What is faith?
Let the word of God define.
Hebrews 11:1 New King James Version (NKJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is pistis: faith, faithfulness.
Pistis (from peithô, “persuade, be persuaded”) – properly, persuasion (be persuaded, come to trust); faith.
Faith (pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, pistis (“faith”) for the believer is “God’s divine persuasion” – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence) yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 John 5:4).
1 John 5:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith (in Greek is the faith of us).
Faith (pistis) is always received from God, and never generated by us.
Faith (pistis) is fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:23.
Galatians 5:22-23 New King James Version (NKJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (pistis),
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Substance is hupostasis: a support, substance, steadiness, hence assurance.
Evidence is elegchos: a proof, test.
Elegxos (a masculine noun) – inner conviction focuses on God confirming His inbirthing of faith (“the internal persuasion from Him,
With faith (pistis), you can have assurance of what you are hoping for in God and you will have inner conviction focuses on God confirming His inbirthing of faith in you. This inbirth faith in already in you.
You never need to grow your faith, all you need is to let God open your eyes to see the faith He has given you.
Romans 12:3 New King James Version (NKJV)
3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith (pistis).
Dealt is merizó – properly, to divide, distribute into parts.
A measure is metron – a measure (the actual measure itself); (figuratively) the basis for determining what is enough (or not enough), what is fair (or not fair), etc.
God has distributed to you the measure of faith. You never need to conjure any faith. Just tap onto the faith of Christ that is in you.
Galatians 2:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 Darby Translation (DARBY)
20 I am crucified with Christ, and no longer live, *I*, but Christ lives in me; but [in] that I now live in flesh, I live by faith, the [faith] of the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself for me.
NKJV is inaccurate and DARBY is correct. The Greek says “faith of” and not “faith in”.
Therefore, you never need to conjure any faith.
Faith is important and critical in your Christian walk with God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 New King James Version (NKJV)
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
The word of God says without faith you are not able to please God. Why is this so?
Faith is assurance of things hope for in God and evidence of things not seen. You do not see God in the natural therefore you need faith to believe that He is right before you and He is hearing your every prayer. You also need to believe that whenever you come to Him in prayer, He will surely reward you. Therefore never stop coming to Him. God rewards those who keep seeking Him. Even if you do not sense Him or feel His presence, keep seeking till you can sense His presence or His love for you. God loves it and will surely reward you for being persistence in seeking Him out.
Let us look at the previous verses of Hebrews 11:6. What are the verses saying after definition of faith in verse 1?
Hebrews 11:2-5 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Who are the elders in verse 2?
Elders are presbuteros – properly, a mature man having seasoned judgment (experience); an elder.
I believe they were the ancient people in the time of Adam and Eve. Verse 3 says by faith we understand the worlds (aión: a space of time, an age) were framed by the word of God. Then verse 4 starts to mention Abel and then verse 5 mentions Enoch. Hebrews 11 mentions the people according to their time.
Verse 2 says the elders (presbuteros) obtained a good testimony meaning the ancient people bear witness of the faith spoken of in verse 1.
Verse 3 says by faith we understand the worlds (aión: a space of time, an age) were formed by the word of God. We can see the world but not the word of God; therefore faith here is the evidence of things not seen.
Verse 4 says Abel offered to God a more excellent (pleión which is greater in quantity or value) sacrifice than Cain. Abel offered animals sacrifices with the hope knowing that God would accept it; faith is the assurance of things hoped for.
Genesis 4:4-5 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering,
5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
Verse 5 says Enoch was taken because he pleased God. It is written by faith Enoch was taken away. The reason Enoch was taken away because he pleased God with faith. Therefore verse 6 says without faith it is impossible to please God. With faith Enoch pleased God so much that He would take him away even before he saw death.
Genesis 5:21-24 New King James Version (NKJV)
21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah.
22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.
23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.
24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
If you want to please God, believe that He is here with you, hearing your every prayer and answering your every prayer though He may not answer according to the way you want. Look at Enoch, he was walking with God 300 years. What does it mean? Enoch had been talking to God like He’s always with him.
There is another man in the Old Testament that mentions walking with God. It is Noah.
Genesis 6:9 New King James Version (NKJV)
9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.
Perfect in his generations means Noah was without blemish; he and his family were the only pure human race.
How many Christians are truly walking with Christ Jesus the Lord?
What does walking with God means?
Walking with God means you are conscious of His presence (whether you feel it or not) and know that He is watching your every step. You know that He is working behind every scene in your life. Even if bad things happen, you know that God allows it and always has a way for you. Therefore you can be restful and not fret and worry what to do.
I shall explain what it means the faith of Christ in you.
Galatians 2:20 says you live by the faith of the Son of God. You do not need to conjure your own faith. Let Jesus be the One to reveal unto you the inbirth of faith (inbirth means exist from the moment you receive Christ).
Some may ask why did Jesus say “O you of little faith?”
I shall show you that “little faith” (oligopistos) appears only 6 times (5 times in Matthew and 1 time in Luke).
Matthew 6:30 New King James Version (NKJV)
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 8:26 New King James Version (NKJV)
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 14:31 New King James Version (NKJV)
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 16:8 New King James Version (NKJV)
8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?
Matthew 17:20 New International Version (NIV)
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. 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.”
Luke 12:28 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Oligopistos (from olígos, “little in number, low in quantity” and pístis, “faith”) – properly, few occurrences (applications) of faith. Oligopistos is the problem of failing to hear the voice of Jesus.
Little-faith” (oligópistos) describes someone dull to hearing the Lord’s voice or disinterested in walking intimately with Him. In contrast, the goal of life is to receive (obey) the Lord’s gift of faith in each scene of life.
The reason the disciples had little faith was because they were taught the law; do good to get good. Their mindset could not believe of receiving good when they didn’t perform to deserve. Therefore Jesus had to keep on speaking to them the grace of God and cause them to realize He had to come to give grace and bless them.
When Jesus rebuked the disciples of little faith, He was rebuking them of hearing too little of Him therefore they could not get much from Him.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Hearing is akoḗ – properly, hearing; used of inner (spiritual) hearing that goes with receiving faith from God.
Faith comes by hearing is not using physical ears to hear but by spiritual ears. This might explain why you have not grown as much as you want.
Luke 17:5-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Increase our faith means add to us faith.
The Lord replied by saying if you have faith (pistis) as (in the same manner as) a mustard seed, whatever you say will happen. “You can say” in Greek is imperfect tense and it is an active voice; you keep speaking till it happens or till you are fully convinced by God.
The best person to look at about faith is Abraham as he is called the father of faith.
Romans 4:16 New Living Translation (NLT)
16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith (pistis) like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.
The word of God says Abraham is the father of all who believe. Does it mean he was strong in faith?
Was Abraham truly not weak in faith?
Genesis 15:1-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.”
2 But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
3 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
5 Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”
6 And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.
In Genesis 16 Abraham slept with Hagar to have a son and Ishmael was born. That’s not faith.
Abraham also lied twice about his wife, Sarah. He told King Pharaoh that Sarah was his sister in Genesis 12 and lied again, this time to Abimelech in Genesis 20.
Even though Abraham had moments of no faith, God overlooked and did not record it when the Holy Spirit wrote about him in the New Testament. God knows the weakness of human flesh therefore He had to keep on affirming Abraham of His promise to him. Abraham was affirmed when his name was changed from Abram to Abraham and his wife, Sarai to Sarah. Both Abraham and Sarah spoke out the promise of God to each other when they called out their names. This is how you can be convinced by God; speaking out His word of promise.
Romans 4:18-22 New King James Version (NKJV)
18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”
19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Let God convince you and you do not have to convince yourself to build up faith.
Hebrews 12:2 New International Version (NIV)
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Faith is not a mental thing nor emotion. It is spiritual.
2 Corinthians 4:13 New King James Version (NKJV)
13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,
Look at the story of the twelve spies who went to Jericho; ten came with evil report while only two gave faith report. Joshua and Caleb were the ones who told the congregation of Israel that God would deliver the enemy into their hands and would bring them into the city of Jericho. The ten spoke of what they saw in the natural and forgotten the promise of God. Joshua and Caleb spoke of what God had promised them.
Numbers 14:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it
In order to have a spirit of faith, follow Jesus closely. Listen to His word of grace and pray for faith to believe; meaning get the Holy Spirit to convince you of the word of God. You need the Holy Spirit to have faith. Remember it is mentioned in Galatians 5:23 that faith (pistis) is inclusive of the fruit of the Spirit.
Jude 20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
In the Greek it is actually saying building up yourself by the most holy faith in you, praying in the Holy Spirit; you will be strong when the faith in you is revealed to you.
Another way to build up yourself is by speaking the word of God to convince yourself of the promises of God to you.
Matthew 17:20 New King James Version (NKJV)
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your [a]unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Footnotes:
a. NU little faith
Matthew 17:20 New International Version (NIV)
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. 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.”
I have explained earlier that “O you of little faith” means someone dull to hearing the voice of Jesus.
Matthew 17 is talking about a father whose son was demon-possessed and he brought him to the disciples for them to heal the little boy. The disciples could not and Jesus was transfigured on the on the mount with Peter, James and John.
Why the disciples could not cast out the demon from the little boy?
The answer is found in Mark 9:16.
Mark 9:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”
The scribes are good at the law as they copied the scriptures to preserve the word of God. The disciples were influenced by the scribes and Jesus was not with them therefore they could not cast out the demons.
Mark 9:28-29 New King James Version (NKJV)
28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”
29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer[a] and fasting.”
Footnotes:
a. NU omits and fasting
Mark 9:29 New International Version (NIV)
29 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”
Prayer in Mark 9:29 is proseuché (from prós, “towards, exchange” and euxe, “a wish, prayer”) – properly, exchange of wishes; prayer.
Word origin from proseuchomai – properly, to exchange wishes; pray – literally, to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes(ideas) for His wishes as He imparts faith (“divine persuasion”).
Back to Matthew 17:20. It says that because of little faith (dull to hearing of the voice of Jesus), you are not able to move mountains. Therefore you need to keep speaking the word of the promise of God till you are convinced and it will manifest in the natural. Memorizing bible verses that contain the promises of God is good. You are letting God the Holy Spirit to convince you of what God will do for you as He has promised in His written word.
John 6:63 New King James Version (NKJV)
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
In order for the word of God to be life in you, you need the Holy Spirit. Before John 6:63, Jesus gave a hard teaching that the disciples were unable to understand.
John 6:60 New King James Version (NKJV)
60 Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
Jesus was telling the disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood. They could not understand therefore Jesus said it is only by the Holy Spirit can you understand. This is because the word of Christ is spirit and you can never understand with puny human mind (the flesh profits nothing) so you need God the Holy Spirit to give you understanding then the word will become life to you in your situation.
Speaking with tongues and speaking the word (not reading nor just listening) will truly cause you to be convinced by God of His promises in His written word. When you decide to take time to meditate you will need to memorize and you are filling your mind with the word of God. It will be easier for the Holy Spirit to convince you when you have the word in your mind and then it will be in your heart in due time.
Therefore do not lose heart when you are facing trials but rather rejoice. This is because God is revealing to you how much faith is unveiled to you; how restful you can be.
James 1:2-4 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
“Testing of your faith” actually means “found approved after testing of the faith of you”. God let trials come into your life to know the genuineness of the faith in you. Testing which is dokimion also appears in 1 Peter 1:7.
1 Peter 1:7 New King James Version (NKJV)
7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
The purpose of trial is to test the faith in you to let you know its genuineness and the faith produces patience. You need to have patience in the kingdom of God therefore you need faith to have patience. Then you will not fret and worry even when things do not work out well immediately as the faith in you gives you the assurance and the assurance will cause you to be patient.
One may ask if unbelief will hinder your walk with God.
The answer is yes and no.
It depends on what unbelief you have.
Look at Thomas. He was with Jesus for some time and witnessed His miracles and heard His teaching and Jesus even told the disciples multiple times that He would died and rose again. What happened when he was informed that Jesus rose from the dead?
Thomas declared that he would not believe unless he saw and touch the prints in His hands and side. This is great unbelief! Not only did Thomas wanted to see, he also wanted to feel the scars then he would believe. Did this unbelief cause him to lose fellowship with Jesus Christ? NO!!!
John 20:24-28 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!”
27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
Unbelieving in Greek is apistos – properly, not faithful because unpersuaded, i.e. not convinced (persuaded by God).
Believing is pistos (an adjective, derived from peíthō, “persuaded”) – properly, faithful (loyalty to faith; literally, fullness of faith); typically, of believing the faith God imparts.
There is one unbelief in the bible that can hinder the miracles of Jesus Christ.
Mark 6:2-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get hese things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!
3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
This unbelief is also recorded in the gospel of Matthew.
Matthew 13:54-58 New King James Version (NKJV)
54 When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Manget this wisdom and these mighty works?
55 Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?
56 And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?”
57 So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” 58 Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
Unbelief in both Mark 6 & Matthew 13 is apistia (the negated form of pistós, “faithful”) – properly, without (divine) persuasion, “no-faithfulness” (unfaithfulness); “want of faith” (betraying a trust)” (J. Thayer).
This unbelief is the people of the hometown of Jesus refused to be persuaded that Jesus was the Christ. They saw Him as a normal person whom they knew. They also knew his parents and siblings. Therefore they were offended when they heard His teaching and the wisdom He spoke. They could not see Jesus as the Messiah and chose to see Him as a normal person in their hometown.
The only unbelief is the unbelief of not seeing Jesus as the Saviour and the Son of God that can stop the miracle power of God to flow.
The unbelief Thomas had is apistos (not persuaded by God) while the unbelief the people in the hometown of Jesus is apistia (without divine persuasion). Apistia also appears in Mark 9.
Mark 9:24 New King James Version (NKJV)
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
Believe is pisteúō (from pístis, “faith,” derived from peíthō, “persuade, be persuaded”) – believe (affirm, have confidence); used of persuading oneself (= human believing) and with the sacred significance of being persuaded by the Lord (= faith-believing). Only the context indicates whether pisteúō (“believe”) is self-serving (without sacred meaning), or the believing that leads to/proceeds from God’s inbirthing of faith.
Word origin from pístis.
A Christian can have belief (some persuasion from God) yet the mind is influenced by the world that causes him to have unbelief (without divine persuasion).
Mark 9:24 is the father whose son was demon-possessed. He had some persuasion of God but I believe he had more unbelief. Therefore he needed Jesus to clear his unbelief. The father was actually telling Jesus that he believed and wanted to believe more but had unbelief that is hindering him to believe. Jesus did not tell him to hear more of the word to have faith imparted to him, instead Jesus immediately cast out the demon from the boy to clear the unbelief of the father.
Do you have any unbelief?
Tell the Lord and He will clear the unbelief for you, just like He did for the father and Thomas.
Even though the father had unbelief, he also had some belief. Unlike the people in the hometown of Jesus, they had no belief at all and were in total unbelief.
It is ok to have some unbelief. It will not stop the miracle of God to work in your life. The unbelief (without divine persuasion) the father had did not stop Jesus from healing his boy because he was asking Jesus to clear the unbelief. The great unbelief (not persuaded by God) that Thomas had did not stop Jesus to approach him.
Come to Jesus at whatever stage of faith (how much faith is unveiled to you) you are at. Let Him unveil to you the faith He has imparted in you.
Be greatly blessed. Shalom Shalom.
Joshua Gan
God’s beloved whom Jesus loves
mywalkwithjesuschrist 