The New Testament Greek word translated “faith” is pistis, and is also rendered “belief.” It basically means “firm persuasion” and “conviction based upon hearing.” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, “Faith”).
It’s impossible to have living faith in a God we don’t know. The God of the Bible tells us we can develop a relationship with Him, and know what He has planned for us in this life and in the future: “…godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). Abraham “believed God” and “he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to [and would] perform” (Romans 4:3 and 20-21).
Faith is more than a conviction. To believe in God is only the starting point of faith. God expects us to act on our belief in Him. As the Apostle James noted: “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons [fallen angels] believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19). We must come to trust God to involve Himself in our lives and, with His help, do His will. God’s Word assures us that “the just shall live by faith” and “we walk by faith, not by sight” when we repent of our sins and begin to live dedicated, godly lives directed by our Savior (Romans 1:17 and 2 Corinthians 5:7).
Our model for living faith should be Jesus Christ. Many other biblical figures also provided wonderful examples of living faith. Hebrews 11 identifies people who long ago lived examples of faith. They believed God and obeyed Him even to death, confident that He would deliver them or resurrect them to eternal life in His Kingdom. “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” (Hebrews 11:6). This verse describes two aspects of faith. First we must believe God exists and that He is the Almighty Creator of the universe. Then we must believe God will ultimately reward those who humbly, obediently seek Him—trusting the promises He makes in the Bible.
Since faith involves diligently seeking God, we must base our faith on a correct understanding of His Word and the admonition of Jesus Christ: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Changing our lives to start obeying God—what the Bible refers to as repentance—is based on the conviction that God will intervene in our lives and ultimately grant us eternal life. Jesus cautions us against the danger of false faith: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Simply saying “I believe” without making accompanying life-altering changes is not sufficient.
But what about Paul’s statement in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God”? Was Paul saying there is no need for obedience to God’s commandments? This passage shows us that God’s grace—His undeserved favor toward us—is a gift through faith. It includes unmerited forgiveness of sins through accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who died in our place. No amount of obedience will cancel out our past disobedience. Only the blood of Christ can provide atonement for our sins.
But it is wrong to assume that, since grace is a gift, no actions—good works demonstrating a repentant heart—are needed (James 2:14-26). Living faith requires commitment and evidence of that commitment. James asks this rhetorical question, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?” (James 2:14, NIV). God does not forgive our sins so we can keep on sinning. He wants us to change. The book of James makes it clear that faith, if unaccompanied by works, is utterly useless. That is why the Apostle Paul wrote, “But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
We are not saved by grace through inactive faith. We exhibit evidence of our faith when we respond obediently to the love of Christ by keeping His commandments. God gave us the Bible to provide hope and instruction through the examples of others (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6; 2 Timothy 3:16). By studying their experiences, we can see real-life examples of faith in action, which will help us to build faith as well.
