Understanding Faith

by Garry D. Pifer

I was encouraged by a couple I met last fall to study the subject of healing.  They had experienced firsthand God's mercy in their lives and had seen His healing, not once but three times.  I've been at this study for several months now and am learning much from the Scriptures I had never seen before.  I am not going to attempt to cover healing in one short article but I do want to discuss a subject that is critical for our understanding before we can fully grasp and expect healing or any of God's promises.  I believe and submit to you that ONE of the primary things we absolutely need and must understand, and which most of us DO NOT understand, is FAITH.

Let's begin in Matthew 17.  Starting at verse 14 we read the story of an individual bringing his son to Jesus asking Him to have mercy on him.  He said that he had brought him to Jesus' disciples but they could not cure him.  He rebuked the devil or demon and it departed from the young man.  The disciples then came to Him asking why they had been unable to cast the demon out.  Notice Jesus' response in verse 20.  "And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." The word “unbelief” is from the Greek word apistia, number 570 in Strong’s.  The lexicon defines it 1.) Unfaithfulness, faithless  2.) Want of faith, unbelief 3.) Weakness of faith. 

In Matthew 21 we read of the account of Jesus "cursing" the fig tree.  Notice His statement in verse 21.  "Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."  Verse 22 is also very powerful.  "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

Similar accounts are found in Mark 11:20-26 and in Luke 17:5-6.  Jesus said in verse 6 of Luke 17, IF ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed.  That "big little word" if.

It behooves us to reflect on the question that Jesus asked, found in Luke 18:8.  Breaking into the verse, He asks "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"  Jesus indicates that  very little faith, likened to a grain of mustard seed, could move mountains, but, when He returns very few will be found having that kind of faith.  Do we have that kind of faith?  NO, most of us don’t. In fact most of us don’t even understand what "real faith" is!

Virtually everyone of us can quote Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  But, I ask, WHAT DOES THAT STATEMENT REALLY MEAN?

The word "substance" can also be translated "confidence."  It is defined as "that which has actual existence" and as "assurance."  The word "evidence" means "conviction" or "a proof."  Notice some other translations which can help us.  The Moffatt translation, "Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see."  An older, but helpful translation, the Weymouth, renders it "Now faith is a well-grounded assurance of that for which we hope , and a conviction of the reality of things which we do not see."  The New American Standard puts it this way, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  Although not a translation but a paraphrase, the Amplified is helpful.  "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]."  The New International Version says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  One more, a paraphrase, J. B. Phillips   put it this way.  "Now faith means that we have full confidence in the thing we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see."

The Apostle Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:7.  "(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" It is a human mistake to suppose a thing is not real because we can't see it with our eyes.  IF I were to blindfold you and lead you down the sidewalk you wouldn't be able to see the sidewalk at your feet BUT the sidewalk is still very, very real.  Each step you take will be an act of faith, evidence, conviction of the reality of what you can't see with the physical eyes.  You have to "see"it "in the mind's eye."

Many of us grow a garden, or farm, or maybe grew up on a farm.  We know that in the spring we work the soil and then plant seeds.  You believe that the seed is swelling, sprouting and growing BEFORE the first green shoots emerge from the soil.  That is faith, which is the evidence, the conviction of things not seen.

What God promises to us is just as real as the physical things we can't see but which we still have faith in, are convinced of.  In fact, even more real.

We believe the promises and the words of others.  Often more so than God's promises and words.  Let's look at an illustration.  We will use you wives to make this point.  IF your husband tells you that he has put $100.00 into the cookie jar for you, would you believe him?  (Hopefully, your husband isn't in the habit of lying to you!)  Sure!  You would have no reason not to believe him.  You have faith, which is the evidence, the conviction, of things not seen.  You haven't seen the $100.00 but you are absolutely confident that it is there in the cookie jar.

Faith is different than hope.  You might "hope" your husband would put $100.00 into the cookie jar.  You know he is "able" to do so.  He has the money, he is physically capable of reaching the cookie jar, etc.  And, you might have even asked him to consider doing so.  BUT, at this point you don't have any indication, any word, any promise that he has done so.

But, when he tells you it is there in the cookie jar you have his "sure word of promise" that he has given you $100.00.  You have absolute faith and belief.

2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

I know that it has often been said that faith is a gift from God.  That is true, but there is more to it than just waiting for God to give it to us.  There is something that we need to do.  What?

The Apostle Paul tells us.  Notice Romans 10:17.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  Faith, real belief, the assurance and conviction and confidence that we are talking about begins WHEN the will of God is known.

How often have we heard, and perhaps used, the faith destroying phrase, “If it be God’s will?”

We cannot have FAITH if we don’t know God’s will!  Faith is expecting God to keep His promises.  How can there be faith IF there is not a promise OR if we don’t know what that promise is?

How do we know God’s will and obtain faith?  As we just read in Romans 10:17, it comes “by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God.”  We must know, and know that we know, the promises and the will of God as contained in the “word of God,” the Holy Scriptures.

If we want to know God’s will on any subject we need to read His words contained in the Old and New Wills (that is what testament means).

Let us just suppose that you and I are in a large audience listening to a presentation by a multi-millionaire.  He says to us, “I’m able to give everyone here tonight $1000.00.”

At this point we have NO basis for faith that we will receive $1000.00.  We could hope, have desire that he might do so.

IF he says, “I will give 50 of you $1000.00.” we still have no basis for faith for any one of us in the audience.  Could anyone be “fully assured” of receiving $1000.00?  Again we could have hope!

HOWEVER, if he says, “It is my will to give all of you, each and everyone, $1000.00 as you leave here tonight.” then we now have grounds for faith!

Faith has come from hearing his word, his promise.  We haven’t yet seen the $1000.00 but we are convinced, we have the evidence, that we will receive it.

The same is true with God.  Until we know His will, His promises, we can hope and have desire BUT we do not have faith.  We obtain faith by hearing, hearing what God tells us within His word.

We can not pray the “prayer of faith” unless we know it is God’s will.  The first step in regard to healing or in receiving anything we ask of God is to know what the Bible clearly teaches us concerning His will.

Let’s look at Hebrews 4:16.  “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

The word “boldly” is from the Greek word parrhesia, #3954 in Strong’s.  Note the way it is used and defined in the lexicon.  This is taken directly from the On-Line Bible program that I use.

 from 3956 and a derivative of 4483; TDNT - 5:871,794; n f (My note: 3954 is from 3956 in Strong’s and is derived from 4483 in Strong’s.  TDNT is Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.)

Definition #2, “free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance,” seems to stand out for me.  Many translations render Hebrews 4:16 with the word confidence.

Green’s Literal Translation: “Therefore, let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and we may find grace for help in time of need.”

New American Standard: “Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need.”

Jewish New Testament: “Therefore, let us confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.”

New International Version: “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

In looking at the Scriptures where this Greek word is used I found several that were very powerful but thought 1 John 5:14-15 was especially helpful.

1 John 5:14-15  “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:   And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” 

Remember we covered Hebrews 11:1 where it says that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  The word “substance” can be translated “confidence.”  Moffatt renders it “Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for...”  J.B. Phillips puts it this way, “Now faith means that we have full confidence in the thing we hope for,...”

When the writer of Hebrews says that we come “boldly unto the throne” he is expressing that we come with confidence, which is true faith.  We obtain faith “by hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God.”  (Rom. 10:17)    To be able to come before God, before the throne of grace, “boldly” we need to be filling our minds with the Word of God, knowing what God’s will is.  Then, as John says, with that faith, that confidence, we can ask anything according to that will knowing that He hears us and that we “have the petitions that we desired of Him.”  It is impossible to come “boldly” in true faith and confidence IF we do not understand and know His will.  That “will” is revealed in His Word.

Notice the words of Jesus, as recorded in John 15:7, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”  Among the lexicon definitions for “abide” is “to remain, not to depart, to continue to be present, to be held, kept, continually.”  IF we are filling our minds with the word of God, keeping it there continually, meditating on it day and night, we will KNOW God’s will, His promises, His assurances.  And, then, “ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”  We are able to come “boldly” and with confidence, in true faith, before the throne of grace.

Just a few chapters earlier in the book of John, notice a couple of verses.  John 8:31-32, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  In verse 36 He says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  IF we are filling our minds with the word of God, written and incarnate, coming to know God’s will and His promises, we are continuing and abiding in Christ and we are made free.  We are freed from the bondage of sin AND the bondage of wrong thinking.  Satan has perverted and subverted the world.  We have had the ways of the world around us and have allowed those ways and ways of thinking to rub off on us.  We counteract that by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2), letting our minds become the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5).  With His mind in us, thinking as He thinks, knowing His will and the Father’s will, we then have the real faith, the confidence to come boldly before the throne of Grace, “nothing wavering” (James 1:5). Notice what James tells us in verse 7 of chapter 1.  IF we come “wavering” and doubting, “For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

Faith begins where the will of God is known.  TRUE FAITH is not believing that God can BUT believing that He will.  And, don’t think for a minute that Satan won’t seek to persuade us that God’s words and promises are not sure.  He will do everything to attempt to destroy our faith.

God told Adam and Eve “In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”  Satan, in the form of the serpent, said, “Thou shalt not surely die.”

God tells us “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”  Satan attempts to tell us in various ways “They shall not recover.”  He will tell us “God can heal if it be His will.”  Or, “God is able to heal but His will may be for you to suffer this illness.”  These and similar statements are “faith destroyers.”

We, as the very children of God, should have real faith and we need real faith.  And we can have that faith.  It comes by hearing the word of God.  The Scriptures reveal God’s will for each of us.  In regard to healing the pages of the Bible are filled with His promises and His will is revealed.  Before we can pray the prayer of faith and truly expect to be healed or to receive our request we must know His will and His promises.