Everyone lives by faith. Even the atheist. It is an inescapable reality of life on planet earth.
We must all live by faith because none of us knows everything. Were we all-knowing, as the Bible declares God to be, faith would be quite unnecessary. Faith addresses things we believe but do not absolutely know to be true. Faith is inextricably woven into the fabric of our daily lives. In May of 2000 my wife, daughter, and I boarded a Boeing 777 and flew for over 12 hours twice (to and from Japan) with a belief that the plane would safely reach our respective destinations. In business we sign contracts making long-term financial commitments with a belief that we will be able to pay or get paid, depending upon which side of the deal we stand. We buy advance tickets to concerts, plays, and sporting events with the belief that we will be well and otherwise able to attend.
Faith is no longer an issue once I have stepped into the terminal at the destination airport; then I know. I need no faith when the contract is completed; then I know I have given or received what was expected. Faith is no longer an issue once the concert or the game is over; then I know whether or not I got my money's worth.
We can be so confident of faith issues, have amassed such subjectively strong supportive evidence, that we would say we "know" such and such. I do. For instance, I could be heard saying "I know there is a God." When I make such a statement, however, I don't mean that this reality has such
Many people would agree that without faith, the world would be in chaos. The book Christian Foundation by Kathleen Fischer and Thomas Hart gives an interpretation on faith in our time. Many people would question the definition of faith. Faith is a gift, which is given by God to have trust in him and belief in him. This book is a great entry in anyone's life that has speculation on his or her own faith. The book has many ways into understanding ones own religion. It discusses the Bible, Jesus, Church, God's existence and Images of God. All of these chapters helped me get a better interpretation of what my religion entailed.
What is faith and does it really work? People rely on faith for things hoped for, but have not yet received. Faith is commonly associated with religion. Faith is embracing the unknown. Faith gives people hope and courage. People encourage others with faith. People get on bending knee and pray with faith. Faith can be someone’s first name. Faith gives help through hard times. Faith is not tangible. Faith is in people’s heart. Faith is hoping for a better world. Faith is touching someone’s heart. Faith is a promise for a better tomorrow. Faith is difficult to define, yet people rely on faith every day. According to Webster’s online dictionary faith is, “complete trust and confidence in someone or something.” Faith is trust, courage, and assurance
Faith is my bedrock, my passion, my belief structure. I grew up under the tutelage of a God-fearing (loving) mother who emphasized the need to “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 English Standard Version). I never let go of my belief structure, even when I joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) straight out of high school. It is this faith and the above-mentioned Proverb that guides me throughout my professional career.
When discussing faith is it important to look at the word closely and understand its meaning. The basic definition of faith is “confidence or trust in a person; and belief that is not based on proof” (Random House… 693). Whether someone puts their faith in a person or a religious being, faith can be simplified as having
Faith is a state of mind through which goals, desires, plans and purposes are interpreted into spiritual equivalent and transferred it to infinity intelligence. Everything can be achieved if you believe in yourself.
Faith and reason can be viewed as opposites. Faith is an element of belief, something an individual does not necessarily require a reason for accepting without reason. For example, an individual’s reason for believing in God may not seem too rational when they are trying to explain them. They may not even stand up to criticism. On the other hand, reason is constructed as a formula. Faith is basically something we believe in, like something we learn in church. Reason is something we learn in school, such as a math formula.
Faith is the belief in a person, thing, or idea without concrete evidence of its certainty. Although in some arenas, such as science, it is looked down upon, faith is ever presence in people's lives. It takes faith to belief that a chair will support one’s weight. It takes faith to belief that others will fulfill their promises and responsibilities. John Donne, Robert Fink, and Annie Dillard are three authors who use faith as a topic for one of their works.
“We need faith to do what seems right without necessarily being sure of the effects
One of the most important characteristics of faith that Kallistos Ware highlights is the idea that much, if not all, of one’s relationship with God, is based off of instinctive feelings as opposed to other feasible elements. As Ware states, “Faith is not the supposition that something might be true, but the assurance that someone is there.” Faith in God, as Ware explains in this quotation, is not merely believing in God due to elements of scripture or teaching, but is instead something that occurs after personal experiences that provide a basis for the presence of God in one’s life. Additionally, these personal experiences not only need to occur, but also need to be interpreted and attributed to God. However, this can be difficult for many,
Faith is far from being easy. If your faith is placed in something you can’t see, then it’s usually hard to act on that faith unless you are deeply rooted and involved in it. Actions prove how much faith you have. Without proof, your declaration of faith does not mean much.
What is faith? and is faith a requirement of a believer’s life? If so, then how does a
What is faith? Scripture tells us in Hebrews 11:1 that “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV) Faith means trusting that various situations will provide results best suited to help us in some way during our life. I’m sure others may have a different opinion; however, throughout my life, that has been the most accurate description.
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. . . . 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 (Hebrews 11:1, 3, New International Version.)
Although there are any popular perceptions of faith, Tillich goes beyond all of this, saying that the popular perceptions, even by Christian religious traditions, are misconceptions. We often talk about having faith that there is life on another planet or something. To Tillich, these things do not constitute faith, but belief. The difference is that faith is ultimate concern. Faith must include both a cognitive and emotional component.
You can not have religion without faith. George W. Forell states that "faith is universal," (Forell 1). By this Forell is saying that everyone has some sort of belief, they believe in something or somebody. Forell is not limiting this belief to God, or gods for that matter, he simply means that all humans believe in something- money, or education, or the general goodness of mankind. Forell goes on to also describe Christian faith; "Classical Protestantism asserts that God wants fellowship with man and that if we trust completely in Jesus Christ and his work we will have communion with God. This complete and utter trust in Jesus Christ is faith," (Forell 19). I tend to side with George W. Forell and his explanation of Christian faith.