What Is the Biblical Definition of Faith?

Faith: A Biblical Definition

The most common definition of faith emphasizes loyalty and commitment. For example, Merriam-Webster defines faith as "an allegiance to duty or a person, loyalty." But the biblical definition of faith goes deeper.

Biblically, faith is considered a belief and trust in God based on good evidence but without total proof. To have faith, we must trust that God is there and working on our behalf, even though we can't see him with our eyes. In fact, the word "faith" originates from the Latin word fidere, which means "to trust."

"Faith" appears in the New International Version (NIV) of the Old Testament and New Testament 458 times. Many verses use the word to describe trust in God, even when he can't be seen.

• For we live by faith, not by sight. — 2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV
• Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. — Hebrews 11:1, NIV
• Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. — Romans 10:17, NIV
• My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power. — 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, NIV

What Does Having Faith Mean?

For Christians, having faith means having trust in God. It means following his Word and yielding our lives to him, fully trusting in him to lead us.

Let's look at a biblical example. In Genesis 22, God tests Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his son, Isaac. God wasn't looking for a child sacrifice. But before Abraham could become the Jewish patriarch, he needed to show that he was obedient.

Although Abraham loved his son, he had complete confidence in God and the plan God had for his family. So Abraham took Isaac up a mountain to sacrifice him, just as God asked him to.

However, God sent an angel to spare Isaac's life. And to reward Abraham, God made his descendants as "numerous as the stars in the sky" (Genesis 22:17, NIV).

This is what having faith in God means: putting our complete trust in God, aligning our actions with God's commandments and his plan for our lives. And we can trust that his plan is better than ours could ever be.

What Does It Look Like to Be Faithful?

To be faithful, we must turn our trust in God into action, just like Abraham did. James 2:26 (NIV) says, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."

Here James highlights the connection between faith and action. Good works don't provide salvation, but they show evidence of it. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we allow him to shape our behavior and our actions.

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we exhibit fruit through our actions. And that fruit? It's proof of our faith.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. — Galatians 5:22-23, NIV

So what does having faith look like? It looks like having trust in God and his Word and acting upon it. It looks like loving others as Jesus loves them. It looks like having joy amidst dark circumstances. It looks like using self-control even when anger strikes.

Faith vs. Hope

Having faith and hope, while similar, are different. In many ways, faith is present-focused. It's a current, unwavering trust in God. But hope is future-focused and means to anticipate something.

For example, the ultimate hope of Christians is that Jesus will one day return to us and will make all things new. We anticipate his return.

As Christians, hope should naturally arise from our faith. Because of our faith, our current trust in God, we can have assurance or hope for the future. When we trust in God, we're sure that he'll fulfill his promises to us.

Faith vs. Belief

Although intertwined, belief and faith are not the same. Belief is simply acknowledging that something is true. In contrast, faith is believing, trusting and acting as if something is true. See the difference?

James 2:19 (NIV) says, "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder."

Firm belief must be paired with trust and action to have value. For example, what good is believing it will rain and not bringing an umbrella? As Christians, the same question can be asked about our faith: What good is believing in God if you don't love him and follow his commandments?

It isn't our belief in God that makes us Christians. Even demons believe in God. Instead, it's placing full trust and confidence in Jesus and taking action to follow in his footsteps.

How Does Faith Apply to Compassion's Work?

Because we're a Christ-centered ministry, Jesus' life, teachings and character shape what we do — how we work, love people, respect communities and cooperate with nations.

We serve in Jesus' name, and because of our faith, we devote ourselves to helping those he loves: children facing the despair of poverty. Every day, millions of children living in poverty around the world find help and comfort through our child sponsorship program.

We partner with local churches in impoverished communities who provide for the right-now needs of children, such as nutrition and medical care. These churches also provide education and other longer-term opportunities to help children grow into thriving adults free from poverty.

The benefits of our sponsorship program are many. Here are a few main reasons to sponsor a child in need through Compassion:

• To share the gospel.
• To provide protection from harm, abuse and exploitation.
• To ensure health and well-being.
• To inspire a brighter future.
• To break the cycle of poverty.
• To change entire communities.

More than 70 years ago, our founder, Rev. Everett Swanson, ministered to American troops fighting in the Korean War. And he was increasingly troubled by the orphans he saw living on the streets, abandoned by society.

God calls us to defend the fatherless and the abandoned. So Swanson didn't turn his back on the suffering and instead vowed to help these suffering children. His response was to start Compassion International, a true example of faith in action.

You, too, can put your faith into action by sponsoring a child. By becoming a sponsor, you'll provide the support a vulnerable child needs to be released from poverty in Jesus' name.