by M.J. Webb

Created on: November 10, 2010

There is a gulf. A gulf between what may generically be known as 'faith' and what may be defined as 'Christian faith'. Words change their meanings over time and therefore the definition of faith as a generic term may be defined according to its usage. The way  word is used in society gives, changes and re-invents its meaning. Yet when speaking of Christian faith, we are essentially speaking of Biblical faith, or faith as defined by the Bible. This is an important difference, for to re-interpret Biblical faith through the eyes of modern usages of the word may well lead us down a path not intended by the Biblical authors.

On this, the Bible does present us with a definition, helpfully. Hebrews 11 opens with the words "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." These two clauses are similar. The concepts of being 'sure' and 'certain' are akin. These certainties are in what we 'hope for' and 'what is unseen'. Hoping has future connotations, for as the Bible equally states, "no-one hopes for what he already has" (Romans 8 verse 24). Hope is always future: "I hope that this will happen" "I hope to get that job" "I hope to do better next time". Likewise the second clause supports this idea. We can, it states, be sure in what we do not see. The unseen does not refer to the invisible things of our world... God, the wind, radio-waves, air etc. Rather, unseen refers also to the future, which has not yet been revealed.

This becomes clear throughout the rest of the chapter, where the author takes Old Testament case studies and explain that although they lived before the time of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection, they still had a certainty in the future. This certainty was that God would fulfil his promise of a Saviour. And on the basis of those promises, and the knowledge that God had power to keep them, those Old Testament characters could have certainty in the promised Saviour. This future certainty is what the author calls faith.

Christian faith is therefore doing what the writer instructs us that the Old Testament characters did. For just as they placed their futures in the hands of God, knowing that He sees the unseen things and will accomplish the fulfilment of His promises, likewise, we may also pledge our future to this same God who promises to save those who do so. Though to us the future is unseen, we may yet have certainty in the unseen things. This, the Bible defines as faith.

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