What is the Biblical Definition of Faith?
Faith In Every Aspect of Life
You know, something interesting happened to me the other day. I was seeing the doctor, and at the end of the consultation I was given a prescription. I went to go get it filled, and as the pharmacist handed me a prescription, it hit me - I was about to take medicine from someone I'd never met, trusting both the doctor’s expertise and the pharmacist completely. Then I got to thinking: we do this kind of thing all the time, don't we? We step onto airplanes, trusting pilots we've never met. We get on elevators trusting that whoever installed it knew what they were doing. Every single day, we exercise faith without even thinking about it. So why is it that the moment we start talking about Christianity and faith, everything changes? Why do we suddenly think of faith as this blind leap in the dark? I think we need to talk about this, because the truth about biblical faith might surprise you.
You know, in our last few episodes, we've been talking about some really fundamental stuff - what it means to be saved, how to grow spiritually, the essential doctrines of Christianity. But today, I want to dig into something that I think trips up a lot of people - both Christians and skeptics. We need to talk about faith. And this matters so much because when we get faith wrong, everything else tends to go sideways too. I can't tell you how many conversations I've had with people who think being a Christian means just doing good things, and if you do enough good things you get into heaven. And honestly? Some Christians think that too! But that's not what the Bible teaches at all. What we've been building up to through our discussions of salvation, spiritual growth, and doctrine all comes down to understanding what real faith is. Because without this piece the rest just doesn't quite click into place.
There's this verse in Hebrews - chapter 11, verse 1 - that actually gives us a clear definition of faith. I love this verse because it's one of those moments where the Bible stops to explicitly define something we talk about all the time. It says:
“Now faith (πίστις) is the assurance (ὑπόστασις) of things hoped for, the conviction (ἔλεγχος) of things not seen.”
When we read the Bible in English, we're reading a translation. The original language for the Bible was Koine Greek, Ancient Hebrew, and Aramaic. So, translations are good - they help us understand God's Word in our own language. But sometimes, looking at the original language can unlock deeper meanings that might get a bit lost in translation. In this case, the original was written in Koine Greek, and there are two really important words I want to share with you.
The Original Language
ὑπόστασις (hypostasis)
The first one is for “the assurance” and it’s ὑπόστασις (hypostasis). It's such a rich word in Greek - you know how sometimes in English we have words that just carry so much meaning? Like when we say something is "solid" - we might mean physically solid, but we also use it to mean reliable, well-thought-out, trustworthy. Well, ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) is kind of like that. The Greeks used this word to talk about the foundation of a building, the base that everything else stands on. They used it to describe legal documents that proved ownership of property. They even used it in philosophy to talk about the actual reality of things, as opposed to just ideas about them. So when the Bible uses hypostasis to describe faith, it's telling us something profound. Faith isn't just wishful thinking or hoping really hard about something. No - it's more like having the deed to a house in your hand. You might not be standing in the house right now, but you have legal proof that it's yours. That's what our faith is supposed to be like - something so real, so solid, that you could build your whole life on it.
ἔλεγχος (elegchos)
The second word is for conviction, and it's ἔλεγχος (elegchos). This one's equally fascinating. In Greek courts of law, ἔλεγχος (elegchos) was the word they used for proof that was so convincing it could stand up in court. It wasn't just a feeling or a hunch - it was evidence that could convince a judge and jury. When we translate it as 'conviction,' we might think it's just about feeling convinced, but it's stronger than that. It's about having proof that holds up under cross-examination. And you know what's interesting? We see this same root ἐλεγχ- (elegch-) in other places in the New Testament. When Jesus was talking with His disciples, He told them the Holy Spirit would come to 'convict,' ἐλέγξει (elegxei), the world of sin and righteousness. While ἐλέγξει is a future form of the verb ἐλέγχω and ἔλεγχος is the noun, they share that same root ἐλεγχ- and core meaning - bringing truth into the light, making things clear and certain.
ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) and ἔλεγχος (elegchos)
But here's where it gets really powerful - when you put these two words together, ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) and ἔλεγχος (elegchos), you get this amazing picture of what biblical faith really is. It's not blind trust or just positive thinking. On one side, you have ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) giving us the idea of something that really stands under and supports - like having a foundation you can build your life on. On the other side, ἔλεγχος (elegchos) gives us that courtroom-level proof. So biblical πίστις (pistis, 'faith') isn't just believing - it's like having both the reality of something and the evidence to prove it's true. Think of it like gravity - you know it's real because you experience it every day, but you also have all the scientific evidence to prove it exists. The Bible is telling us that faith gives us that kind of dual certainty: we have the real experience of God's truth in our lives, and we have His Word providing us with evidence that would stand up to any cross-examination.
Think about what this means for us as believers. When we say we have faith in God's promises, we're not just saying “Well, I hope this works out.” It's as if God gives us both the reality and the evidence to prove it. That's why the writer of Hebrews starts with this definition before launching into that famous chapter about all the heroes of faith. He wants us to understand that these people weren't just optimistic dreamers - they were standing on something real, something provable. When we understand faith this way, it actually lines up perfectly with how we use faith in everyday life. Remember those examples we started with - trusting a doctor, getting on a plane, believing a friend's promise? Those aren't blind leaps either. Just like with biblical faith, there's both a present reality (the doctor's credentials, the airline's safety record, your friend's character) and evidence to back it up (medical licenses, flight safety statistics, a history of kept promises). That's exactly the kind of faith God is calling us to have in Him - ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) faith that has a solid foundation in who He is and what He's done, backed up by ἔλεγχος (elegchos) evidence that would hold up under any scrutiny. The Bible isn't just telling us stories; it's providing us with a documented track record of God's faithfulness, a body of evidence that proves He can be trusted completely.
When we read Scripture this way, we start to see that every promise fulfilled, every prophecy completed, every life transformed serves as both our foundation and our evidence. It's not just ancient history - it's our legal proof that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He'll do. This is why studying God's Word isn't just an academic exercise - it's building up both our foundation and our evidence, strengthening both aspects of true biblical faith.
Faith vs. Blind Faith
This understanding of faith as something solid and evidence-based might surprise some people, because it's pretty different from what we usually think of as blind faith, isn't it? And you know, this reminds me of one of the most misunderstood stories in the Bible - the story of Thomas, the disciple that everyone calls "Doubting Thomas." But I think that nickname misses the mark with what’s actually going on here - in that his story perfectly illustrates what we've been talking about with ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) and ἔλεγχος (elegchos).
Let me set the scene for you. John tells us that it's after the resurrection, and the apostles have already seen Jesus alive. They've experienced something absolutely extraordinary - Jesus has appeared to them in a locked room, shown them His hands and side, and given them peace and the Holy Spirit (John 20:19-23). But Thomas wasn't there for this moment. When the other disciples tell him, "We have seen the Lord!" Thomas makes a remarkable statement. He says:
“So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ’Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.’”
What makes this even more striking is that Thomas had seen Jesus perform resurrections before. He was there when Jesus raised Lazarus (John 11). In fact, in that story we read that Thomas had made a notable statement to his fellow disciples:
“So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’”
While this shows Thomas's willingness to follow Jesus even into danger, it also reveals something about his character - he expected the worst outcome (death) rather than anticipating Jesus's power over death. This same pattern of thinking appears again in his response to the apostles telling Him that Jesus had been resurrected - instead focusing on death's finality rather than Jesus's demonstrated power over it. Yet now, faced with the testimony of Jesus's own resurrection, he demands a level of proof far beyond what reasonable faith requires.
And here's where we see something beautiful about how Jesus responds to even our unreasonable demands. Eight days later, Jesus appears again, and this time Thomas is present. Notice Jesus's words carefully. He says to Thomas,
“Then he said to Thomas, ’Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.’”
The Greek here is powerful: The key phrase to focus on here is “Do not disbelieve, but believe” or in the Koine Greek: "μὴ γίνου ἄπιστος ἀλλὰ πιστός" (mē ginou apistos alla pistos). The Greek packs in so much more meaning than our English translations are typically able to convey. Let’s break it down:
First, "μὴ γίνου" (mē ginou) is a present imperative construction that literally means “stop becoming” or “do not continue being.” This is different from a simple command to “stop” - it’s addressing an ongoing state or process. So Jesus is essentially telling Thomas to stop moving in the direction of unbelief.
Second, the words "ἄπιστος" (apistos) and "πιστός" (pistos) create a pretty powerful contrast. These aren’t just about the simple act of doubting - rather they’re about fundamental states of character. “Apistos” describes someone who is characterized by unbelief, while “pistos” describes someone characterized by faith.
Third, the construction of "ἀλλὰ" (alla) is a strong adversative conjunction - it’s not just “but” in a casual sense, it’s more like “but rather” or “but instead.” It’s marking a complete change of direction.
So if we were to put this altogether, Jesus is saying something more like: “Stop becoming characterized by unbelief, but instead become characterized by faith.” He’s addressing Thomas’s entire orientation toward belief, not just his specific doubts about the resurrection. And this connects back to our earlier discussion of ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) and ἔλεγχος (elegchos) because Jesus is calling Thomas to build his entire life on the foundation of faith, not just to accept a single piece of evidence. And this is particularly powerful when we consider that Thomas had been moving toward a state of unbelief (“becoming apistos”) despite having previously witnessed Jesus’ miracles, including the raising of Lazarus. Jesus isn’t just asking Thomas to accept that He’s alive - He’s calling Thomas to reverse his whole trajectory and become someone characterized by faith.
And then this is where we see how Jesus provides both ὑπόστασις (hypostasis - foundation) and ἔλεγχος (elegchos - evidence). He offers Thomas exactly what he said he needed - the opportunity to touch His wounds. But notice something fascinating: the text never actually says that Thomas touched Jesus. Instead, we immediately get Thomas’s profound confession: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). This is one of the strongest declarations of Jesus’s deity in all of the Bible, moving from becoming characterized by unbelief to deep faith in an instant.
And Jesus’s response to this is crucial for understanding biblical faith:
“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”
“It’s not about believing without evidence; it’s about recognizing we have enough evidence to believe.”
Many interpret this as Jesus promoting blind faith, but that’s not what’s happening - at all. Jesus is making a point about the nature of evidence and belief. He’s not criticizing Thomas for wanting evidence - after all, He just provided it. Instead, He’s teaching us about the progression of faith and the sufficiency of testimony. Think about it: future generations of believers wouldn’t have the opportunity to physically touch Jesus’s wounds. But they would have something else - the testimony of reliable witnesses (like the apostles), the evidence of changed lives, the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the record of Scripture itself. Jesus is saying that this evidence is sufficient for faith. It’s not about believing without evidence; it’s about recognizing we have enough evidence to believe. It’s this understanding that transforms how we approach faith today. When we put our trust in God, we’re not making a blind leap. We have the historical evidence of Jesus’s resurrection, documented by reliable witnesses who were willing to die for this truth. We have testimony of the early church, who faced persecution yet maintained their witness. We have the internal witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms these truths in our hearts (Romans 8:16). See, the real lesson from Thomas isn’t that we should believe without evidence. It’s that God provides us with sufficient evidence for faith, but then calls us to build on that foundation rather than endlessly demanding more proof. It’s about developing a faith that’s both grounded in evidence and growing in trust. Just as Thomas moved from being characterized by unbelief to deep faith through his encounter with the resurrected Christ, we too are invited to build our faith on the solid foundation of God’s revealed truth.
This is exactly why John tells us he wrote his Gospel:
“but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
The evidence has been preserved for us, not so we believe blindly, but so we can build our faith on the foundation of God’s Word, supported by the testimony of those who witnessed it firsthand.
Components of Biblical Faith
In the Bible, faith isn’t a simple one-dimensional concept - it has multiple parts that work together, like instruments in an orchestra creating a complete symphony.
The first component is knowledge or understanding. Think about the chair that you might be sitting in right now. The moment you sat down, you demonstrated faith in that chair, didn’t you? You trusted it would hold you up. But you probably didn’t start with a complete and total understanding of every component of that chair and what went in to making, did you? At some point in your life, you likely saw someone else sitting in a chair, maybe climbed up onto your parents as they were sitting in one, and learned at some point that chairs are great for sitting in. This actually mirrors how biblical faith often works. In the Gospels, we see people coming to faith in Jesus before they even fully understood who He was. Take the blind man Jesus healed in John 9. When people asked him who healed him, he simply said, “The man they call Jesus.” He trusted Jesus enough to follow His instructions to wash in the pool of Siloam, but he didn’t yet understand that Jesus was the Son of God. Later in the story, after experiencing Jesus’s power and engaging Him further, his understanding grew until he finally declared, “Lord, I believe.” So while faith certainly involves understanding, Scripture shows us that we don't need complete knowledge before we can begin trusting God. Instead, like the disciples who followed Jesus before fully grasping His identity, or like a child learning to trust a chair, our understanding often grows alongside our faith. We start with a basic recognition of God, and as we walk with Him, both our faith and our understanding deepen together.
The second component is commitment or action. This is where faith moves from what’s in your heart to your life. With a chair, it’s the moment you actually sit down. You’re moving beyond just knowing the chair can hold you - you’re acting on that knowledge. We see this, too, throughout the Bible - particularly in Hebrews 11, where faith consistently leads to action. Noah didn’t just believe God’s warning about the flood; he build an ark. Abraham didn’t just believe God’s promise; he left his homeland. Moses didn’t just believe God could deliver His people; he chose to suffer with them rather than enjoy the pleasures of Egypt. Each of these people moved beyond mere knowledge to active commitment.
But there’s a third component that brings it all together - personal trust or relationship. This goes beyond just knowing and doing - it’s about developing a deep, personal trust. With the chair analogy that I’m holding onto, this would be like not just sitting down, but completely relaxing in it without constantly wondering if it will hold you. In biblical terms, this is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally. It’s what Jesus meant when He said eternal life is knowing God and the One He sent (John 17:3).
The Roman Centurion
These components work together to create mature, biblical faith. Think about how Jesus responded to different people's faith throughout His ministry. One particularly striking example comes from Matthew 8, where a Roman centurion approached Jesus about his paralyzed servant who was suffering terribly. This was remarkable in itself - centurions were Roman military commanders, usually in charge of about 100 soldiers. They represented the occupying power that most Jews resented. Yet this centurion came to Jesus, a Jewish teacher, seeking help. In this moment, we can see all three components of biblical faith at work. First, the centurion understood something profound about who Jesus was. Even though the centurion was a Gentile, he recognized Jesus's authority. Then, he acted on this understanding by seeking Jesus out - no small thing for a Roman officer to publicly approach a Jewish teacher for help. But it's his demonstration of personal trust that's most remarkable. When Jesus offered to come to his house, the centurion replied,
“But the centurion replied, ‘Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.’”
The centurion understood authority because he lived in a world of commands and obedience. He recognized that just as his soldiers obeyed his words, sickness and health must obey Jesus's words. He didn't need Jesus to physically come to his house - he trusted completely in Jesus's authority over sickness itself.
Jesus's response to this is just awesome. The next verse tells us that:
“When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, ‘Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.”
This is one of only two times in the Gospels where Jesus is described as being "amazed," and the only time He's amazed by someone's faith rather than their unbelief. This story shows us what mature faith looks like: understanding who Jesus is, acting on that understanding, and demonstrating complete trust in His authority. The centurion didn't need signs or wonders; he didn't even need Jesus's physical presence. He simply trusted in Jesus's authority and power, demonstrated that trust through his actions, and understood enough about who Jesus was to have confidence in His ability to heal with just a word.
And this helps explain why mere knowledge or activity is enough. You can know all about God without trusting Him personally. You can go through all sorts of religious motions without having real faith. True biblical faith is all three components working together: understanding who God is and what He’s done, commitment to act on that understanding, and personal trust in Him. Understanding these components helps us to develop stronger faith. When we struggle with faith, we can ask ourselves which component needs strengthening. Do we need to deepen our understanding? Are we hesitating to act on what we know? Have we been keeping God at arm’s length rather than developing personal trust? Just as a three-legged stool needs all its legs to be stable, biblical faith needs all these components to be strong and mature.
Faith’s Foundation
God’s Unchanging Character
Now, let’s talk about what makes faith solid. It’s not just positive thinking or anything like that, but is built on something far more concrete - the unchanging character of God Himself. Numbers 23:19 puts this powerfully:
“God is not man, that he should lie,
or a son of man, that he should change his mind.
Has he said, and will he not do it?
Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?”
Think about the implications of this. If God could lie or change His mind like we do, how could we ever trust Him? But Scripture tells us that’s impossible - not just that He chooses not to lie, but that He fundamentally cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18).
This unchanging nature of God is woven all throughout the Bible. When Moses needed assurance who God was, God revealed Himself as “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). And that word “faithfulness” is crucial - it means God’s character remains constant. James 1:17 describes Him as the Father of heavenly lights:
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Unlike everything else in our lives - people who disappoint us, circumstances that shift, feelings that fluctuate - God remains absolutely and completely consistent.
God’s Specific Promises
But God doesn’t just have an unchanging character - He makes specific promises that we can trust. Think about the frustration you feel when someone makes a promise they don’t keep. Maybe they meant well, but circumstances changed, or maybe (and even worse) they never intended to follow through. But God’s promises work differently. When He makes a promise, it’s guaranteed by His very nature. The prophet Isaiah puts it this way:
“The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever.”
And all of these promises find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 1:20, saying:
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”
Think about the scope of this statement. Every promise God made throughout the Old Testament - promises of redemption, restoration, and relationship with Him - they all come together in Jesus. When God promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 12:3), that was ultimately fulfilled in Christ. When God promised David an eternal kingdom (2 Samuel 7:16), that found its completion in Jesus, the eternal King.
This should give us tremendous confidence for our own journey in faith. Because we’re not hoping in shifting circumstances or trying to manufacture positive feelings. We’re building our faith on the bedrock of God’s demonstrated character and fulfilled promises. When we read how God kept His word to Abraham, Moses, David, and countless others, we’re seeing evidence of His faithfulness that strengthens our own faith as a result. As the psalmist wrote, “Your faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 119:90). Even in times of doubt or difficulty, we can anchor ourselves to these truths. The prophet Jeremiah, writing from the midst of Jerusalem’s destruction - about as dire a circumstance as you can imagine - could still declare:
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”
Again, this wasn’t blind optimism. This wasn’t wishful thinking. It was faith built on the solid foundation of God’s proven character and promises.
This is exactly why Peter could write that God “has given us his very great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4). Each promise is like another stone in the foundation of our faith, backed by the full weight of God’s unchanging character and proven through His consistent faithfulness throughout history. When we understand this, our faith becomes more than just belief - it becomes confident trust in the most reliable foundation possible.
Faith in Action
And this trust should result in action. In fact, when we talk about faith in action, we’re not just discussing a concept - we’re looking at how trust in God’s character and promises transforms how we live. The book of James puts this principle plainly for us:
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
So what does living faith actually like?
Let’s look at some really powerful biblical examples.
Abraham
Look at Abraham in Genesis 22. When God tested him by asking him to sacrifice Isaac - the very son through whom God had promised to fulfill His covenant - Abraham demonstrated extraordinary faith. But notice how his faith worked: it wasn’t just mental acceptance of God’s power. Abraham actually got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and began the journey to Moriah. His faith moved him to action, even in circumstances that must have seemed impossible to understand. He trusted that God would remain faithful to His promises, leading him to declare to his servants, “We will worship and then we will come back to you” (Genesis 22:5), suggesting he believed God could even raise Isaac from the dead if necessary (Hebrews 11:19).
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Or, consider Daniel’s three friends: Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego - when faced with the fiery furnace. Their faith wasn’t just believing God could save them; it produced a remarkable courage in action. They told King Nebuchadnezzar:
“If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
This, too, is faith in action - trusting God’s goodness regardless of the outcome, and demonstrating that trust through obedient action.
In our own lives, active faith often looks similar to these biblical examples, though perhaps in less dramatic circumstances (but not always). Let me tell you about my dad, David. A few years ago he received a difficult cancer diagnosis. Stage 4 lung cancer. His faith didn’t lead him to passive resignation. Instead, his faith in God’s character and promises transformed how he approached this season in his life. What’s particularly remarkable is how his faith has enabled him to find profound meaning even in suffering. Like Paul, who wrote that he considered his present sufferings “not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18), my dad has found blessings through his illness. He shared with me one day that one silver lining has been a deeper appreciation for our time together (and in my mind a reflection of Psalm 90:12, which teaches us to “number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”). But perhaps what has stood out to me the most was his perspective on suffering in light of Christ’s sacrifice. Even as his condition was at a period that we were thinking he had just months left to live, he made a statement that has stuck with me. He said, “You know, Austin, as bad as I’ve gotten in all of this, I haven’t been beaten beyond recognition and hung on a cross.” That was over a year ago at the time I’m writing this, and I’m reminded of Philippians 3:10 when Paul expressed such a deep desire to know Christ, he said:
“that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”
Again, this is an example of faith in action - not denying the reality of suffering, but viewing it through the lens of Christ’s own suffering and God’s eternal purposes. Like Job, who declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15), my father’s faith has enabled him to trust God’s character and promises even in the midst of his sickness. When we trust God and place our faith in Him regardless of our circumstances, we’re in fantastic company - the company of people like Joshua and Caleb, who saw giants in the Promised Land but trusted God’s promises enough to move forward (Numbers 13-14). Or like Esther, who faced a life-threatening situation with the famous words, “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:16), taking action while rusting in God’s sovereign care.
Real faith doesn't just believe God can act - it moves forward based on who He is and what He has promised. Whether we're facing health challenges like my dad, career decisions, family difficulties, or any other trial, faith in action means taking practical steps while trusting God's character and promises.
Application For Today
So what are we to do with all of this today? I’d like to give four practical ways to build stronger faith, each grounded in Biblical principles and proven through generations and generations of believers’ experiences.
Immerse Yourself in the Bible. The apostle Paul tells us that “faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). This isn’t about academic study - it’s about getting to know God’s character and actions throughout history. Think about how Jesus used Scripture - even when facing Satan’s temptations, He relied on God’s Word (Matthew 4:1-11). When we regularly engage with the Bible, we’re not just gathering information; we’re building a foundation for trust, just as King David described: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105).
Keep a Record of God’s Faithfulness In Your Life. Samuel once set up a stone called Ebenezer, saying "Thus far the Lord has helped us" (1 Samuel 7:12). This physical reminder of God's faithfulness served Israel for generations. Consider starting a journal of answered prayers and moments where you've seen God at work. One tool that I’ve personally used and have found incredibly useful is the Daily Kairos journal (read my review of it here). Moses commanded Israel to "Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way" (Deuteronomy 8:2), because remembering God's past faithfulness strengthens our faith for future challenges.
Exercise Your Faith Through Steps of Obedience. Like the servants in Jesus's parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), faithfulness in small things prepares us for greater responsibilities. Maybe this means starting with tithing, trusting God with your finances as Malachi 3:10 challenges us to do. Or perhaps it's stepping into ministry opportunities, remembering that God often calls us to serve even when we feel inadequate, just as He did with Moses, Gideon, and countless others.
Engage Deeply With a Community of Believers. Hebrews 10:24-25 instructs us to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together." Just as Proverbs 27:17 tells us that "iron sharpens iron," our faith grows stronger when we share life with other believers. Think of how Barnabas encouraged Paul, how Paul mentored Timothy, how the early church supported each other - faith flourishes in community.
As we wrap up our exploration of biblical faith, let's return to where we started - with that visit to the doctor's office. We discovered that faith isn't something unique to religious life; we exercise it every day in countless ways. But we also learned that biblical faith goes deeper than just everyday trust. Through exploring the rich meaning of the Greek words ὑπόστασις (hypostasis) and ἔλεγχος (elegchos) in Hebrews 11:1, we found that biblical faith isn't a blind leap in the dark, but rather a step into the light based on solid evidence and reliable foundation.
The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is "the pioneer and perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Whether you're just beginning to explore what faith means, or you've been walking with God for decades, remember that biblical faith isn't about having all the answers or never experiencing doubt. It's about building our lives on the bedrock of God's proven character, responding to His faithfulness with trust and action, and growing in our relationship with Him through both victories and challenges. Next week, we're going to tackle a question that might seem completely different at first, but actually helps us understand why faith matters so much. You see, every culture and civilization has recognized that something is fundamentally wrong with human nature. Buddhists call it suffering. Philosophers call it the human condition. Psychologists call it the shadow self. But thousands of years ago, the Bible gave it a simpler name: sin. And understanding this three-letter word might completely revolutionize how you see yourself, your world, and why everything seems so... broken. Until then, I'd love to hear from you in the comments: How has your understanding of faith evolved? What experiences have strengthened your trust in God during tough seasons? Your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.
Thank you for joining me today on Word for Word. Whether you're dealing with health challenges like my dad, facing important decisions, or simply trying to grow in your daily walk with God, you can build your faith on the solid foundation of God's character and promises.
