Faith
Faith is humanity's response to God's revelation - trusting in his promises and surrendering to him. Throughout the Bible, we see that faith is the key to fellowship with God. Without faith it is impossible to please him.
What Is Faith?
Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
1Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, the conviction of what we do not see.
Ἔστιν δὲ πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων·
6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
χωρὶς δὲ πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρεστῆσαι, πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον τῷ θεῷ ὅτι ἔστιν καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται.
7for we walk by faith, not by sight.
διὰ πίστεως γὰρ περιπατοῦμεν, οὐ διὰ εἴδους—
17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes through the word of Christ.
ἄρα ἡ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς, ἡ δὲ ἀκοὴ διὰ ῥήματος ⸀Χριστοῦ.
Examples of Faith
The Bible is full of people who lived by faith and experienced God's power.
8By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was going.
⸀Πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ ὑπήκουσεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς ⸀τόπον ὃν ἤμελλεν λαμβάνειν εἰς κληρονομίαν, καὶ ἐξῆλθεν μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἔρχεται.
11By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even though she was past the age, because she considered him faithful who had made the promise.
πίστει καὶ ⸂αὐτῇ Σάρρᾳ⸃ δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβεν καὶ παρὰ καιρὸν ⸀ἡλικίας, ἐπεὶ πιστὸν ἡγήσατο τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον·
17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer his only son,
Πίστει προσενήνοχεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ πειραζόμενος, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ προσέφερεν ὁ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀναδεξάμενος,
6And Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
וְהֶאֱמִ֖ן בּֽ͏ַיהוָ֑ה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶ֥הָ לּ֖וֹ צְדָקָֽה׃
20He did not waver in unbelief concerning God's promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἀλλὰ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ
21fully convinced that God had power to do what he had promised.
καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται δυνατός ἐστιν καὶ ποιῆσαι.
Salvation by Faith
Faith in Jesus Christ is the way to salvation and justification.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον ὥστε τὸν ⸀υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλὰ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
1Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ⸀ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
16yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. So we too have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no human being will be justified.
εἰδότες ⸀δὲ ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως ⸂Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ⸃, καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν, ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐκ πίστεως Χριστοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ⸂ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων νόμου οὐ δικαιωθήσεται⸃ πᾶσα σάρξ.
The Power of Faith
Jesus promised that even a little faith can accomplish great things.
20He told them, "Because your faith is so small. Truly I tell you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you."
ὁ δὲ ⸀λέγει αὐτοῖς· Διὰ τὴν ⸀ὀλιγοπιστίαν ὑμῶν· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν ἔχητε πίστιν ὡς κόκκον σινάπεως, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ· ⸂Μετάβα ἔνθεν⸃ ἐκεῖ, καὶ μεταβήσεται, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀδυνατήσει ⸀ὑμῖν.
23Jesus said to him, "'If you can'? Everything is possible for the one who believes."
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Τὸ Εἰ ⸀δύνῃ, πάντα δυνατὰ τῷ πιστεύοντι.
22Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God.
καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἔχετε πίστιν θεοῦ·
23Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
⸀ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ὃς ἂν εἴπῃ τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ· Ἄρθητι καὶ βλήθητι εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ μὴ διακριθῇ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἀλλὰ ⸀πιστεύῃ ὅτι ⸂ὃ λαλεῖ γίνεται, ἔσται αὐτῷ⸃.
24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν, πάντα ὅσα ⸂προσεύχεσθε καὶ αἰτεῖσθε⸃, πιστεύετε ὅτι ⸀ἐλάβετε, καὶ ἔσται ὑμῖν.
Faith and Works
True faith shows itself in action - faith without works is dead.
17So also faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις, ἐὰν μὴ ⸂ἔχῃ ἔργα⸃, νεκρά ἐστιν καθʼ ἑαυτήν.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have works." Show me your faith apart from works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Ἀλλʼ ἐρεῖ τις· Σὺ πίστιν ἔχεις κἀγὼ ἔργα ἔχω. δεῖξόν μοι τὴν πίστιν σου ⸀χωρὶς τῶν ⸀ἔργων, κἀγώ ⸂σοι δείξω⸃ ἐκ τῶν ἔργων μου τὴν ⸀πίστιν.
26For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
ὥσπερ ⸀γὰρ τὸ σῶμα χωρὶς πνεύματος νεκρόν ἐστιν, οὕτως καὶ ἡ πίστις ⸀χωρὶς ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν.
6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor the lack of it counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ πίστις διʼ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη.
14He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people of his own, eager to do good works.
ὃς ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἵνα λυτρώσηται ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀνομίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἑαυτῷ λαὸν περιούσιον, ζηλωτὴν καλῶν ἔργων.