What exactly 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.

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,167
12,764
113
#21
Scripture support...
FAITH = BELIEVING AND BELIEVING = FAITH
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Rom 4:3)

And he [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: (Rom 4:11)

And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. (Rom 4:12)
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
113
#22
Faith, according to Scripture = DEUT. 33:20 =
FAITH is equal to Faithfulness -
GEN. 15:6.
some versions render that Abraham trusted in God -
so according to these scriptures and those above,
FAITH has many conations...
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,167
12,764
113
#23
Faith is believing and believing is faith.
When someone (such as Dino) disagrees with plain Scripture, LOOK OUT! More errors are on the way.

I have already shown from Scripture that faith is believing, and believing is faith.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,167
12,764
113
#24
FAITH is equal to Faithfulness -
You are MISREPRESENTING Genesis 15:6. That is not at all what this verse says.

וְהֶאֱמִ֖ן בַּֽיהוָ֑ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ לֹּ֖ו צְדָקָֽה׃
Literal interlinear translation: And he believed in Yahweh, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. Paul quotes this in Romans 4:3 as "he believed God".
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
113
#25
we are NOT mis-represnting, but paraphrasing from another translation -
and we also like the 'LIT'...
hugs...
 

John146

Senior Member
Jan 13, 2016
16,540
3,503
113
#26
And he [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: (Rom 4:11)
Yes, and I'm not disagreeing with you. I know this scripture well and have considered it. Why the two words in the same passage if they mean the same thing? According to James 2, Abraham's faith was not made perfect until he offered up Isaac upon the altar.

21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
 

Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
13,320
113
#27
When someone (such as Dino) disagrees with plain Scripture, LOOK OUT! More errors are on the way.
This comment is nothing but cowardice and slander.

Either quote my post and explain why you think it is wrong, or do not mention me at all.
 

Blik

Senior Member
Dec 6, 2016
7,312
2,424
113
#28
What wonderful answers, worth a year of bible study.

It is agreed that faith in the Lord is not limited to faith in that Christ is able to wipe out our sins and makes us as if we are righteous, but faith in every one of His words. Faith does not stop with our beliefs, it is completed with our thoughts and actions.
 

Edify

Well-known member
Jan 27, 2021
1,277
487
83
#29
I'm surprised that no one has went to the Greek yet.
FAITH

4102. pistis
Strong's Concordance
pistis: faith, faithfulness
Original Word: πίστις, εως, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pistis
Phonetic Spelling: (pis'-tis)
Definition: faith, faithfulness
Usage: faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness.

BELIEVE

Strong's Concordance

pisteuó: to believe, entrust
Original Word: πιστεύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pisteuó
Phonetic Spelling: (pist-yoo'-o)
Definition: to believe, entrust
Usage: I believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: I am entrusted with.

HELPS Word-studies
4100
pisteúō (from 4102 /pístis, "faith," derived from 3982 /peíthō, "persuade, be persuaded") – believe (affirm, have confidence); used of persuading oneself (= human believing) and with the sacred significance of being persuaded by the Lord (= faith-believing). Only the context indicates whether 4100 /pisteúō ("believe") is self-serving (without sacred meaning), or the believing that leads to/proceeds from God's inbirthing of faith.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from pistis
Definition
to believe, entrust
NASB Translation
believe (118), believed (73), believers (3), believes (29), believing (10), do

Faith is a noun; believe is a verb related directly to the noun.

So to have faith is to believe

This stuff is on the internet... why do we have to argue about it & be offended when a single Google search will point to it?

Brothers, any sinner could have done it. :unsure:
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,167
12,764
113
#30
This stuff is on the internet... why do we have to argue about it & be offended when a single Google search will point to it?
Correct. However some people love to stir the pot for no good reason.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#32
Its interesting that the gospel of John does not use ' faith ' .
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#33
Yes, dozens and dozens of times, the word is believe. Do a search of Acts - Philemon and see how many times it pops up and the context of the passage.
No ' repent ' in that passage either . Although some say repent and believe are 2 sides of the same coin ?
 

Journeyman

Well-known member
Jan 10, 2019
2,107
763
113
#34
When faith is completed, you can see it in action.

Can you see belief?
Yes,

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mk.11:23
 
Feb 22, 2021
684
35
28
#35
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.


Faith was coded by the Prophets, and by Jesus His Pre-Eminence who speaks in parables so that them hearing would not understand, for it was not given to them to know the mysteries of the kingdom. This is the way GOD concealed HIS Logos (plan of salvation) from the enemies of the mankind race, and how they expose themselves by preaching it literally.

The terms "faith and belief" has alomst become synonyms but they are not. Faith is not Belief. We throw questions around such as, do you believe Jesus His Pre-Eminence is the Son of GOD? Sure, ofc we do, but because of this HIS message has not been well understood. The focus should have been the belief in the message, the Revelations which HE, Jesus His Pre-Eminence and the Prophets dispensed to the children of the kingdom about the kingdom, about the GOD, about Salvation; the message is the good news that one must believe in FIRST to receive the neucleus, the hidden manna of the message.


For example:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of GOD.

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.


These verses have been misinterpreted to mean that they are talking about the second death - even before the mention of a second death which did not come to the book of Revelation. Which means the people HE was addressing believed HE was referring to the physical death. Can thou believe this? That you can live and not die? This was HIS message to the people.

Faith however was coded by GOD to conceal the truth of the kingdom. So that, any preacher who would advocate faith without understanding what it actually means is exposing themselves as fake.

So what is faith?

What does it mean: Faith is the substance of things hoped for.... What are the things hoped for here? Can it be a house, a car, a job, a spouse, a child, something that you could want to have here, is that what this is? There is a verse where Jesus His Pre-Eminence said to the Apostles: You've still not asked, ask and ye shall receive. Do you think that they had not asked HIM for anything?
This should reveal that there is what we are supposed to ask for, and its not forgiveness exactly. Its also not material things. If you believe the message, the Gospel that Jesus His Pre-Eminence preached, its one thing; That I live without dying at all, that i put on my wedding garments in life. That i transfigure in life alive as Enoch and Elijah did.

So then what is faith? How can trust or believe be faith here when your desire is to live forever? Will that alone prevent your physical body from dying? No. Rather, there is the path to life, when you on that path it CAN'T lead to death. death is not the result life, life has no end.

John 10:10

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

This should reveal that life here is not defining life well at all. Rather, death is the thief, for death stealsyour life from you, death kills your body, and destroys it too. So living as a mortal is not living, its dying.

MEDITATION AND ASSIMILATION OF DIVINE EUCHARISTIC REVELATIONS

the works that Apostle James spoke of, where faith must be accompanied with works. What is that work? Meditation, assimilation of the WORD of GOD, Divine, Eucharistic Revelations into your Spirit Being.

Compare this with:

Joshua 1: 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

John 6: 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

HE said HE is the living bread of life that whosoever eats of this bread shall not die but live forever.

Meaning, HE personified HIMSELF as HIS message, as the WORD that we, HIS children must eat, by meditating on HIS WORD, on Revelations from the GOD and assimilate them into our Spirit Being where it hatches that which was referred to as "the incorruptible seed" .

1 Peter: 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Faith is pointing Revelations (Revelation knowledge). Revelations is the substance of things hoped for (which John the Beloved got - Revelations about the end times, and about the kingdom) The EVIDENCE of things not seen. For by revelations the elders obtained a good report.

You see? A good report. That good report is actually an insiders report about the kingdom, about the plan of salvation. Not a good report about their life for others to read about.

Here is an example of how one could say faith gave a bad report if the report is on his life. Jacob has been called a thief, the brother who stole his brothers birth right. Yet, what he did was reclaim his birth right. (it will take alot of time to explain this), but did Jacob, who played the role of the one who would separate the spotted from the streaked, and the spotless, did he obtain a good report in terms of his reputation? No. Yet, by Revelation knowledge, he named his sons appropriately, according to the names of the 12 tribes of Israel. He was able to inform us about the entry and exit, the river euphrates which they called "Jacobs Ladder". He was a man of Revelations.

We were supposed to get an insiders report from the ones GOD sent to us to feed us Revelations so that we can return home to the Promised land (Heaven) without dying and waiting for resurrection, but by putting on the whole Armor of GOD; the Celestial immortal body which is the very same image of the body GOD coupled for Father Adam, His Eminence, before that body was crucified in the fall and migrated to the mortal state.

That is the good news of salvation, that we can conquer death, that we can conquer aging, sickness, disease by putting on the original body of Man, that was called the Glorified state in life alive without dying and waiting for resurrection.

Thus, Faith was coded and it actually means Divine Revelations about the kingdom, about the Plan of Salvation, about heaven, and the heavenly citizens, about the Son of GOD, about the GOD.

The elders are the Angels of the churches,
1. Enoch, preached the gospel of transfiguration
2. Noah, preached the gospel of the washings oof regeneration
3. Abraham, preached the gospel of circumscision
4. Moses, preached the gospel of atonement
5. Joshua, preached the gospel of revelation
6. Apostle Peter, preached the gospel of the remission of sin
7.The Son of Man -Shall preach the gospel of immortality + incorruptibility - that which saul paul called a mystery.


And Proof of Noah being the 2nd Angel is found in Rev 16:

3 And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

The book of Revelation prophetically adresses the beginning to the end, so its a mistake to take it from after the events of the apostles only.

The 12 that Jesus His Pre-Eminence had walking with HIM are not the real 12 apostles, they stood in the shoes or similitudes of the real 12 apostles which are.

the 12 patriarchs of the 12 tribes of israel;
Samson, Noah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, David, Gideon, Jephter, Joshua, Zerubabbel, Samuel, Daniel.

And the Major and Minor Prophets:
Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Daniel, Habbakuk, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Amos, Ezra etc...

And above them all are the ELYAH which are 3 (ELIJAH).
Elijah of Tishbe - Who transfigured in life alive.
Elijah John the Baptist - Who satisfied the Law of justification by being beheaded because Elijah of tishbe beheaded 450 prophets of baal
Elijah the restorer of all things - Matt 17:11 who is the very Son of Man referred to, and the 7th Angel of the 7 churches who will finish the mystery - Rev 10:7
 

phil36

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
113
51
#36
Elijah the restorer of all things - Matt 17:11 who is the very Son of Man referred to, and the 7th Angel of the 7 churches who will finish the mystery - Rev 10:7


Matt 17:11-13

11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
 
Feb 22, 2021
684
35
28
#37
Matt 17:11-13

11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Its two separate Elijah. When was the great and dreadful day of the LORD? Also when was falling away? Who then is the restorer of all things after the falling away?
 

phil36

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2009
8,260
2,111
113
51
#38
Its two separate Elijah. When was the great and dreadful day of the LORD? Also when was falling away? Who then is the restorer of all things after the falling away?
You don't need to go into fanciful meanderings. Jesus told you who the prophecy was fulfilled in...

Matt 17:11-13

11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
 
Feb 22, 2021
684
35
28
#39
You don't need to go into fanciful meanderings. Jesus told you who the prophecy was fulfilled in...

Matt 17:11-13

11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Its not fancy meanderings. Is it not written: That Elijah does come and restore all things? Well when was that done? Is it not written in Malachi 4:5-6


5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

When did this happen? Who are the fathers referred to? And when is the great and dreadful day of the LORD? Secondly, it is written further in acts 3:19-23


19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

Here again, it speaks about the restitution of all things.

And then there is also the prophecy of the falling away

2 thess 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Now i ask you again, who is the restorer of all things after the falling away?

The answer is ELIJAH.
 

CS1

Well-known member
May 23, 2012
12,170
4,000
113
#40
What is the difference between faith and believing?

Hebrews tells us...

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

By faith the elders obtained a dood report.

We also know in Romans 10...

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith begins with the hearing of God’s word.

Thoughts?
Faith is a noun Belief is a verb. To say you have faith and not demonstrate the faith you claim to have is no faith at all.