“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
-Galatians 5:22-23
The best description of faith is the one the Bible gives: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). In everyday discussion, faith is usually referenced as belief in an abstract concept based exclusively on intuition. However, biblical faith is not abstract or a mere ungrounded belief. Faith, instead, is the substantive foundation for our belief, described as an evidence. Our convictions that God has created the world, that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh, that scripture is the inspired word of God, and that the resurrection is a real event are all based and firmly grounded in faith.
This description, though, is only the first part of what Paul describes as faith. Just as important as the first part of this description, the word “faith” refers to the steadfastness of conduct and fidelity in keeping our own promises as a result of our faithful convictions. When we describe someone as faithful, the meaning does not only refer to someone who strongly believes in God’s word; it means also that the person has been steady in love to God and His people, constant in attendance of the assembly for worship, and devoted in keeping the commandments and instructions in God’s word. We are not taught that mere belief is all God requires of us. We must obey His word and be “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” if we are to be faithful.
Where do we find faith? If faith is evidence, we cannot simply generate it ourselves! Hebrews 12:2 teaches that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. Peter addresses his second epistle to “them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Both of these texts and others teach that faith is a gift of God, and no man has faith unless he was given it by God. In this sense, faith is plainly and clearly a fruit of the Spirit! Naturally, we have no ability to bear this fruit, but in Christ we can. Glory to God!
Faith and “sight” are exact opposites. As we have already referenced, faith is the evidence of things not seen. Although many of the truths described in scripture cannot be proven or disproven through our five natural senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), the child of God has been given faith as a greater evidence. We have an expectation one day to be glorified with Christ and dwell eternally in His perfect presence. Of course, this is based on God’s promises in scripture. For now, we wait for those promises in faith. Once that day arrives, we will no longer need faith, but faith will have turned to sight. Our present situation in that sense is similar to what is described of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the other Old Testament saints. They “died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). Because we walk by faith and not by sight, we trust in the promises of scripture.
As previously stated, faith is in fact a better evidence than our five physical senses. In a culture that esteems observation and experimentation so highly, this statement may come as a surprise. However, science and the body of human knowledge is constantly facing revision and update. Our senses are not perfect and can be misleading. On the other hand, gospel truth as revealed in scripture has remained unchanged for thousands of years, and we have a promise that His truth will endure forever! In further support of this point, consider what emphasis Peter used in II Peter 1:19. He says that scripture is “more sure” than his own eyewitness account (vs 16). What great confidence we should have in God’s word!
According to what we are taught in scripture, our outward conduct should reflect what God has put in us. Because we are the elect of God, we are to walk in good works (Colossians 3:12). Therefore, faith should yield much more than a simple belief. In fact, James deals with this in his epistle when he asks “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” According to the Apostle James, faith demands action in godly sincerity. I believe that Paul had this truth in mind when he included faith as a characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit. The ability to believe, to love, and to live the gospel is all given from God, and we should humbly and diligently walk in faith.
May God bless us each with faith to believe and obey His word. I pray He would provide an abundance for where we each find our faith lacking. I repeat the simple prayer in Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”