Faith
WHAT is faith? Some explain faith as a religious belief in God without solid proof of his existence. American journalist H. L. Mencken defined faith as “an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.” Is this true faith as described in the Bible? It is vital to have a clear understanding of what faith is because, as quoted above, ‘without faith it is impossible to please God.’
The Bible says: “Faith is being sure of the things we hope for.” (Hebrews 11:1, The New Testament in the Language of Today) Therefore, faith is founded on accurate knowledge, facts on which right decisions can be based. It requires not only belief but a reason for believing.
To illustrate: Perhaps you have a friend of whom you can say: “I trust that man. I can count on him to keep his word. I know that if I have a problem, he will come to my aid.” It is not likely that you would say that about someone you have known for only a day or two, is it? He would have to be someone who had proved his dependability time and again. It should be the same with religious faith, which should produce hope and conviction based on solid, dependable evidence.
Faith or Credulity?
Much of what passes for faith today is in reality credulity—a readiness to believe without a valid basis or reason. Credulity is often built on the shifting sands of emotion and superstition. This is not well-founded faith because it has no reliable basis for belief.
Credulity could cause one to jump to conclusions that may
be out of harmony with Bible truth. Accordingly, the Bible warns against unfounded faith: “Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15) The apostle Paul wrote: “Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21) The Bible does not promote credulity. It does encourage faith based on evidence.
Being able to discern true faith from credulity is a serious matter. An individual can be religious and yet not have true faith. Paul noted: “Faith is not a possession of all people.” (2 Thessalonians 3:2) But Bible-based faith is the possession of some people, and it does affect their lives.