Faith is one of the most precious treasures a man can possibly possess. It is a pity that so few understand what the Bible teaches about it.
Faith is often confused with presumption, optimism, determination, superstition and imagination. Actually it is simply believing. This is why we read in Rom. 4:5:
βBut to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.β
Obviously, faith honors God, while doubting His Word must insult and displease Him. The Apostle John wrote:
βIf we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greaterβ¦. He that believeth not God hath made Him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record: that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Sonβ (I John 5:9-11).
Little wonder that we read in Heb. 11:6:
βWithout faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.β
But why did God give the law, if salvation can be obtained by simple faith? St. Paul answers:
βThe law was our schoolmaster, to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faithβ (Gal. 3:24).
βDo we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the lawβ
(Rom. 3:31).
How grateful we all should be that God, in the Bible, has told us about redemption through Christ and how we may be saved by faith in Him!
β[Christ] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christβ (Rom. 4:25; 5:1). source
[β¦] are many who look upon faith as an abstract sort of thing. Some suppose faith is merely looking on the bright side of things; to others it is will-power; still others confuse it [β¦]
[β¦] declares that Abraham was the father, not of his physical offspring alone, but also of those who βwalk in the steps of that faithβ which Abraham [β¦]