FAITH
According to Wikipedia, faith is defined as confidence or trust in a being, object, living organism, deity, view, or in the doctrines or teachings of a religion, as well as confidence based on some degree of warrant. Faith can also refer to a belief that is not based on proof. Faith in terms of religion is the total acceptance of the divine authority of the Manifestations of God. In the religion's view, faith and knowledge are both required for spiritual growth; Faith involves more than outward obedience to this authority, but also must be based on a deep personal understanding of religious teachings .
According to the
Scriptures, the definition of faith is “… confidence in what we hope for and
assurance about what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1). Perhaps, no other
component of the Christian life is more important than faith. We cannot
purchase it, sell it or give it to our friends. The Bible has much more to say
about faith and how important it is. In fact, it is so important that, without
faith, we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him. The
Scriptures affirms it in Hebrews 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible
to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and
that He rewards those who earnestly seek him". Without demonstrating faith
and trust in God, we have no place with Him.
We believe in God’s
existence by faith. Most people have a vague, disjointed notion of who God is
but lack the veneration necessary for His exalted position in their lives. These
people lack faith needed to have an eternal relationship with the God who loves
them. Our faith can falter at times, but because it is the gift of God, given
to His children to remain strong in faith and overcome trials. He provides
times of trials in order to sharpen strengthen and prove that our faith is
strong. This is why James, the Apostle tells us to consider it “pure joy” when
we fall into trials, because the testing of our faith produces perseverance and
matures us, providing the evidence that our faith is real.