We typically speak of faith as " instrumental," in that faith is employed (by God and man) in accomplishing certain things. This is borne out by the several illustrations in Hebrews chapter 11, where over and over we encounter the language, "By faith...." It is the language of instrumentality.
Faith is often thought of by modern secularists (and sadly not a few religious people) as blind, as in a leap. Faith, per this view, is fundamentally irrational, opposed to reason, unscientific (according to their understanding of science and reason). Fortunately, this is not the way Scripture presents faith.
Everyone in the world operates on faith (not saving faith) nearly every minute of every single day. No one whose mind is properly functioning makes a "scientifically" rigorous test of every action prior to its execution. Nothing would ever be accomplished, for example, if a man tested the floorboards—whether they would support his weight before he rolled out of bed every single morning—or lab-tested his water for toxins before drinking. Rather, he or she operates most often according the formally irrational expectation that the future will be like the past (see David Hume). This is nothing but faith.
It is not blind faith, however. We humans operate fairly well on the basis of expectations—on probabilities and trajectories, as well as the promises of others. According to a very basic concept because of faith we are not paralyzed. We have put a degree of trust in the world around us, in people, in formulas, in temporal motion. Starting as an infant, we have learned to live in this way. Our mistaken expectations lead to failures which, through trial and error, we learned to avoid. Accidents are what happen when we make a new mistake or cannot compensate for the unexpected shift in our regular circumstances.
Religious or saving faith, therefore, extends the ordinary concept of faith to things of God. At its most simple, Christian faith (Gk. noun pistis) simply believes (Gk. verb pisteuow) the promise of God. He will do what He says. His Word is Promise. He is Truth. Scripture is promise, fulfillment, and more promise. Promises of blessing, promises (threats) of doom.
One component of faith is knowledge. In Isaiah 43:10 we read " 'You are my witnesses,' declares the LORD, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.' " Promise typically comes to us in the form of information; although that information does not always come to us in propositional form. It can be personal as well. A mother makes promises conveyed to her infant by presence, by care, by comfort and provision; but not to begin with by verbal propositions at all. Jesus preferred people to believe him and the words He said; but if that was too difficult, He counseled them to "...believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him," (see John 10:38).
Verbal communication allows promises to take disembodied form, thus permitting the extension of knowledge and confidence, particularly when the form of communication is fixed and permanent. Revelation takes place when formerly unknown, or otherwise unknowable, truth is attained or imparted. God's revelation to man is centered on Jesus the Son of God, the Incarnate Word (John 1:1,14), by whom God comes at last to us (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23) and speaks to us, as in Hebrews 1:1-2.
A second component of faith is assent. Assent means acknowledging the truth of something. Not everything spoken nor unspoken impression left is true. But even if it is true, it may be disbelieved. This is the opposite of what faith does with truth. Israel acknowledged Jehovah as God and Lord alone at Sinai (and many times afterward); but in their hearts and behavior the Israelites showed how far from heartfelt assent they were: worshiping a golden calf.
In Acts 24:9 Luke tells us "And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so." These people gave witness that to what was previously spoken they heartily agreed. In 1 Timothy 5:19: "Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses." Here is a text that commands the church not to admit a charge (of sin); it tells us not to receive or believe one man's word against another. We are not to give it credence or assent to it, unless and until it meets a better standard.
Later in 2 Timothy 2:25: "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." Some are confronted with the law who refuse to acknowledge it. Whereas others are granted the ability from God not only to encounter the Word, but also to be convicted thereby unto repentance, which is a full assent of the truth of God, knowing our just desert and having hope in Christ alone. Accordingly, in Titus 1:1 we read "Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness." Here the faith (speaking of fact/content) and (full) knowledge is composed, which things alone produce godliness.
But knowledge and assent are not all of faith. We have not yet come to the heart of what Hebrews 11:1 is teaching. James 2:19 says, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Superficial devotion to God, to his Word, may gain acceptance of truth. But consent characterized by fear is not full faith; nor is dead faith, which James is therein criticizes. Faith is also trust. Faith actually rests upon what it claims to have heard and consented with. Thus John 7:17 "If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority." This verse ordains that upon the genuine commitment of the will unto divine revelation—that is, God's will—shall full assurance issue forth. In other words, faith's blessing can only be obtained in the exercise of faith.
Illustrating this ultimate element of trust is the aim of the author of Hebrews. He describes faith in Hebrews 11:1, as that substance, basis, confidence and the conviction, the discovery, the evidence though it is not seen, or gained by the senses or even by any bodily experiences whatever, possibly even contrary to such experiences as the Old Testament saints repeatedly demonstrated.
That final sense of assurance is properly of faith, but we like to say it is not of the essence of faith, so that we avoid the pitfall of assuming that without a full enjoyment of assurance faith is not realized. If that were so, then those whose faith was weak could scarcely be comforted, hardly encouraged to persevere in faith no matter how weak. Rather as in Isaiah 42:3 "A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth." But assurance is not only possible, it is positively encouraged, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13). Faith ought to result ordinarily and again and again in blessed assurance of God's favor. Feelings fluctuate, but God never changes (2 Timothy 2:11-13).
Clearly faith is not what name-it- claim-it practitioners (Osteen, etc.) teach. Faith is not an achievement, nor is faith a tool for pulling on the lever of a Cosmic Vending Machine (Oprah). Christian faith is an irrevocable gift of and by God alone (Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:29). Faith is an insight into spiritual things not attainable by any human efforts (John.3:3). Note here the way John associates faith with spiritual sight and compare that expression with the way Paul contrasts faith and physical sight in 2 Corinthians 5:7. Indeed, even our eyesight is something that happens largely apart from any effort of our own. We need light to see (e.g., Psalm 36:9; 119:130); we need the eye and faculty of sight (Psalm 19:8; Matthew 6:22-23; Acts 26:18); we need life or the eye will remain useless (John.8:12; 2 Timothy 1:10). And all of these are gifts, whether of physical kind or spiritual.
