Yesterday I explored how faith affects those outside of the one who has it. So what is it? What is faith?
Since the majority of the occurrences of the word “faith” in the New King James translation of the Bible are found in the New Testament, I looked up the word in the Greek. The Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek defines faith as:
πίστις (pistis)1. what can be believed, a state of certainty with regard to belief (Ac 17:31); 2. trust, believe to a complete trust (Mk 11:22; Ac 24:24; Eph 4:29 v.r.); 3. trustworthiness, the state of complete dependability (Ro 3:3); 4. Christian faith, belief in the Gospel (Ro 1:8; Eph 2:8; Gal 1:23; Jude 3); 5. doctrine, the content of what is to be believed (Gal 1:23; Jude 3), for another interp, see prior; 6. promise, pledge to be faithful (1Ti 5:12)
From those definitions… “a state of certainty with regard to belief; believe to a complete trust; the state of complete dependability.” In a previous post, I discuss how it is that our mind is to our belief and faith. (Faith & Doubt: Read it here.) In this post, I want to build on yesterday’s post and the earlier post to explore “what” it is.
”3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:3-9 NKJV)
Faith is the beginning. It is “a state of certainty with regard to” who God is; who Jesus is; who Holy Spirit is; what each is able to do. Faith is the beginning. This is why Peter starts with faith. Without faith, there is nothing to build on. We cannot have virtue (excellence), knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love if we don’t start with faith.
Faith inspires God to move on our behalf. In the gospels, 9 of the 11 times Jesus said “your faith” (as NKJV translates is) it was the reason he moved in the lives of others whether he was healing the sick, saving a soul, or giving sight to the blind.
Faith moves others to action. There are dozens and dozens of references in the rest of the New Testament that tell how “your faith” comforts, grows, is tested, is genuine, is received, glorifies God, builds others faith, etc. As we saw yesterday, it affects others.
Running After Papa…