a) When Used in Connection with the Name of God.
Heb. 11:6--"But without faith it is impossible to please him;
for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Also Acts 27:22-25;
Rom. 4:19-21 with Gen. 15:4-6. There can be no dealings with the
invisible God unless there is absolute faith in His existence. We
must believe in His reality, even though He is unseen. But we must
believe even more than the fact of His existence; namely, that He
is a rewarder, that He will assuredly honor with definite blessing
those who approach unto Him in prayer. Importunity will, of course,
be needed (Luke 11:5-10).
There must be confidence in the Word of God also. Faith believes all
that God says as being absolutely true, even though circumstances
seem to be against its fulfillment.
b) When Used in Connection with the Person and Work of Christ.
Recall the three elements in faith, and apply them here.
First, there must be a _knowledge_ of the claims of Christ as
to His person and mission in the world: As to His person--that He
is deity, John 9:35-38; 10:30; Phil. 2:6-ll. As to His work--Matt.
20:28; 26:26-28; Luke 24:27, 44.
Second, there must be an _assent_ to all these claims, John
16:30; 20:28; Matt. 16:16; John 6:68, 69.
Third, there must be a personal _appropriation_ of Christ as
being all that He claims to be, John 1:12, 8:21, 24; 5:24. There
must be surrender to a person, and not mere faith in a creed. Faith
in a doctrine must lead to faith in a person, and that person Jesus
Christ, if salvation is to be the result of such belief. So Martha
was led to substitute faith in a doctrine for faith in a person
(John 11:25).
It is such faith--consisting of knowledge, assent, and appropriation
--that saves. This is believing with the heart (Rom. 10:9,10).
c) When Used in Connection with Prayer.
Three passages may be used to set forth this relationship: 1 John
5:14, 15; James 1:5-7, Mark 11:24. There must be no hesitation
which balances between belief and unbelief, and inclines toward
the latter--tossed one moment upon the shore of faith and hope,
the next tossed back again into the abyss of unbelief. To "doubt"
means to reason whether or no the thing concerning which you are
making request can be done (Acts 10:20; Rom. 4:20). Such a man
only conjectures; he does not really believe. Real faith thanks God
for the thing asked for, if that thing is in accord with the will
of God, even before it receives it (Mark 11:24). Note the slight:
"that man."
We must recognize the fact that knowledge, assent, and appropriation
exist here also. We must understand the promises on which we base
our prayer; we must believe that they are worth their full face
value; and then step out upon them, thereby giving substance to that
which, at the moment may be unseen, and, perchance, nonexistent,
so far as our knowledge and vision are concerned, but which to
faith is a splendid reality.
d) When Used in Connection with the Word and Promise of God.
First, we should know whether the particular promise in question is
intended for us in particular. There is a difference in a promise
being written _for_ us and _to_ us. There are dispensational
aspects to many of the promises in the Bible, therefore we must
rightly divide, apportion, and appropriate the Word of God (cf. I
Cor. 10:32).
Second, when once we are persuaded that a promise is _for_
us, we must believe that God means all He says in that promise;
we must assent to all its truth; we must not diminish nor discount
it. God will not, cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Third, we must appropriate and act upon the promises. Herein lies
the difference between belief and faith. Belief is mental; faith
adds the volitional; we may have belief without the will, but not
faith. Belief is a realm of thought; faith is a sphere of action.
Belief lives in the study; faith comes out into the market-places
and the streets. Faith substantiates belief--gives substance, life,
reality, and activity to it (Heb. 11:1). Faith puts belief into
active service, and connects possibilities with actualities. Faith
is acting upon what you believe; it is appropriation. Faith counts
every promise valid, and gilt-edged (Heb. 11:11); no trial can
shake it (11:35); it is so absolute that it survives the loss of
its own pledge even (11:17). For illustration, see I Kings 18:41-43.