“What is faith?” people sometimes ask. “Is it the same as belief?”

On several occasions, I have answered with a quip: “They’re actually the same, but different.”

I find that Matthew uses the term “faith” 14 times, Luke 12 times in his gospel and it shows up 15 times in the Book of Acts. I was surprised to find John does not employ the term at all, but he does use “believe” 55 times and “believed” 24 times.

Matthew, Mark and Luke together use “believe” eight times. When we turn to “trusts” and “trusted,” we find Matthew employs it once and Luke, “trusted,” twice. John makes one use of “trust.”

So why all these statistics? I am simply trying to illustrate why it is so hard to nail down just what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Some people will answer: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Actually, I think Matthew, Mark, Luke and Paul are using different words to denote the same thing. The term “believe” is often taken to mean that we are to hold fast to our beliefs about Christ.

Faith usually begins with belief, but carries belief further than our English term suggests. It is not about the ideas we have about who and what Jesus was and is, but what we do as a result.

Psalm 27 is a beautiful expression of faith as trust: “The Lord is my light and salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (27:1). His concluding testimony is strengthening for all: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the Lord” (27:14).

Luther caught this concept beautifully in his great hymn:

A mighty fortress is our God

A bulwark never failing

Our helper He, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing

God’s truth abideth still

His kingdom is forever …

Belief and trust

We may start with belief, but from the belief there must issue trust in God that is more than a comforting idea – a trust so strong that the power sought is given.

Faith is really a matter not of the correctness of our religious ideas, but in the persistence of our trust. Lots of people seem to believe if their ideas about God are correct they achieve a merit that brings salvation. But our merit can never be enough, and our ideas can never make us more deserving of God’s grace.

 Hebrews says much the same in different terms: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (11:1). The writer expresses the meaning of “faith” as an unseen reality of God’s present help, a gift offered to those who will steadfastly endure. We are to believe not only in God’s promise, but live in the power of it.

St. Augustine says: “Faith has to do with things that are not seen, and hope with things that are not in hand … to believe, on the word of God, what we do not see, and its reward is to see and enjoy what we believe.” Sometimes it will mean God may keep us from the dark event, but in others it means He will be with us in the midst of the darkness. In either case, our faith will be fulfilled.

This distinction between belief and trust may appear trivial, but in reality it is important. I remember a teacher at youth camp asking a young man to tell him something about his faith. Thus, he told the teacher that he believed God is the creator of all that is and that Jesus Christ is his only begotten Son, and came as the Messiah to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God and that God has given us the Holy Spirit to perpetuate the power and witness of Jesus in the world.

The teacher then asked: “Tell me, then, how all that is manifested in the life you live?” After a significant pause, the teacher went on to say that knowing and believing facts about Jesus Christ are of no value if those beliefs do not change the way we live in this world.

John Wesley said much the same: “A string of opinions is no more Christian faith, than a string of beads is Christian practice.” Belief that is mere opinion is not faith.

In his epistle, James tells us: “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe and shudder. Do you want to be shown, you foolish fellow, that faith apart from works is barren?” (James 2:19,20). Belief is but the starting point, not the end.

Belief, faith and/or trust are based upon our relationship with God. If we come close to God in prayer, worship, service and tribulation, we find that He is trustworthy and, although things crash and deteriorate around us, we must continue on the discipleship path. We don’t have to be able to see the end of the path so long as we are assured that God is with us. 

 Alistair Cooke tells us that at noon on May 19, 1780, in Hartford, Conn., the skies turned from blue to grey and by mid-afternoon, they had blackened so densely that people believed they were experiencing Judgment Day. The Connecticut legislature was in session and some called on Col. Davenport, the speaker of the House, for immediate adjournment.

Rising to his feet, he silenced them with these words: “The Day of Judgment is either approaching or it is not. If it is not, there is no cause for adjournment. If it is, I choose to be found doing my duty. I wish, therefore, that candles may be brought.”

Cooke comments: “Ladies and gentlemen, let candles be brought.” And that is faith.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Rev. Althouse may write to him in care of this publication.