What Is Faith? - Part 1

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. (Habakkuk 2:4)

The Scriptures reveal the true faith, and the understanding of the statement, "the just shall live by faith." True scriptural faith always comes from God into the spirit of the believer, not from the mental and soulish efforts of the individual. True faith always is employed to find the will of God and to do it, not to direct God to do whatever the Christian desires. True faith always lives in works. There is no such thing as an abstract faith, a faith not expressed in some kind of works. To live by faith is not to adopt a doctrinal position but to live in a close relationship with God, always depending on Him for all our needs.

We have come to the conclusion after many years of thought and experience that there are major errors in current Christian thinking. Somehow our concept of the plan of salvation has gotten off course. The fruit of the error can be observed in the pathetic state of the Christian testimony in the so-called "free" nations of our day.

It seems to us that at least part of the problem arises from our interpretation of the cry of the Protestant Reformers, "the just shall live by faith." In particular, the error springs from our understanding of faith.

What is faith ?

If we base our conception of salvation on "the just shall live by faith," and then define faith incorrectly, we have a serious problem at the core of our theology and practice.

Faith is employed commonly to refer to our religion: "She is a member of the Christian faith."

This is not the meaning of the term faith in the expression, "the just shall live by faith."

The Scriptures counsel us to live and minister according to the faith assigned to us.

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

While the faith portioned out to us for life and ministry comes closer than some other definitions, it still is not exactly the faith emphasized in "the just shall live by faith."

Sometimes the Spirit of God will give us a special faith, or a gift of faith, that will produce a miracle. Miracle-working faith is not what the writers of Scripture meant by "the just shall live by faith."

We hear ministers say they are living "by faith" or doing the work of God "by faith." This usually means they are not working and have no source of income other than what is donated to them by interested believers. Such Christians may be sincere and following the Lord Jesus, but this is not the meaning of "the just shall live by faith."

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17)

The term faith is sometimes used to mean the practice of metaphysical magic. This is soulish faith and it is exercised as its proponents seek to change the physical world to their advantage by positive thinking, or imaging, or stating what they want, or by some similar device.

Superficially the Scriptures appear to endorse the employment of soulish faith in order to manipulate the environment according to the will of the believer. But true scriptural faith always comes from God into the spirit of the believer; it does not proceed from the mental and soulish efforts of the individual.

True faith is always employed to find the will of God and to do it, not to direct God to do whatever the Christian desires.

Many believers of our day do not know the difference between true scriptural faith and soulish faith. They are attempting to acquire riches, to be healed, to rule their environment by affirming various passages of the Scriptures. Soulish faith is not endorsed by the Scriptures but is regarded as presumption (as in the case of the Lord being tempted to leap from the gable of the Temple). Soulish faith leads to arrogance and presumption and finally to destruction.

Another application of the term faith has to do with our acceptance and confession of the theological facts pertaining to the existence of God, and to the Deity, atonement, and bodily resurrection of Christ. "The just shall live by faith" has come to mean if I subscribe to correct theology relating to Christ I will go to Heaven when I die. This appears to be the prevailing concept of the Christian redemption.

While the holding of a correct viewpoint concerning the facts of the Divine redemption may be close to true faith, this interpretation of "the just shall live by faith" is incorrect in its method and its goal. Also, it includes an assumption that has created havoc in the Church, the Wife of the Lamb, the center of government of the Kingdom of God.

It is incorrect in its method in that living by faith does not mean continuing in mental assent to the theological facts concerning Jesus.

It is customary for the Christian ministry to labor diligently to persuade people to adopt the thought structure, the philosophy of a particular denomination. But there is little benefit in adopting a particular thought structure. A thought structure, a religious philosophy, is useful only as it brings us to Him who is the Resurrection and the Life.

The prevailing concept is incorrect in its goal because the goal of redemption is not eternal residence in Heaven but the redemption of our body.

Its destructive assumption is that we enter Paradise on the basis of forgiveness and are given to eat of the tree of life on the basis of forgiveness. It envisions the Christian redemption as primarily the forgiveness of our sins rather than what it is—the conversion of our personality from the adamic nature to the life-giving spirit (I Corinthians 15:45).

To be continued.

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