What is faith? Some describe it as a mysterious force, others as a personal feeling, and still others as a blind leap to be taken when evidence is lacking. In a culture that often seems confused about spiritual things, followers of Christ can easily lose clarity on what faith actually is. Yet if we are called to be a light in a world that’s searching for truth, we must understand faith not as culture presents it, but as the Bible defines it. And the Bible defines it quite simply.

Defining Faith: It’s Actually About Trust

In the Bible, the words most frequently translated as “faith” (pistis) and “believe” (pisteuo) both convey the idea of trust. In fact, since the word “faith” has been so watered down in our culture, it makes sense to replace it with “trust.” This is actually an important move, because people will often get head nods when they say, “I have faith” in the midst of a difficult situation. However, if someone were to say, “I have trust”, it would feel like something is missing. Those listening would naturally, and rightly, lean in to ask, “trust in what?” And that’s the point.

The Bible describes faith as trust placed in someone or something. So the real question is never “Do I have faith?” Everyone has faith. The better question is “In what (or whom) is my faith placed?” How do we know everyone has faith? Everyday life gives us countless examples of it. When someone boards an airplane, they are placing trust in the pilot, the aircraft, the training, and the system that surrounds air travel. When someone steps onto an elevator, they have faith (or trust) that the inspection is up to date and no harm will come to them. The list goes on and on. The bottom line is that everyday we act on almost countless moments of trust because we think we have good reasons to do so. That’s the idea of faith in the Bible. An act of trust for good reason.

Dive deeper into this topic by listening to our podcast episode: Four Things We Forget About Faith

1. Faith Is Not the Opposite of Reason

Culture often portrays faith as something you cling to when logic fails. But the Bible never treats faith as anti-intellectual. In fact, Scripture repeatedly calls us to think and reason. Consider the following examples.

In Isaiah 1:18, God invites His people to “come, let us reason together.” In Acts 17, Paul reasons with the Athenians as he explains the truth of the gospel. Peter urges believers to be ready with reasons for hope within them in 1 Peter 3:15. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus validates His identity through miracles, fulfilled prophecy, and eyewitness testimony. All of these are evidence and reasons for worthwhile trust. In fact, the Apostle John even concludes his Gospel in John 21:25 by saying that if every proof of Jesus’ life were recorded, the world itself couldn’t contain the books.

Christian faith doesn’t ask you to believe without reason. It asks you to trust because of reason after reason after reason. It is a trust built on evidence, testimony, history, and the knowable character of God. Reason is not the enemy of faith; it is one of its foundations. It must be remembered that the opposite of faith is unbelief, not reason.

2. Faith Is Not Blind (Clarifying 2 Corinthians 5:7)

One of the Bible’s most commonly misunderstood verses is 2 Corinthians 5:7: “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Many take this to mean faith is a blind leap. But Paul is not prescribing a way to believe, he is describing the present reality of the Christian life.

In the context of the passage, Paul is saying that because we are not yet with the Lord face-to-face, we live our daily lives trusting in Him whom we have not yet seen. Our faith is anchored in Christ from beginning to end. Paul is not telling us to shut our eyes to evidence; he is reminding us that we trust the One who has already proven Himself faithful, even though we do not yet stand in His visible presence. It is in this way that we walk by faith, not sight.

This distinction matters. Christianity has never required blind faith. It calls us to trust a God who has revealed Himself through creation, Scripture, Christ, and the work of the Spirit. Our faith is not blind. Rather, it confidently trusts in what is known and anticipates the day when faith becomes sight.

3. Faith Is Rooted in God and His Promises

Faith is not self-generated optimism; it is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8–9). The Bible makes it clear that true faith has God as both its source and its object.

Romans 4 gives us a powerful picture of this in Abraham. He was called “the father of many” long before he had a child. By age 99, both he and Sarah were well beyond childbearing years. All visible evidence contradicted God’s promise. Yet Abraham “did not waver in unbelief,” because his faith wasn’t rooted in circumstances. It was rooted in God Himself. Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness and resulted in both the son promised to him by God and the Son to whom the promise pointed to in fullness.

Abraham trusted God’s promise because he trusted God’s character. This is the essence of biblical faith: not trusting that circumstances will work out, but trusting the God who holds the circumstances. God has promised salvation to those who believe. God has promised a final defeat of all that is evil. God has promised a restoration of all that is good. Our faith is rooted in these promises because the God who made them is worthy of this trust.

4. Faith Leads to Action

Abraham didn’t merely believe in private; he lived into the new name God gave him. He introduced himself as “the father of nations” long before he saw the fulfillment. Sarah lived into her new name as well (mother of nations). Their trust in God’s promises outweighed their fear of the opinions around them.

For Christians today, the same principle applies. God’s greatest promise is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He is the One who became sin on our behalf so that we might be declared righteous. Trusting Him changes the way we live. It moves us toward obedience when it would be easier to shrink back. It empowers us to face cultural pressure without fear. It shapes the way we speak, work, love, and lead. When the book of James tells us that faith without works is dead, it means it. Actions that honor God put obedience on display naturally result from a genuine and sincere faith. When the tell others we have faith, they should be able to see it consistently lived out in our day-to-day lives.

How to Live Out a Faith that Can be Seen

If we want to shine the light of Christ in a confused world, our faith must be visible. That doesn’t mean being loud or showy. It means consistently trusting God more than our circumstances and more than the opinions of others.

As we gather with friends, coworkers, neighbors, and family, the question to carry with us is simple: “Am I demonstrating trust in God or trust in something else?” That something else could be the approval of others, our self image, our status, or numerous other things.

But here’s the most important thing. If I’m not demonstrating trust in God, it will show. If I am demonstrating trust in God, it will show. So what are you going to show?

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