What is faith?

Question

Wishful thinking? Belief without evidence? Trust, gained after previous experiences?

So when someone says, "I have faith in you" does that mean they are saying they believe you exist although there is no evidence for it, or does it mean they trust you?

Answer 1

Faith is an action, based upon belief, sustained by confidence.

That's the way my pastor taught it.

There are different levels of faith. When you refer to having faith in someone for doing something, I think that it translates best in English as 'trust'.

Treat the word 'faith' the same as you would 'trust' and I think that you'll have it down pretty good.

A Christian trusts God to do what He is revealed as saying in the Bible. So I trust God through Jesus Christ to deliver me from my sins and grant me eternal life with Him. No one else has to, but I have committed myself to that trust.

I might have faith that someone else might loan me $20. And if they didn't come through with that, I would know that I couldn't trust them to do what they say. I could have faith that they might do something else, but not that.

Answer 2

"I have faith in you" = I trust you, because I know you personally and believe that you can complete the task at hand (this is based on observation, not faith)

Faith = belief in anything with complete lack of evidence. That means there is no way to argue any competing religious or supernatural theory. There is no way to prove anything correct. All can be incorrect, though. It doesn't make sense to jump the gun and believe in something when there is no reason to believe it exists, even if the idea seems nice.

Answer 3

True faith is commitment to an idea not fully expressed in the world, something like peace, justice, the enherent goodness of humanity, or a benevolent God in control of the universe. The idea doesn't have to be great, or practical, just something that needs effort to demonstrate. One can't "believe" in a proven fact, nor can one be "certain" of one's beliefs. Doubt and Faith always walk hand in hand. It is the constantly renewed commitment that gives faith its power to change lives. If it is important enough, believing IN something should permanently affect the way one lives, even if that makes living among others more difficult.

It can be a sort of wishful thinking, if one is doing what one can to model the realization of one's faith. It is a weak faith that requires experience to trust, but certainly experience can help build faith. And yes, one can "believe in" a person, meaning one accepts that person's integrity without the need to test it.

Answer 4

Religious faith is a category all it's own, it is belief based on no evidence.
A person can have faith in somebody else based on experience and real knowledge of that person so it is faith based on evidence which is quite a different kind of faith to blind religious faith.

Answer 5

Heb. 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.


Faith is a gift of God that is given to those who love and seek the truth and though faith comes revelation and through revelation a personal relationship with God.

Answer 6

Having hope in something unseen. Stepping out on trust. The Lord is the only one you can fully trust. Man always fails. Even the best, most trustworthy of friends/family, will fail you. Even yourself. Big fat fail. You have to get there, but when you do, you are safe and invincible. If you are in line with the gig. If not, you will be destroyed. You can not get away with shi* with the Lord. It is best not to try. Believe me, I have tried in the past.. It doesn't work. I finally got it and now I know him better. He is so much more than I thought and he is my best friend. Seriously. I have prayed about situations and people have dropped dead. Crazy, but true. Know who you are, what you believe, and why. Right mind, heart, motive, lifestyle, justice; he will never fails you if you do. Lie on any one of them, you will never get a response. Just my experience.

Answer 7

It really depends in what sense you use the word. I have Faith in God: means believing without evidence, I have faith in you as a person: means confidence or trust in a person, Loyalty to a person or thing; allegiance: keeping faith with one's supporters. It all depends on how use the word to me.

Answer 8

As demonstrated by integrity-keepers of old, faith that leads to courage and endurance embraces more than mere belief in God. (James 2:19) It requires that we come to know Jehovah as a person and have full confidence in him. (Psalm 78:5-8; Proverbs 3:5, 6) It means believing with all our heart that paying heed to God’s laws and principles is in our very best interests. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Faith also involves having full assurance that Jehovah will fulfill all his promises and become “the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.”—Hebrews 11:1, 6; Isaiah 55:11.

11 Such faith is not static. It grows as we live the truth, “taste” the benefits, “see” answers to our prayers and, in other ways, sense Jehovah’s direction in our life. (Psalm 34:8; 1 John 5:14, 15) We can be certain that the faith of Joshua and Caleb deepened as they tasted God’s goodness. (Joshua 23:14) Consider these points: They survived the 40-year trek in the wilderness, as God had promised they would. (Numbers 14:27-30; 32:11, 12) They were given an active role in the six-year conquest of Canaan. Finally, they enjoyed an abundance of life and health and even received their own personal inheritances. How Jehovah rewards those who faithfully and courageously serve him!—Joshua 14:6, 9-14; 19:49, 50; 24:29.

12 God’s loving-kindness to Joshua and Caleb calls to mind the psalmist’s words: “You have magnified your saying even above all your name.” (Psalm 138:2) When Jehovah attaches his name to a promise, the fulfillment of that promise is “magnified” in that it exceeds all expectations. (Ephesians 3:20) Yes, Jehovah never disappoints those who “take exquisite delight” in him.—Psalm 37:3, 4.

Answer 9

Faith in the religious context,is a con used by religious leaders to lure people into believing something that there is absolutely no evidence of what so ever.

Answer 10

Hbr 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.