what IS faith?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Feb 24, 2019
256
167
43
#1
When Jesus says "because of you lack of faith.", what does that mean?

Does it mean "because you don't REALLY, REALLY believe that God sent Me because He loves you and that in Me you may have Life in yourselves"

Or what do you think it means?
 

2ndTimothyGroup

Well-known member
Feb 20, 2021
5,212
1,831
113
#2
The story that IS the Bible would suggest that Faith is the given ability to Truly Believe, Submit, Obey, hold Confidence in, and Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we aren't Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no way to hold True, Godly Confidence in this world of Satans. If we don't have Confidence, it is absolutely associated with our inability to Obey. If we're not Obeying, it's because we haven't Truly Submitted. If we haven't Truly Submitted to Christ, it is because we do not Truly Believe.
 

Subhumanoidal

Well-known member
Sep 17, 2018
3,645
2,865
113
#3
Hebrews 11:1
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see
 

BenFTW

Senior Member
Oct 7, 2012
4,834
981
113
33
#4
I would say that lacking faith is lacking assurance, which can be the result of doubt and disbelief in achieving the desired end. This can creep in when we get our eyes off of the promise and on ourselves, or rather off of the promise maker (God).

It would seem that at times all of reality is a hindrance to what God has said, yet we are called to have faith. We are to take God at His word and not let circumstance cause in us a distrust in Him. Rather the circumstance permits us to rely on Him, to see His deliverance.
 

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
Aug 13, 2014
24,799
8,103
113
#5
Hebrews 11:1
Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see
Judy Jacobs translated it as, "That means you act like it has just happened."
 

G00WZ

Senior Member
May 16, 2014
1,313
446
83
37
#6
Faith is believing in or about someone or something something even though they/it aren't showing evidence of it.
Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen". so what that is, is your consciousness/ awareness or thoughts/word/ imaginations about it is that substance.

I remember a few years ago i had to practice faith on an investment that i made because it seemed as though as soon as i made the investment and put up higher offers to sell them their value started to fall like a rock. For 2 straight weeks it did nothing but fall as my offers just sat there stale. By the second week prices had bottomed out at such a low value that on the chart it looked like it would take at least half a year to return to any type of normalcy. I remember just watching it the first week, every day just watching it fall lower and lower and being more and more annoyed because of it. After the week was over i was completely agitated but i made a conscious decision for the next week to just leave my offers in as they were, but i would call them something they were not (sold at the price that i had set previously) regardless of the images that i was shown. During that time i would tell myself things like " im so thankful that my investments have sold" while having the image of them being sold in my mind. I did this all the way until the last day of the 2nd week, and at the end of that day i had decided just to check on the graph and charts one final time, except this time before even looking at it i said " even if this says that they didn't sell im not changing my mind, nor am i going to react to it's reports". I looked and it was still at a horribly low price. I said to myself "Like i said before, you can show me whatever you want but you're still sold at what i have been saying all this week". After saying that i logged off the sites and turned off my computer and went to sleep.
I slept for about 6 hours and woke up early because for some reason i just didn't feel tired anymore, so i logged back in to check my emails and to my surprise something had sold. When i looked closer i was even more surprised because all of my offers had sold at the exact price i had set. I couldn't believe it so i had to check the graphs again to see if it was just a fluke or a glitch. What was funny was the graphs and reports still said that the price was at that low price hat i had seen just before i went to sleep. It wasn't till a few minutes later that it showed how the value had skyrocketed.
I was told later that the price had risen so fast and so unnaturally that the site's graphs and charts couldn't even register it fast enough.

Faith is basically a combination of what i did and what sub and lynx said there because i had to live as though it was done even though i saw no evidence in the natural, and i didn't get to see any evidence of what i hoped for until i was fully committed and unwilling to accept any other imaginations about it.
 
May 31, 2021
41
39
18
#7
Faith is one of the hardest things that I have ever learned in my lifetime.
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
3,468
113
#8
When Jesus says "because of you lack of faith.", what does that mean?

Does it mean "because you don't REALLY, REALLY believe that God sent Me because He loves you and that in Me you may have Life in yourselves"

Or what do you think it means?
Faith = Trusting God...

People can believe God but not be very trusting of God..
 

Blade

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2019
1,582
565
113
#9
Context is needed here. Well where did Jesus that? Something like it in Matt 17:20. James 1 and 1st John 5 deal with faith and doubt. Gods will is His word. This is where so many stumble for they don't know. The man said to Jesus.. I Know you can but do you want to? He ALWAYS wants to. Jesus I believe please help my unbelief. He will help every time. We need to exercise our faith.
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,424
113
#10
Before Hebrew was in written letters but with pictures, faith was an arm that hammered a nail in a wall. It showed that there is something reliable we can nail our faith on.