3 Mistakes We Might Make When Thinking About Faith
By Michael Kelley
The word “faith” appears approximately 250 times in the New Testament. But that word is a noun, and when you include the verb expressions of that word, there are far more. These would be words like “trust” and “believe.” Based on the number of mentions alone you’d have to include that “faith” is an important concept in the Bible.
And of course that’s true. As Christians, we are people of faith. Faith is not an ancillary part of our lives but rather the driving force behind everything we do. Our faith is what forms the grid by which we understand and process reality. It is our main operating system; the means by which we approach everything else. Not to mention the fact that faith is what God desires from us more than anything else:
Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6).
Given its important, we should have a firm idea of what faith is. By that I don’t mean only what the object of faith is, but what faith is in and of itself. So to get at that understanding, it might be helpful to approach the issue from the other direction.
That is, what are some misunderstandings we might about the nature of faith? Here are three of them:
1. Faith is ONLY an intellectual acknowledgment.
Faith must have an object, and that object is very important. So important you might say that the amount of faith is irrelevant if the object is not trustworthy. Fortunately, we have an object that is the most trustworthy and the most proven. But here we must be careful because yes, faith does involve an intellectual acknowledgment of what is true. But it is more than that.
Faith, in the Christian sense, is active. It is not merely acknowledging the truthfulness of something but instead is an active trust. It is not only agreeing but leaning.
Put another way, it is a very different thing to agree that Jesus was an actual historical figure and placing the weight of your eternity upon Him.
In a similar way, it is a very different thing on a day to day basis to acknowledge that God is in control and is working all things for your good and choosing to trust Him to the degree that your life is not filled with anxiety.
2. Faith is a condition you fall in and out of.
The world around us sees the concept of love like this. You fall in love and you fall out of love and you don’t have any control over it. Instead, love is just a condition - either you feel it or you don’t. As Christians, we would take issue with that understanding of love, but we must be careful not to view faith in the same way.
Yes, faith is a gift from God. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44). Philippians 1:29 says, “To you it has been granted for Christ’s sake… to believe in Him.” Add to that what Paul says in Romans 3 that no one seeks God, not even one.
Faith, at the outset, is a gift. But beyond that, faith can be grown. It can be stretched. It can be chosen.
And this is what we do on a daily basis. We are confronted with circumstances that seem to contradict what we believe - that God is not wise. Or not loving. Or not in control. And what do we do in those circumstances? Just sit around and hope we have faith?
No - we choose to believe.
3. Faith is a purely internal attribute.
We must also be careful not to think that faith is a purely internal attribute. That is, we believe in our hearts and the only real effect that belief has is a little less worry. A little more peace. A little more confidence and a little less apprehension. Now all those things are true, but the kind of faith we have as Christians is a transformative faith.
James 2 speaks of a “false faith” we can possess:
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds (James 2:14; 17-18).
Faith changes us. It works itself out in tangible ways. Put another way, our works are the “vital signs” of a living faith.
Faith is not just an important thing for Christians; it is THE important thing. Faith alone in Christ alone, as the Reformers would say. But as we emphasize the necessity of faith, let’s make sure we understand that it is more than intellectual agreement. That it is not passive. And that it is transformational.
Michael Kelley is a husband, father of three, author, and speaker from Nashville, TN. His latest book is a year-long family devotional guide called The Whole Story for the Whole Family. Find his personal blog at michaelkelley.co.
