What is faith?

Question

If it means believing in something to be true even if you have no evidence or proof. You have "faith" that something exist. Just because you believe it to be true. So with that being said is having faith rational?

Children, in a way, having faith too. They believe that magical people exists. We call them Santa, The Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. They exist because the children have faith that they do exist and that is good enough.

It may be good enough for a child but not for an adult. It is said that Jesus (and god) are Santa for adults. In the case of faith, that may be very true. Which would you rather believe, what you WANT to be true or the TRUTH.

"Better by far to embrace the hard truth than a reassuring fable." Carl Sagan

Answer 1

Faith commences with the conviction of the mind based on adequate evidence; faith continues in the confidence of the heart or emotions based on conviction, and faith is crowned in the consent of the will, by means of which the conviction and confidence are expressed in conduct.

Key points, faith is a
Conviction of the Mind
Confidence of the Heart
Consent of the Will
Conduct of the Body

As you can see from the above, faith affects the whole of a person's nature. Even the demons *believe*. Belief is not enough. Many may claim to be Christians, but we know from the scriptures that many are called, but few are chosen:

Mat 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Mat 7:17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
Mat 7:18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
Mat 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Mat 7:20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' (ESV Translation)

Faith without works is dead, just as the fig tree cursed by Christ when it did not bear fruit (Mt. 21:19). By a Christian's fruit you will know their true nature.

Non-believers cannot adequately reason the revelations of God in the world around them, nor in the written revelations of God, the bible. Their eyes have been closed to the truth because they are unwilling to still their minds and hear the call of the Holy Spirit to God's grace.

2Co 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing.
2Co 4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Instead, they are given over to their own devices, seeking the “truth” within themselves where no real truth can be found:

2Ti 3:2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
2Ti 3:4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2Ti 3:5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

God's foreknowledge of the choices we will make in this life is the reason for these conditions. An omnipotent God cannot make a morally free person who is incapable of consciously choosing to sin. Thus there will be those that with full knowledge of God's revelation who will choose to reject His divine mercy. This is the unforgivable sin.

We know from the scriptures that few will be called to righteousness. The John 3:16 of the bible is not for everyone, but only for those God has called to be His elect whom were chosen before the creation of the universe.

Answer 2

Romans 12:3
3… God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

As children of God, we should never say, “I don’t have faith.” To say this is to say that God is a liar because the Bible already tells us that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith”.

Why then does the faith of some seem to be stronger than others? Well, faith is like muscles. We are all born with a measure of muscles. But some of us develop our muscles more than others. Bodybuilders, for example, exercise their muscles very regularly to make them grow bigger and stronger.

Likewise, your measure of faith grows when you feed and use it. Each time you hear or read God’s Word, you are feeding your faith. When you confess God’s Word and expect good things to happen to you, you are using it. And the more you use it, the more your faith grows.

So use your faith. You could start with headaches. When you have a headache, instead of taking a painkiller, use your faith. Ask God for healing, and trust and thank Him for the healing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking medicine. And if you have to go to the doctor, don’t feel condemned either. Just start using your faith at a level you are comfortable with. If you need to go to the doctor, then go in faith, praying, “Abba Father, I am going to the doctor. I am asking You in Jesus’ name to give the doctor wisdom to give me an accurate diagnosis. My trust is not in him but in You.”

And when you take your medicine, don’t just swallow the pills. In faith, say, “Lord, sanctify this medicine,” because some medicine may have negative side effects. When you ask God to sanctify it, He blesses that medicine. And what will be developing in you, growing bigger and possessing your body until it is too widespread and too late to stop it is divine health!

Beloved, you have been given a measure of faith. Start using it, believing that it is this measure of your faith that causes you to draw from the inexhaustible power of a faithful and loving God towards you!

Answer 3

Faith is believing in something you cannot see, yet seeing the evidence of the thing you believed in
Can you see the wind, or just the effects of the wind?
The heart of man is desperately evil, who can change evil to good................

Answer 4

Faith is a dynamic of the Spiritual realm.

If one has accepted God's Spirit to come live inside of them, it is easy to exercise ones faith to one measure or another according to God's enlightenment's.

Answer 5

The answer is simple in my opinion. Ask God to reveal himself to you with an open heart, and he will.

Answer 6

faith is total blind ignorance. it is the opposite of empiricism.