FAITH

1. What is faith?

A. Faith is a
belief in the unseen:

2Cor.4:18                We
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not
seen...which are eternal

2Cor.5:7  We walk by faith, not by sight

Heb.11:27               By
faith he...endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible

(See
also Rom.8:24)

B. Faith is a
substantial & real thing:

Heb.11:1 Faith is the substance (title deed) of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

2. The importance
of faith:

Gal.5:6    [Nothing] availeth any thing,
(except) faith which worketh by love

A. We are saved
by faith:

Jn.3:16    Whosoever believeth in Him
(Jesus) should...have everlasting life

Jn.3:36    He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life

Lk.7:47-50              Thy
sins are forgiven. Thy faith hath saved thee

Acts
10:43b           Whoever
believeth in Him...receive remission of sins

Acts
16:31             Believe
on...Jesus Christ, & thou shalt be saved

Rom.5:1  Being justified by faith, we have peace
with God

Gal.3:26  Ye are all children of God by faith in
Christ Jesus

Eph.2:8,9                For
by grace are ye saved through faith

Eph.3:17a               That
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith

(See
also 1Pet.1:9)

B. We must live
by faith:

Gal.2:20  Life which I live, I live by the faith of
(Jesus)

Heb.10:38a             The
just shall live by faith (See also Rom.1:17b)

1Jn.5:4b  This is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith

C. We cannot please
God without faith:

Heb.11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please Him
(God)

Rom.14:23b            Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin

D. Faith gives us
the strength to keep going:

Psa.27:13                I
had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land
of the living

Rom.11:20a            Thou
standest by faith

2Cor.4:16-18          We
faint not...while we look not at things which are seen, but at things which are
not seen

3. The Word tells
us to have faith:

A. In God &
Jesus:

2Chr.20:20              Believe
in the Lord your God

Mk.11:22                Jesus
saith unto them, Have faith in God

Jn.6:28,29               Believe
on Him (Jesus) Whom He (God) hath sent

Jn.14:1    Ye believe in God, believe
also in Me

1Jn.3:23  His commandment, that we should believe
on Jesus

(See
also Acts 20:21)

B. We are also to trust
the Lord day by day:

Psa.37:5  Commit way unto the Lord; trust also in
Him

Prov.3:5,6               Trust
in the Lord with all thine heart

Jer.17:7   Blessed is the man that trusteth in
the Lord, & whose hope the Lord is

C. Have faith in
the Word, God's promises to us:

Mk.1:15b                Repent
ye, & believe the gospel

2Pet.1:19                We
have a...sure Word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed (See
also 2Pet.3:2)

(See
also Acts 15:7)

4. How to obtain
faith:

A. Faith is a gift
from God:

Heb.12:2a               Jesus,
the author & finisher of our faith

Rom.12:3b              God
hath dealt to every man the measure of faith

1Cor.12:7,9a           To
another (is given) faith by the same Spirit

Gal.5:22  The fruit of the Spirit is...faith

Eph.6:23 Peace be to brethren...& love with faith,
from God

B. Pray for it:

Mk.9:24  Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief

Lk.17:5    [They] said unto the Lord,
Increase our faith

C. Read the Word:

Rom.10:17              Faith
cometh by hearing...the Word of God

Jn.20:30,31             These
are written that ye might believe

Acts
15:7b             Hear
the word of the gospel & believe

Rom.15:4b              Written...that
we through...Scriptures might have hope

D. The Word
nourishes & builds up our faith:

Acts
20:32             The
Word of His grace, which is able to build you up

1Tim.4:6b               Thou
shalt be...nourished up in the words of faith

E. Read the Word in
a receptive, believing spirit:

Lk.8:15    They...which in an honest
& good heart, having heard the Word, keep it, & bring forth fruit

Heb.4:2   The Word...did not profit them, not
being mixed with faith in them that heard it

Heb.11:13               [Past
saints died in faith believing & embracing the promises of the Word]

F. Listen to
testimonies of faith:

2Ki.5:1-5 [The Hebrew maid's witness inspires Naaman's
faith]

Jn.4:28-30,39          Many
of the Samaritans...believed on Him (Jesus) for the saying of the woman, which
testified

Jn.17:20  Them which believe on Me through their
word

(See
also 2Pet.1:16,19)

G. Miracles glorify
God's power & often inspire faith:

Acts
3:1-13,16; 4:4                [After
the lame man was miraculously healed], many of them which heard the Word
believed...5,000 men

Acts
8:5,6,14         [Samaritans
believed Philip & received the Word] seeing the miracles which he did

Acts
9:36-42          Many
believed in the Lord [when Peter raised the dead]

(See
also 1Ki.18:30-39; 2Ki.5:9-17.)

H. Faith grows:

2Thes.1:3               We
thank God for you...your faith groweth exceedingly

I. Becoming
strengthened & steadfast in the faith:

Acts
14:22             Confirming
the souls of the disciples, & exhorting them to continue in the faith

1Cor.16:13              Watch
ye, stand fast in the faith...be strong

Col.1:23a                Continue
in the faith, grounded & settled, & be not moved away from the hope of
the gospel

Col.2:6,7 Rooted & built up in Him, stablished in the
faith

J. We should have
faith when we pray:

Mat.21:21,22          Have
faith, & doubt not...whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall
receive

Mk.11:24                What
things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them

Rom.4:21                Being
fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform

Heb.10:22               Let
us draw near...in full assurance of faith

Jam.1:5,6                Ask
of God...ask in faith, nothing wavering

5. The rewards
(blessings or fruits) of faith:

Heb.11:6 He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek
Him

A. Access to God:

Rom.5:2  We have access by faith into this grace

Eph.3:11,12            We
have access...by the faith of Him

B. God's love:

Psa.32:10                He
that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him

Jn.16:27  The Father loveth you, because ye...have
believed

C. Righteousness
& purity:

Gen.15:6 He (Abraham) believed in the Lord; & He
counted it to him for righteousness (See also Rom.4:1-5)

Acts
15:9               Purifying
their hearts by faith

Rom.4:8,9               Faith
was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness

Rom.9:30b              The
righteousness which is of faith

Phi.3:9    That which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith

D. The Holy Spirit:

Jn.7:38,39               He
that believeth on Me (Jesus)...out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water...the Spirit

Gal.3:14  We...receive the promise of the Spirit
through faith

E. Protection
against the devil's attacks & lies:

Eph.6:16 Shield of faith...quench all the fiery
darts [doubts] 1Thes.5:8 Putting on the breastplate of faith & love

F. Rewards in
Heaven:

Jn.14:1-3 Believe in Me...I go to prepare a (mansion) for
you

Heb.11:13,16          These
all died in faith...He (God) hath prepared for them a city

G. Conviction to
witness our faith:

2Cor.4:13                Having
spirit of faith...we believe, & therefore speak

H. Spiritual
strength:

Psa.27:13                I
had fainted, unless I had believed to see

Psa.31:24                He
shall strengthen your heart, ye that hope in Lord

Isa.26:4   Trust ye in the Lord...for in the
Lord is... strength

Isa.30:15b              In
confidence (faith) shall be your strength

1Jn.5:4b  This is the victory that overcometh the
world...faith

I. Stability:

2Chr.20:20b           Believe
in the Lord...so shall ye be established

Psa.125:1                They
that trust in the Lord...cannot be removed

J. Joy:

Psa.33:21                Our
heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name

Psa.146:5                Happy
is he...whose hope is in the Lord his God

Pro.16:20b              Whoso
trusteth in the Lord, happy is he

Acts
16:34             He...rejoiced,
believing in God

1Pet.1:8  Ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy

K. Understanding:

Heb.11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds
were framed by the Word of God

L. Protection:

Psa.5:11  [They] put their trust in Thee...Thou
defendest them

Psa.115:1                Trust
in the Lord: He is their help & their shield

Pro.29:25                Whoso
putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe

Pro.30:5  (God) is a shield unto them that put
trust in Him

Jer.39:17,18            I
will surely deliver thee...because thou hast put thy trust in Me

Heb.11:31               By
faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not (See
Josh.2:1-22; 6:17,22-25.)

M. Provision:

Psa.33:18,19           Them
that hope in His mercy...keep alive in famine

Psa.37:3  Trust in the Lord...so shalt thou dwell
in the land, & verily thou shalt be fed

Jer.17:7,8                Blessed
is the man that trusteth in the Lord...he shall not (worry) in drought, [nor]
cease from yielding fruit

Mal.3:10 Prove Me herewith, if I will not open you the
windows of Heaven, & pour you out a blessing

N. Healing:

Psa.42:11                Hope
thou in God...Who is the health of my countenance

Mk.5:25-29,34        If
I...touch His (Jesus') clothes, I shall be whole. [Jesus said:] Thy faith hath
made thee whole

Mk.10:51,52           Go
thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole

Lk.8:49,50               Fear
not: believe only, & she shall be made whole

Jam.5:14,15            Prayer
of faith shall save the sick...Lord shall raise him

O. Desires of your
heart:

Psa.37:4,5               Trust
in Lord...& He shall give desires of thine heart

P. Resurrection from
the dead:

Job
19:25-27          [Job
declared that though his flesh was utterly consumed & destroyed, he would
have a new body]

Jn.11:25,26             He
that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live (See also
1Cor.15:12-20)

6. Trusting in the
Lord's promises:

A. You trust in
God's promises because you trust Him:

Mat.8:5-10             The
centurion said, Lord...speak the word only

Lk.5:4,5   We have toiled all the night, &
taken nothing: Nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net

2Tim.1:12b             I
know Whom I believed, & am persuaded He is able

Heb.10:23               Hold
fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that
promised

Heb.11:11b            [Childless
Sara] judged Him faithful Who had promised

(See
also 2Chr.6:14,15)

B. You trust He is able
to fulfil His promises:

Rom.4:20-24           Being
fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform

2Cor.1:20                All
the promises of God in Him (Jesus) are yea, & Amen

Eph.3:20 He is able to do exceeding...above all
that we ask

C. God is able to
do anything:

Jer.32:27 I am the Lord...is there anything too hard for
Me?

Jer.32:17 Ah Lord God! There is nothing too hard
for Thee

Mat.19:26               With
God all things are possible

Lk.1:37    With God nothing shall be
impossible

Rom.4:17                God...calleth
those things which be not as though they were

D. You trust Him
because He has not failed in the past:

1Ki.8:56  There hath not failed one word of His
good promise

(See
also 2Chr.6:15)

E. You know He will
not go back on His Word:

Num.23:19              Hath
He said, & shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, & shall
He not make it good?

Psa.119:49              Remember
the Word...upon which Thou hath caused me to hope

Heb.6:18a               It
(is) impossible for God to lie

7. Faith vs.
natural reasoning:

1Sam.16:7               The
Lord seeth not as man seeth; man looketh on the outward appearance...Lord
looketh on the heart

Psa.118:8                It
is better to trust in the Lord than...in man

Pro.3:5,6 Trust in Lord; & lean not unto thine own
understanding

Isa.11:3   He shall not judge (according to)
the sight of his eyes

Isa.55:8,9                Neither
are your ways My ways, saith the Lord

Jer.17:5   Cursed be the man that trusteth in
man [& not in God]

Jn.20:29b                Blessed
are they that have not seen, & yet...believed

1Cor.1:21                The
world by wisdom knew not God

1Cor.2:5  Your faith should not stand in the wisdom
of men, but in the power of God

1Cor.2:14a              The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit

2Cor.5:7  For we walk by faith, not by sight

8. The power of
faith:

A. Genuine
believing faith has tremendous power:

Mk.9:23  If thou canst believe, all things are
possible

Lk.7:50    Thy faith hath saved thee
[woman who touched His hem]

Lk.18:42  Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved
thee

Jn.14:12  He that believeth on Me...greater
works...shall he do

Acts
6:8 Stephen, full of faith...did great
wonders & miracles

Jam.5:15 The prayer of faith shall save the sick

B. "Faith as a
grain of mustard seed":

Mat.17:20b            Say
unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place

Mat.21:21,22          Ye
shall not only do this which is done to fig tree

Mk.11:22,23           Have
faith in God...say unto mountain, Be removed

Lk.17:6    Say unto this sycamine tree,
Be thou plucked up

C. Faith trusts God
to do outright miracles:

Num.13:26-30        [Caleb
had faith to conquer the promised land]

Josh.14:6,12           [Caleb
had the faith to drive out the giants]

1Sam.17:37             [David
said:] The Lord will deliver me (from Goliath)

Lk.18:27  Things...impossible with men are possible
with God

Heb.11:11               Through
faith, Sarah received strength to conceive ...when she was past age

Heb.11:29               By
faith they passed through the Red Sea

Heb.11:30               By
faith the walls of Jericho fell down

Heb.11:33-35         Through
faith...stopped the mouths of lions...women received their dead raised to life
again [etc.]

D. Answer to prayer
depends on our faith; the Lord can do anything, but we need to believe:

Mat.9:27-30           Believe
ye that I am able to do this? They said, Yea. [Jesus said:] According to your
faith be it unto you

Mat.8:13 As thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee

Mat.17:19,20          Why
could not we cast him out? Because of unbelief

Mat.21:21,22          If
ye have faith, & doubt not...ye shall receive

E. Believing,
expectant faith will be rewarded:

Mat.15:28               Great
is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt

Mk.5:22,23             [Jairus
said:] Come...that she may be healed. [And she was--See vs.35,36,41,42.]

Mk.9:23  All things are possible to him that
believeth

Mk.11:23                Whosoever...shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe...he shall have whatsoever he saith

Lk.1:45    Blessed is she that believed:
for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her

Jn.11:40  If thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest
see the glory of God

F. Persevering
faith:

Mat.15:22-28         A
woman...cried to Him, Have mercy on me...He answered not a word [She continued
insisting until He did]

Mk.10:46-52           [Blind
Bartimaeus continued crying out to Jesus until Jesus granted his request for
healing]

G. Faith &
patience:

Rom.8:25                If
we hope (have faith) for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it

Heb.6:12b              Who
through faith & patience inherit the promises

Heb.6:15 After he patiently endured, he obtained the
promise

Heb.10:35,36          Cast
not away your confidence (faith)...After ye have done the will of God...receive
the promise

Jam.1:3   The trying of your faith worketh
patience

9. The testing of
our faith:

1Pet.1:6,7               Trial
of your faith...more precious than gold

Job
23:10                When
He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold

A. God tests our
faith:

Gen.22:1-18            [God
tested Abraham to see if he was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice] (See
also Heb.11:17-19)

Josh.6:2-5              [He
had Israelites merely walk around walls of Jericho]

Judg.7:2-7              [He
had Gideon drastically reduce the size of his army]

Jn.11:23,39-40        Take
ye away the stone. Lord, by this time he stinketh

Acts
5:17-20          [Just
released from prison, the apostles are commanded to go preach publicly again]

(See
also Deut.8:2)

B. He allows the
devil & wicked men to test saints' faith:

Dan.3:14-27           [Shadrach,
Meshach & Abednego:] God...will deliver us ...but if not...we will not
serve thy gods

Mat.4:1-11             [The
devil tempted Jesus :] If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down

Heb.11:35-38         [Saints
were] stoned, sawn asunder, tempted, slain

10. If you have true
faith:

A. You will
continue to trust God, even when things look hopeless:

Job
13:15                [Job,
having lost his wealth, family & health, said:] Though He slay me, yet will
I trust in Him

Dan.3:16-18           Our
God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace...&
out of thine hand, O king

Mat.8:24,26            There
arose a great tempest...the ship was covered with waves, [but
Jesus chided His disciples for fearing]

Jn.11:21,22             [Four
days after Lazarus died, Mary said:] I know, that even now, whatsoever Thou
wilt ask...God will give it

Acts
27:18-25        All
hope...was taken away. (But Paul said:) I believe God, that it shall be even as
it was told me

Acts
28:3-6            [Paul
calmly shook off a poisonous snake that had just bitten him]

Rom.4:18                Who
against hope believed in hope, that he (Abraham) might [re ceive the promise]

Rom.4:20                He
staggered not at promise of God through unbelief

(See
also                2Chr.32:7,8;
Isa.26:3; Jon.2:1-9; Acts 9:36-38.)

B. You will not be
shaken or alarmed at bad news:

Psa.112:7                He
shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed (established), trusting
in the Lord

C. You will not
fret or run around anxiously:

Isa.28:16b              He
that believeth shall not make haste

Pro.19:2b                He
that hasteth with his feet sinneth

D. If you trust,
you will obey & put your faith into action.--Your deeds &
words will show your faith:

Psa.116:10              I
believed, therefore have I spoken

Mat.8:5-8,13          [The
centurion believed Jesus' word, returned home] & his servant was healed in
the selfsame hour

Mat.12:10a,13        [Jesus
tells man with withered hand:] stretch forth thine hand. And he (did); & it
was restored whole

Mk.7:25-30             [Syrophenician
woman believed Jesus, went to her home & found her daughter well]

Lk.17:11-19            [Ten
lepers:] As they went, they were cleansed (healed)

Jn.4:46-53               Go
thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word...& he went his way

Jn.11:39-41             Take
ye away the stone. They took away the stone [& Jesus raised Lazarus from
the dead]

Heb.11:7 By faith Noah, moved...prepared an ark

Jam.2:21-26            As
the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also

(See
also Josh.6:1-16,20; Judg.7:7,16-22; 1Ki.17:9-16; 2Ki.3:9-11,16-20; 4:1-6;
Heb.11:8,17,23.)

E. Declarations of
faith, followed by victorious action:

1Sam.14:6-16         There
is no restraint to Lord to save by many or few

1Sam.17:32-50       The
Lord...will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine

Judg.7:15-22          Arise;
for Lord hath delivered [them] into your hand

11. Lack of faith:

A. Warnings not to
doubt or lose faith:

Mat.14:31               O
thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Jn.20:27  Be not faithless, but believing

Lk.12:29,30             Neither
be ye of doubtful mind

Heb.3:12 Take heed...lest there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God

Heb.4:11 Lest any man fall after the same example of
unbelief

Heb.10:35               Cast
not away therefore your confidence (faith)

B. The consequences
of not having faith:

Deut.32:20             I
will hide My face from...children in whom is no faith

Isa.7:9b  If ye will not believe, ye shall not be
established

Mat.13:58               Did
not many mighty works because of their unbelief

Jn.3:36b  He that believeth not the Son shall not
see life

Rom.14:23b            For
whatsoever is not of faith is sin

1Tim.1:19               Faith...which
some having put away, made shipwreck

Heb.3:18,19            They
should not enter in [& receive God's promises] because of unbelief

Heb.11:6 Without faith it is impossible to please Him
(God)

Jam.1:6,7                Ask
in faith, nothing wavering...he that wavereth...shall receive (nothing) of the
Lord

Jude
5     The
Lord...destroyed them that believed not

C. Weak or doubting
faith seeks miracles & signs:

Mat.16:1,4              A
wicked...generation seeketh after a sign

Jn.20:24-29             Jesus
saith, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed

1Cor.1:22a              The
Jews require a sign

D. Faith or
doubt?--To do or not to do:

Mat.9:29 According to your faith be it unto you

Rom.14:5b              Let
every man be fully persuaded in his own mind

Rom.14:22              Hast
thou faith? Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he
alloweth

Rom.14:23              He
that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin

Special chapter:

Hebrews
11           "The
Faith Chapter" or "Faith's Hall of Fame"