What is faith?

Second Edition on Faith:

What is Faith?

The biblical definition of "faith" comes to us from the letter to the Hebrews: "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." While this explanation tends to be more functional, the reason for faith is to establish in us a relationship of love with our God who created us and calls us to follow him. The uniqueness of the Judeo-Christian tradition is that while we did not seek God, God revealed himself to us. Hebrews continues "whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Faith and belief seem to go hand in hand. The Oxford Dictionary states that faith means: complete trust or confidence, and the religious faith is belief in a religion or creed. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that "faith is man’s response to God who reveals himself and gives himself to man, at the same time brings man a superabundant light as he searches for the ultimate meaning of his life". Our Catholic Christian creed developed through the early Church’s need to keep and hand on the faith that She received through revelation. Faith then, because it is given to us, and given to us by God, cannot be subjective, where we can pick and choose what we like or dislike. What we are given to believe by faith must be all or nothing. The deposit of faith given to us remains an objective reality; the articles of faith are true even when we do not understand them. Such as our faith in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, three divine persons. In the face of the mysteries of faith we as Christians are not however to remain passive in our acceptance. We are called to discover our faith and struggle to understand our faith. As in the Gospel of Luke, when the Virgin Mary finds her Son Jesus in the temple after three days of anxious searching, Jesus asks her "Why were you looking for me, did you not know I must be about my Fathers business?" Her response to this episode was to keep this experience, which she did not fully grasp, and meditate it in her heart. We too like the Virgin Mary are called to meditate in our hearts the articles of faith revealed to us by God, through Jesus Christ. Especially if we have trouble with one or another part of it. We are called to actively enter into the mystery of our faith. As St Augustine reminds us, while faith is a gift from God, theology is "faith seeking understanding." Let us not leave theology only to the theologians, let us discover and come to Faith, enter into it, if you will, and experience the mystery of God within our own life.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Hebrews 11 :1-3,6-8, 11, 17-19, 23-30, 32-34.

Faith in Jesus Christ

 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.

I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20 

Have Faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who died and was resurrected on the third day and by the precious blood of the Lamb, Who cleansed us of all sin for the Glory and honor of God the Father. Amen, Alleluia.