Faith is . . .
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
In the book Through the Looking-Glass, the White Queen tells Alice, "I’ll give you something to believe: I’m just one hundred and one, five months, and a day.” Alice protested, “I can’t believe that!” “Can’t you? Try again. Draw a long breath, and shut your eyes,” the queen urged.
Many people believe that is the meaning of faith: take a long breath, close your eyes, and begin believing things that are impossible. We expect this kind of thinking outside the church, yet we are shocked when we find it inside the church.
Faith is not elusive, passive; it is alive and active. The fruit of faith is substance and evidence—that which shows in our lives and proves what we believe. So what is faith? Faith is the act of considering Jesus Christ worthy of trust as to His character and motives; placing confidence in His ability to do just what He says He will do; entrusting the salvation of our soul into the hands of Christ; and committing the work of saving our soul to the care of the Lord.
Faith means that we listen to what God is saying in His Word. Paul exhorted Timothy, his son in the faith, to “accurately handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) because it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). A friend once asked, “When was the last time God spoke to you and what did He say?” Then he held up his Bible and said, “This is where He is speaking. Are you hearing Him? Are you obeying Him?”
How about you—are you walking by faith?