Everyone has
strong beliefs about an assortment of subjects, not limited to politics,
education, religion, marriage, family, life, death and God. When it comes to
God people say with confidence that they believe in God or that they don’t and
that their beliefs are spot-on. We all live based on what we believe to be true
making important decisions every day that affect our lives and fortunes. Many
believe themselves to be Christian based on the belief that they are forgiven of
their sins and on their way to Heaven because of what they deem as true. It is
vitally important that our beliefs for making these “life and death” matters of
Heaven or Hell be founded on the truth of what God has revealed. It is
important to ask ourselves the question, “Is believing the right doctrine
enough to secure our future in heaven or anything for that matter? And where
does faith come in? Is faith the same as belief? If not, what is the
difference? Are your beliefs worthy of your faith? Let’s take a look at these
words and see if they are saying the same thing.
Faith or
belief are all translated from the same root word in Greek, the noun - “pistis”
and the verb – “pisteuo” translated “to believe” or “to have faith.” Unbelief,
doubt, etc., are all derived from the same Greek words with the prefix a- (a-
means “no”). While faith surely includes the element of belief, they are not
one and the same. The misperception developed due to the fact in classical
Greek that the words were used in relationship to trusting something or
someone. Certainly one must believe that something, or someone exists before it
is possible to put one’s faith in that person or thing.
To put one’s
‘faith’ in something, or someone, means that one is putting his or her trust in
that person or thing. Who or what one trusts can have far-reaching, even
eternal, ramifications. It means reliance on, dependence upon, that person or
thing. I can believe something that I have read in the Bible declaring it true,
however this does not establish that I am walking by faith in the biblical
reality that I have given mental assent to. True faith is more than simply
believing.
The most
fundamental aspect of faith is to be receptive
to God. Our receptivity to God is not based on facts or mental
understanding as to what is true or what is false, but rather is our receptivity
of the person of Jesus Christ Himself. As the Apostle John declares in John 1:12 “But
as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of
God, even to those who believe in His name.” Paul taught the same truth in Colossians 2:6-7 “Therefore as you have received
Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him…established in your faith.” The gift of God to mankind is Jesus
Christ and the reception of that gift is received by faith. “For by grace you have been saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). Our receptivity to God’s activity allows us to
function in confidence regardless of circumstances.
Whereas, belief
is primarily soulical, a function of our minds, trying to figure out what is
true or false, right or wrong, (where I am in control), faith is receptive to
the Spirit of Christ as I choose to trust God even without seeing. Understanding
our spiritual union in Christ allows us not to function merely out of the
rational thoughts of the mind (seeing) but rather live from the relational
union of the spirit. The difference between belief and faith is the difference between
rational (soul) and relational (spirit). “The
Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes
one spirit with him”
(1 Cor. 6: 17).
Christians are
often more comfortable relying on doctrinal beliefs in a type of mind-game rational
using everything they know to come to the right conclusions. Belief is like a
maze of thoughts bombarding our minds. The Christian is left attempting to sort
out and explain what is true and what is false establishing what they believe,
giving a defense of the faith, which then develops into a neatly packaged belief-system
that they can depend on and trust in, often arguing about. We become self-conscious
about our beliefs and as such it can make us feel uncomfortable if we don’t have
all the answers to life’s perplexing problems.
Faith is
very different as it is not about facts and figures and often doesn't have a
reason to give for “why” one is believing.
Faith differs greatly from belief and actually transcends it, as faith
connects me to the spiritual realm where I am one with Christ. Faith agrees
with what God is revealing to me in my spirit. Faith does not depend on
intellectual acceptance or recognition as does belief. Faith can’t figure
everything out and can’t be “nailed down.” Faith must trust God because we can
never figure God out, “how
unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out” (Romans 11:33)! Faith is our
receptivity to what God is doing even when we don’t understand which often we
will not understand. Faith is our willingness to listen rather than simply
thinking about what is the right thing to do doctrinally. Faith hears what
others are saying, being open to the body of Christ and the wisdom of a
multitude of counselors (Prov. 15:22). ”God
has been made known to all…leading to obedience of faith” (Rom. 16:26). The Greek word for obedience is (hupakouo)
which means "listening under." The obedience of faith is not mental
assent to a belief about God but is a willingness to listen under and hear His
voice to determine what God is saying. “My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27). This obedience of faith is the ongoing
relational reality of the Christian life that is not just for the moment but
rather for every situation that I find myself, both now and forever. The
obedience of faith is for me, as I listen to what God is saying to me but my
faith is not always for others. Beliefs can be passed on to others as creeds or
commands but only faith is personal and must be realized for oneself. Faith
cannot be passed on. Faith is between you and God and no one else. Paul desired
to be an encouragement to the Saints at Roman and for their faith to be an
encouragement to him. “For I
long to see…that I may be encouraged together with you…each of us by the
other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Rom. 1:11-12). Faith is between you and God for the moment
and should not be considered something that you can use as a spiritual gift or commodity
for tomorrows tests. God is revealed
from “faith to faith” (Rom. 1:17). Beliefs require facts
while faith requires relationship. “So
faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
Faith is always
receptive to God’s revelations which are very specific and/or “point on” for
what He is doing in our life “for
such a time as this?”
(Esther 4: 14). Faith is receptive to God’s activity or action, which is grace.
Believing alone does not mean that I experience the grace of God. I might talk
about God’s grace in theological beliefs but only faith identifies with grace! Faith
is personal and allows me experience my identity in Christ. Belief can be
sterile, even becoming demanding and controlling, often directed toward other
people. Belief is more of a “shotgun” approach which tends to take a broad view
and attempts to apply them to everybody else. Beliefs can kill, faith
experiences life! “…for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6). Jesus spoke of this in Matt. 23:1ff. “Then Jesus spoke…saying: “The scribes and
the Pharisees…tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds;
for they say things and do not do them. They tie up heavy burdens and lay them
on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much
as a finger.” Those
who want you to believe a certain way will refer to the "principles"
and "precepts" of scripture using them as bully-pulpit to demand
allegiance from you to obey. Belief often leads to behavioral prescriptions for
success and what is promoted in our culture as behavior modification. Belief
frequently develops into performance based religion.
Belief is
one-size-fits-all, (cookie-cutter-religion) while faith is individual and
intimate and is only realized as a Christian participates with the intimacy of
the Triune God. Beliefs are a “dime a dozen” and a public matter but faith is “priceless”
and between God and the person He has revealed Himself. It is only as we begin
to live by faith that we begin to experience the intimacy of relationship with
God. “…Christ lives in me; and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave Himself up for me” (Gal. 2:20).
Belief has
to always be accurate or correct, for to doubt or to have uncertainty is the
“kiss of death” for belief. The assumption of belief is, it has solved all of
life’s problems and has all of the answers to life’s most perplexing questions.
To question or to doubt would mean that you don’t believe and that would be the
cardinal sin of “believe right religion.” They teach that doubt is the enemy of
good and you must strengthen your beliefs and become mature in the Lord – in
your beliefs about Him. Failure is seen as weakness and weakness is viewed as
having an inadequate belief system. The cure or remedy of religious belief is
that you study to strengthen your beliefs so you will be prepared to face every
challenge because of your knowledge.
Unfortunately
many times people’s beliefs talk them out of living by faith but those who are learning
to walk by faith are experiencing God. You might ask, “Does any Christian truly
live by faith?” The answer is a resounding YES!
“Faith
is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Nineteen times in
Hebrews chapter 11 Paul declares that the people of God lived BY FAITH.
3 By faith we
understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that
what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice…
5 By faith Enoch
was taken up so that he would not see death…
7 By faith Noah,
being warned by God about things not yet
seen, in reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household…
8 By faith Abraham,
when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was
to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was
going…
9 By faith he
lived as an alien in the land of promise…whose architect and builder is
God.
11 By faith even Sarah
herself received ability to conceive…
17 By faith Abraham,
when he was tested, offered up Isaac…
20 By faith Isaac
blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come…
21 By faith Jacob,
as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph…
22 By faith Joseph,
when he was dying, made mention of the exodus of the sons of Israel, and gave
orders concerning his bones…
23 By faith Moses,
when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw
he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s
edict…
24 By faith Moses, when
he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather
to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing
pleasures of sin, 26 considering
the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he
was looking to the reward.
27 By faith he left
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing
Him who is unseen.
28 By faith he kept
the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, so that he who destroyed the
firstborn would not touch them.
29 By faith they passed
through the Red Sea as though they were passing through dry
land; and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned.
30 By faith the
walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven
days.
31 By faith Rahab
the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had
welcomed the spies in peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For time will
fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah,
of David and Samuel and the prophets…
33 who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts
of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of
lions, 34 quenched
the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made
strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their
dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting
their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; 36 and
others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and
imprisonment. 37 They
were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they
were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in
goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom
the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves
and holes in the ground.
39 And all these, having gained approval
through their faith…
We began
this article by asking the question, “Are your beliefs worthy of your faith?”
After our discussion, I would declare, “Absolutely NO!” Only Jesus Christ is
worthy of your faith.
Living by faith
allows us to be the Christian human beings God created us to be, choosing to
function dependent and deriving from God. “…for
it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good
pleasure” (Phil.
2:13). It is only in this divine-human relationship of being Christian that the
“static” foundation of belief finds its expression in the dynamic receptivity
of faith. “Without faith it is
impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and
that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). When Paul says “without faith it is impossible to please
Him,” the word for “impossible” is “adunamis” which means no power
or more literally, “no dynamic.” (The Greek word dunamis is the root of the English
word “dynamite.”) That is why Paul says that without faith there is no power or
dynamic to please Him. It’s like plugging a power tool into a dead socket which
is why James states in chapter 2 that faith without works is dead. Faith always
derives from the receptivity of God’s activity or you have just voided the
whole definition of faith! That is why our faith receptivity always has to be
connected and deriving from His grace activity because that’s what grace is, it’s
the “dunamis” the power of God.
The words of
the song of a well-known hymn “Living by Faith” by James Wells are appropriate:
I care not
today what the morrow may bring,
If shadow or
sunshine or rain,
The Lord I
know ruleth o’er everything,
And all of
my worries are vain.
Refrain:
Living by faith in Jesus above,
Trusting, confiding in
His great love;
From all harm safe in
His sheltering arm,
I’m living by faith and
feel no alarm.
Though
tempests may blow and the storm clouds arise,
Obscuring
the brightness of life,
I’m never
alarmed at the overcast skies—
The Master
looks on at the strife.
I know that
He safely will carry me through,
No matter
what evils betide;
Why should I
then care though the tempest may blow,
If Jesus
walks close to my side.
© 2015 by Don Burzynski
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