"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.
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.
Faith means believing something with no evidence.
Biblical 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.
If I have enough faith, I won't suffer.
Hebrews 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.
Faith is a feeling I either have or don't have.
Faith 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.
My faith saves me.
Christ 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.
Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God.
— A.W. Tozer
Living by faith this week
- 1
Memorize Hebrews 11:1
It is the most concise definition of faith in the Bible. Carry it with you. Recite it when fear rises.
- 2
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.
- 3
Pray the Mark 9:24 prayer
"Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Honest, biblical, sufficient. God answers it.
- 4
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.
- 5
Stay in the Word
Romans 10:17: faith comes through hearing God's Word. Daily Scripture reading is the chief means of feeding faith. Use the Faithero app for audio Bible while you commute, walk, or rest.
Faith is not believing in spite of evidence — that is fanaticism. Faith is daring to do something regardless of the consequences.