“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
“For we live by faith, not by sight.”
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.”
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...”
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith: the salvation of your souls.”
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
“Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"”
Three things biblical faith is not
Faith is not feeling. Some days you will feel God's presence; many days you will not. Feelings come and go. Faith chooses to trust God's revealed character regardless of mood. The dry seasons of faith are not failures; they are often the seasons where faith deepens.
Faith is not certainty about outcomes. The believers in Hebrews 11 are praised because they trusted God even when they did not receive what they had been promised in this life. Faith is not, "God will give me what I want." It is, "God will do what is best, and I trust Him with the result."
Faith is not effort to believe. You cannot save yourself by trying to believe harder. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8). What we can do is put ourselves where faith is fed (in Scripture, prayer, community, obedience) and trust God to grow it. The most mature believers are usually those most aware that their faith is His doing.
Hebrews 11:1 in the KJV: “the substance of things hoped for”
In the King James Version, Hebrews 11:1 reads a little differently from the NIV above. Where the NIV says faith is “confidence” and “assurance,” the KJV calls it “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, KJV). Substance and evidence are solid words: something you can stand on, something that convinces. Both translations make the same point. Faith treats God's promises as real before you can see them, because of who made them.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Short Bible verses about faith
Six one-line verses from the King James Version, short enough to learn by heart. Two of them, Mark 5:36 and James 1:3, are for the hard seasons when faith is tested.
- “Have faith in God.” (Mark 11:22, KJV) Jesus, in four words.
- “The just shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:17, KJV) Paul quoting the prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:4).
- “Be not afraid, only believe.” (Mark 5:36, KJV) Said to Jairus moments after he heard that his daughter had died.
- “Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5, KJV) The apostles' prayer, and a good one for any day.
- “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50, KJV) Jesus to a woman His host had written off as a sinner.
- “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (James 1:3, KJV) Hard seasons are where faith learns to last.
Faith across the Bible: a brief tour
| Reference | Book | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Genesis 15:6 | Genesis | Abraham believed God; it was credited as righteousness |
| Numbers 13-14 | Numbers | Faith vs. fear at the edge of the promised land |
| Habakkuk 2:4 | Habakkuk | "The righteous person will live by his faithfulness" |
| Mark 5:34 | Mark | "Daughter, your faith has healed you" |
| John 20:29 | John | Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed |
| Romans 4 | Romans | Abraham as the father of all who believe |
| Galatians 3:11 | Galatians | "The righteous will live by faith" |
| Hebrews 11 | Hebrews | The hall of faith: the ancients commended for trusting God |
| James 2:14-26 | James | Faith without works is dead; saving faith produces life |
Common misconceptions
A few things people often get wrong on this topic.
MythFaith means believing something with no evidence.
TruthBiblical faith is trust based on evidence: God's revealed character, His track record, His Son's resurrection. It goes further than evidence proves, but it is not contrary to it.
MythIf I have enough faith, I won't suffer.
TruthHebrews 11 lists heroes of faith who suffered greatly, many of whom died without receiving what they were promised. Faith does not exempt us from suffering; it sustains us through it.
MythFaith is a feeling I either have or don't have.
TruthFaith is a posture of trust expressed in action. The mustard-seed faith Jesus commended was small; the point was that it was real. You don't have to feel faithful to be faithful.
MythMy faith saves me.
TruthChrist saves you. Faith is the empty hand that receives Him. Faith does not save by being strong or pure; it saves by connecting you to the One who is.
Living by faith this week
Memorize Hebrews 11:1
It is the most concise definition of faith in the Bible. Carry it with you. Recite it when fear rises.
Read Hebrews 11
The "hall of faith" gives concrete pictures of what faith looks like across centuries. It thickens what would otherwise be an abstract idea.
Pray the Mark 9:24 prayer
"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24, KJV). Honest, biblical, sufficient. God answers it.
Choose one act of obedience
Faith without action is dead (James 2:17). Pick one specific way to act on what God has said this week: a forgiveness, a generous gift, a hard conversation. Faith muscles only grow through use.
Stay in the Word
Romans 10:17: faith comes through hearing God's Word. Daily Scripture reading is the chief means of feeding faith. The Faithero app can read any chapter aloud while you commute, walk, or rest.
Frequently asked
What is the biblical definition of faith?
Hebrews 11:1: "Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Biblical faith involves trust (the heart), conviction (the mind), and obedience (the will). It is not blind belief; it is grounded trust based on God's character and Word.
What does Hebrews 11:1 mean?
Hebrews 11:1 says faith is a settled confidence that what God has promised is real, even before you can see it. The King James Version puts it, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1, KJV). The rest of Hebrews 11 shows what that looks like in real lives, such as Abraham, who set out "not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11:8, KJV).
How does faith grow?
Romans 10:17 says faith comes from "hearing the message...about Christ." Faith grows through Scripture, prayer, community with other believers, and obedient response to what God has already shown us. It also grows through trials, where shallow trust gets replaced by deeper trust.
Is faith blind?
No. Biblical faith is trust based on evidence: God's revealed character, His promises kept in the past, His Son's resurrection. It goes beyond what we can see, but it is not contrary to reason. Hebrews 11 shows faith always responding to God's prior word or deed.
How much faith do I need?
Jesus said faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). It is not the size of your faith but the size of the One you trust. Tiny faith in a great Savior accomplishes more than great confidence in yourself.
Can a Christian have doubts and still have faith?
Yes. The father of the demonized boy in Mark 9:24 cried out, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Doubt and faith can coexist. Faith is not the absence of doubt; it is the choice to trust God despite the doubt.
Walking by faith, not by sight
Faith is not a once-and-done event; it is the daily posture of the Christian life. Every day, you face moments where what you can see contradicts what God has said. The bills, the diagnosis, the relationship, the silence in prayer: all whisper that God may not be present, may not be good, may not be enough. Faith is the choice, in those moments, to trust His Word over your sight.
The good news: faith does not have to be loud or large to be real. The man in Mark 9 cried, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24, KJV). Jesus accepted that prayer and answered it. If your faith is small today, that is not a disqualification. It is a starting point. Choose one verse above. Pray it. Live it for a week. Faith grows through use, like a muscle that strengthens only when it is exercised.
12 Bible verses about faith
These twelve are quoted from the NIV, from the Bible's definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 to a father's honest prayer in Mark 9:24. Further down you will find Hebrews 11:1 in the King James Version and short faith verses to learn by heart.