What is Faith Anyway?

I think we say the word so much that we often forget to really reflect on its meaning.  What is faith anyway?  Many believe that faith is merely believing in something that you can't prove.  Others think it is something  that we must create ourselves in order to be right with God.  Some believe faith requires not only trust in Christ, but daily Bible reading, constant prayer, hearing the audible voice of God, rigorous journaling, some Christian sticker on the back window of the car, a sinless life, and whatever other religious practice one can think of.

Allow a comment from Berkhof:

"Faith, first of all, is a receptive organ by which we lay hold on Christ and all the blessings of salvation.  This faith may not be a bare intellectual assent to the claims of Christ or a mere stirring of the emotions resulting from an impassioned plea or, finally, a momentary impulsive choice under high psychological pressure.  Rather, arising out of a deep consciousness of sin, it must be a deliberate response to the glorious offer of salvation in Christ; the "amen" of the soul, elicited by the Holy Spirit, to all the blessed promises of the gospel; the hearty and unqualified acceptance of all the covenant obligations.  It is not something of a momentary or evanescent character, but an abiding attitude of the soul in which it recognizes its own sinfulness and lost condition and ever anew embraces the righteousness of Jesus Christ."

Faith is simple.  It is the emptying of our spiritual hands of all idols - this is called repentance.  After which we embrace Christ alone by faith alone.  Salvation does not consist in Christ plus anything, no matter how great that "anything" might be.

The life of faith takes one day at a time, resting in the fact that it is Christ who has promised to never let us go.  Yes, we struggle.  Yes, we sin.  And yes, we doubt from time to time.  But our feet are on the Rock that can never be shaken.  We trust (by faith) that He sufficiently accomplished all that is needed for our pardon and righteous standing before God.  And we hope for that glorious Day when He returns in glory.  Until then, we walk by faith, loving Him and loving those who walk with us in our present wilderness.