What is faith?

Faith is essentially very simple, though it is deeply profound. We all have faith in people every day – we have faith in the bus driver, in our teacher, in our doctor, in the lady down the road who passes on the latest gossip, though we may sometimes doubt her.

The young couple about to get married have faith in the love and faithfulness of each other, so they make their commitment “until God shall separate them by death”. 

The scientist has faith that the world runs – and will continue to run – according to consistent order; he has faith in the scientific research papers he reads, without knowing how truthful the academic who wrote them really is.

Even the atheist has faith in his ideas – for his atheism is a “faith system” according to one-time atheist Alister McGrath.

Whatever religion people may have, they have faith in it. The question is: is that faith well placed? How do they know that what is proposed is reliably true? People who always ask that question can end up totally sceptical, because it is not easy to find a basis for our trust that is 100% watertight. In fact, the only basis that qualifies for that degree of truth would be a God of absolute truth.

I have set forth that basis as we looked at Jesus, who affirmed, “I am the truth” (John 14.6) and that he “came down from heaven” to “teach just what God the Father had taught” him to say; so “whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say,” and his “word is truth” (see John 6.38; 8.28 and 40; 12.50; 17.17).

As we listen carefully to Jesus’ words, and consider the purity of his life and the wisdom of his teaching, we are led to believe that he could indeed be the unique incarnation of God and the Saviour of the world. As we consider what he taught about salvation and forgiveness through his death for us, and examine the evidence for his resurrection from the dead, we are logically led to the conclusion that he must indeed be who he said he was. This is the first step of faith.

On that basis, we must go further, because real faith goes beyond simple belief in facts; it must lead us to trust. Faith as trust is essential in every human relationship, and so it is in our relationship with God. When Jesus calls people to follow him, he makes promises, and invites us to trust him to fulfil them. His promises are recorded in the Gospels and are open to “whoever believes in him” (John 3.16). 

Even if we’re not fully convinced that he came from God, as we pay attention to his words, faith and trust grow in our hearts. Jesus promises rest of soul, spiritual new birth, forgiveness of sins, abundant life and eternal life – the full, true meaningful life we deeply long for. All this and more is included in the restoring of a harmonious loving relationship between the forgiven sinner and God our gracious Saviour. This is – I keep repeating – the human fulfilment in life that we were created for, and we come to experience it as our faith expresses itself in trust.  In a prayer of commitment, we receive Jesus as our Saviour, to forgive our sins; we acknowledge him as our Master whose teaching we will believe and follow, and we commit ourselves to him as our Lord whom we will learn to love obey from now on.

Have you expressed your faith in that kind of prayer? 

Clive Every-Clayton