that were the basis for the Faith Movement:

Mark 11:23-24 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Herein lies our problem; we find it impossible to really believe that we receive when we pray —before we see it with our human eyes. Jesus’ disciples had the same problem, and for the same reason. One of the many times Jesus rebuked them for being of little faith, Jesus also said, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matthew 16:6,8).

They initially thought He was talking about their forgetting to bring bread, but finally figured out that He was cautioning them to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (v 12). That is the doctrine we must also beware of if we are to exercise the faith to receive what we pray for when we pray. That is the doctrine that we are separate from God and have to make long prayers and obey some laws to get the God out there (who is but a mind-formed concept of God that Jesus called the devil–the human consciousness) to answer our prayer and give us what we are asking for.

That is a false doctrine that we must rid ourselves of before we can walk in faith as Jesus did. We must know, as He knew, that we are one with our Father (John 10:30), that all that He has is already ours (John 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine; Luke 15:31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.), that He knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8) and gave it to us when He gave Himself to be us (John 3:16). If we knew this as Paul knew it (after he rid himself of that doctrine of the Pharisees) so that he could say:

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

—yes, if we knew this as Paul knew it, we would see in our lives what Paul saw in his (people healed by coming in contact with us (Acts 19:12), prison doors opening (Acts 16:26), no ill effects from poison (Acts 28:3-5), and, if need be, rising from the dead (Acts 14:19-20)) —because we would know, as Paul did, that in our humanity we cannot have faith, that what we need is the faith of the Son of God, the faith of the Christ living in us as us, the Christ who is our true identity.

Faith is the simplicity that is in Christ (2Corinthians 11:3), knowing what Paul calls the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest—which is Christ in you (Colossians 1:26-27). When we know that, as Paul knew it, we will have become as a little child, accepting that which is impossible for the adult human mind to accept (why Jesus referred to those who needed a sign to believe as an adulterous generation (Matthew 12:39). See Receive as a Little Child.

And faith will cease to be an issue, for we have already received and entered the kingdom of heaven where all our prayers are answered even before we ask (Isaiah 65:24). See Prayer Answered Before We Ask.

Paul said

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

And in a couple of other places he speaks of the hearing of faith as opposed to the works of the law (Galatians 3:2 (KJV) This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Galatians 3:5 (KJV) He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?).

We cannot just give mental assent to what Jesus (and Paul) taught about faith. We must hear that word of God from the Spirit inside in order for it to be operative in our lives (see Listening to the Holy Spirit). And when we do, we will have rid ourselves of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, the doctrine of the works of the law. We will no longer have ears, but hear not (Psalms 115:6; 135:17; Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2).

We can say with David, Mine ears hast thou opened; and we too will be declaring God’s righteousness, faithfulness, lovingkindness and truth (Psalms 40:6-10) as the faith of the Son of God brings all those things into manifestation in our lives.