What is Faith?

More specifically, what is faith in God, in the Father, in Jesus, and in the Holy Spirit?

I think first, before we know what it is, we need to see what it is based on. For that will lay the foundation for our working definition.

Faith is based on love. On our ‘What Is Love’ page, we discuss how love is not a mere emotion. It is a choice, a commitment, and the follow-through that both require. Specifically, the choice to accept God’s offer of a relationship, the commitment to turn our backs on all that leads away from this relationship, and the follow-through of doing what is needed to grow this relationship. And this also involves our neighbors, or it is not love.

Even so, how is faith based on love?

Well, let’s consider three things. First, we will look at a couple of Scripture passages that, when viewed together, demonstrate this. Then we’ll look at another passage that may help inform this decision. Finally, we will look at how faith is defined to see why it makes sense that love is the basis on which faith is built.

The first passage is Matthew 22:40. Here, Jesus says that all the commands and teachings in the Bible are based on this love. And in Mark 11:22, he commands us to have faith in God. So, unless Jesus was lying in Matthew, this too must be based on love.

Second, in 1 John 4:8, we are told that those who do not love do not even know God. So, here’s the question. How can we have faith in someone we do not even know? And since we must love in order to know, faith must rest on, be based on, love.

Now it’s time to look at the definition of faith. Since we are specifically speaking about faith in God, let’s look at the word for faith in our passage, Mark 11:22. This is the Greek word pistis. And it is defined in the scholarly lexicon known as BDAG as:

The state of believing on the basis of the reliability of the one trusted: trust, confidence, faith.

And specifically in Mark 11:22, it is: faith, trust, confidence in God.

For followers of Christ, it is a belief, trust, and confidence in Jesus based on the reliability of Jesus, of God himself.

In order for the belief to be based on his reliability, he must become known, right? For it is through his becoming known that his reliability is established. And as we saw in 1 John 4, if we do not love, we can’t know him. So, it does make sense that we have to love in order to have faith based on knowing him and his reliability.

And since his becoming known involves our getting to know him, it will take time. Faith grows as our relationship with him grows.

I mean, no one ever formed a deep friendship with someone on the first day they met. Indeed, friendships start with an introduction, and then, as you get to know each other over time, they deepen and grow stronger. So too with God. As your love for God grows, your relationship deepens. As this deepens, your confidence in him, trust in him, and his reliability also grow.    

Your faith grows as love grows.