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Faith

Talk About Faith

What is Faith?

 

Faith is one of those words that is difficult to tie down to one simple definition. The concept of faith is a broad one. Generally, ‘faith’ means much the same as ‘trust’. Faith has been defined in many ways (free online dictionary) as;

 

• Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing,

 

• An allegiance to duty or a person,

 

• Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence,

 

• Secure belief in God and a trusting acceptance of God’s will.

 

• A set of principles or beliefs.

 

Of course, there is no ‘established’ terminology for different meanings or definitions of faith.

 

The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy gives a brief initial characterisation of the principal models of faith and their nomenclature which may nevertheless be helpful. These are:

 

the ‘purely affective’ model: faith as a feeling of existential confidence.

 

the ‘special knowledge’ model: faith as knowledge of specific truths, revealed by God.

 

the ‘belief’ model: faith as belief that God exists.

 

the ‘trust’ model: faith as belief in (trust in) God.

 

the ‘doxastic venture’ model: faith as practical commitment beyond the evidence to one’s belief that God exists.

 

the ‘sub-doxastic venture’ model: faith as practical commitment without belief.

 

the ‘hope’ model: faith as hoping or acting in the hope that the God who saves exists.

 

FAITH AND CHRISTIANITY

 

Many Bible students will give Hebrews 11:1 as the meaning of faith and leave it at that. It states that, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see” – NLT. However, even though this is the form definitions are given in, this verse is more of an expression of the power and importance of faith than it is a definition of faith. In fact, one already needs to know what faith is before this verse will make much sense to them. This makes this verse a frustrating answer to someone who is trying to get a footing on the foundational meaning of faith.

 

Biblical Definition of Faith

 

If you want a short definition of faith, it could be this: taking God at His word. It is true that our faith is in God. But we do not properly know the God we should believe in or know how to believe in Him unless He tells us in His word. This is why Paul says in Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Biblical faith is not an “unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence” (Webster’s New World Dictionary). It is full confidence in God’s word. FAITH accepts God’s word (His promises and His warnings) as FACT and acts accordingly. Since there are many evidences that the word of God is true, this is not a blind leap of faith. It is rather an intelligent, holy reaction to the wondrous words of God.

 

Faith as a Concept to the Gospel

 

Faith is also a central concept taught by Jesus Christ. It is the culminating element in reference to the Gospel which the Biblical Writers termed as the “good news”, which is proclaimed by Christians to the entire world. This is found in the most famous of all Bible passages, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

 

(Mark 1:15). In the understanding of Jesus, faith is an act of trust and of self-abandonment by which a person no longer rely on his/her own strength and policies but commit himself/herself to the power and guiding word of him in whom he/she believes (Matthew 21:25,32; Luke 1:20, 45). Most of the definitions in the history of Christian knowledge and teachings still followed biblical principles as contained in Apostle Paul`s letter to Hebrews quoted above. As in other monotheistic faiths or religions, it includes a belief in God, a belief in the reality of a transcendent domain that God administers as His Kingdom from His Throne and in the benevolence of God’s will or plan for mankind and the World to Come.

 

Moreover, Faith in Christianity in the same vein differs from those Abrahamic religions in that it focuses on the ministry of Jesus, and on his place as the prophesied Christ. It also includes a belief in the New Covenant. According to most Christian traditions, Christian faith requires a belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ (God the Son) from the dead by God the Father through God the Holy Spirit.

 

The precise understanding of the term “faith” differs among the various Christian traditions. Despite these differences, Christians generally agree that faith in Jesus lies at the core of the Christian tradition, and that such faith is required in order to be a Christian. The Christian tradition is sometimes called “the faith”, since faith in Jesus is so central to the tradition. Faith and the word “belief” are often used synonymously, which has led to Christians being called ‘believers’ i.e. those who believes in the Lord Jesus and have endeared themselves to His ways and teachings.

 

We then conclude that it is true that faith is much more than a mental acceptance of something as true; it also involves a trust in or reliance on that something.

 

 

 

 

Faith

Six Reasons Why Faith Is Key to Your Success

Faith has an important role in an authentic leader’s life. George Lancaster Spalding said, “Life without faith in something is too narrow a space to live.” Without faith, trust is a strange word. Having faith helps you move forward by giving you the confidence to take risks and trust the invisible. Here are six reasons why faith is key to your personal and professional success:

 

1. Faith removes doubt.

 

In the same way that darkness and light exist together, doubt and faith are also complementary. Khalil Gibran declared, “Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that faith is his twin brother.” In order to become faithful, you may need to experience some sort of doubt first. As Lillian Smith noted, “Faith and doubt both are needed-not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve.” In the same way that darkness disappears in the presence of light, doubt disappears in the presence of faith.

 

For instance, suppose that you have full trust in your team at the work place. You know that their performance is remarkable and they always deliver high-quality results. In such cases, would you have any doubt about how your team performs? Would you be worried about meeting deadlines or need to control the team’s performance? No, because you have faith in your team and their capability; you no longer waste your energy thinking about what-if ‘s. Rather, you spend more time with your team to enhance the relationship and empower them to do even better.

 

2. Faith eliminates fear.

 

An old proverb says, “Fear knocked at the door and faith answered. No one was there.” In other words, when faith is present, there is no room for fear and worry. Most of the time, we are afraid because we don’t know what is going to happen. Through faith, we face unknown situations with confidence and trust and we become fearless. By feeding your faith, you eliminate your fears.

 

3. Faith gives you courage.

 

Marcus Tullius Cicero observed, “A man of courage is also full of faith.” When you have faith, you become courageous enough to take actions that in the absence of faith you would never take because faith assures you that everything will be all right in the end.

 

I love this quote by an anonymous writer: “Sorrow looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.” When you have faith, you never look back to remind yourself of the traumas of your life in the past. You never look around to invite fear, doubt, and worries into your life. You always look up for the signs and gain courage to move forward and do wonders.

 

4. Faith makes you strong.

 

When you have faith, you become strong enough to achieve whatever you put your mind to. Faith gives you the strength to face unexpected storms with ease. Faith helps you persist even if you have experienced setbacks. With faith, you can move mountains even if you have only a shovel in your hand.

 

When you become strong, you welcome change and embrace it because you know that change is the only way through which you can grow.

 

5. Faith energizes you.

 

When you have faith, you connect to your true self and to the life force energy. It is like plugging into a source of energy. Through faith, you can keep your inner batteries charged. When you are connected to the Source wirelessly, you never run out of batteries no matter where you are and how difficult the situation. Faith helps you radiate your energy to others and draw them toward you to support you in achieving common goals.

 

6. Faith is a catalyst that makes the impossible possible.

 

By definition, a catalyst is a substance that changes (typically accelerates) the rate of a reaction without being consumed by the reaction. Many reactions do not take place without the presence of a catalyst because the rate of such reactions is so slow that it is impossible to generate any outcome otherwise.

 

Faith acts like a catalyst in our lives. Without faith, many things seem impossible. Having faith accelerates the rate of miracles and makes the impossible possible. As a catalyst, faith is not consumed by the miracle-making process. However, it may be poisoned or deactivated over time if it is not maintained. By connecting to the Source, the catalyst of faith will stay fresh and active at all times.

 

Author’s Bio

 

Dr. Kamran Akbarzadeh is the founder & CEO of International Academy of Leadership & Management as well as Dream Achievers Academy. He is known as Leadership Makeover expert. With years of experience in the corporate world and as a successful entrepreneur Kamran believes that the world in general and organizations in particular are in desperate need of authentic leaders who lead with their hearts and empower people to soar to greatness no matter where they are and what they do. He believes that authentic leadership is what differentiates the good from the brilliant in the 21st century. It was this conviction that inspired him to author his Amazon best seller, Leadership Soup, that recently became an award-winning finalist in the 2012 International Book Award.

 

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