What Is Faith? The Biblical Definition of Faith
- Chad Fisher
- Mar 6, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 11
By Pastor Chad Fisher, sharing biblical insights to inspire and strengthen your faith and relationship with God.
Faith is more than a mental conviction or an activity of the mind. True faith operates in the realm of the spirit, because it is not naturally reasonable. If it made perfect sense to our human reasoning, faith wouldn’t be required.
So, what is faith according to the Bible? Faith involves our intellect, but it is ultimately a spiritual activity of the heart.
The Bible’s Definition of Faith
Hebrews 11:1 says: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (ESV)
This verse gives us the clearest biblical definition of faith. But we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us revelation, because without His teaching, it will remain mere head knowledge with little power to transform our lives.
In this verse, two words stand out — faith and hope. They are different, yet both are essential.
Hope Defined
Hope is future-oriented. It looks ahead to what God has promised. Hope is the goal — the desired outcome you are believing to receive from God.
Hope is the healing you long for, the answered prayer, the restoration of a relationship, the provision for a financial need.
Example of Hope: In Mark 9, a father brought his demon-possessed son to the disciples, but they could not heal him. So the father brought the boy to Jesus. Why? Because his hope was that Jesus would heal his son. Hope set the goal.
But hope by itself will not bring the answer. Many believers pray with hope alone, without mixing it with faith. Jesus told the father in Mark 9:23: "All things are possible for one who believes." (ESV)
The father had hope, but Jesus called him to add faith.
Faith Defined
Faith operates in the present. While hope looks forward, faith gives substance and evidence to what is hoped for.
According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is:
The assurance (substance) of things hoped for.
The conviction (evidence) of things not seen.
A Biblical Definition of Faith
Faith is the persuasion of the heart and mind concerning things not yet seen — things you hope for according to God’s promises.
You don’t need faith for what you already see or have. As some say, “seeing is believing,” but biblically, faith believes before seeing. You don’t need faith to sit in a chair you see is sturdy — the evidence is visible.
Faith stands in the place of what is hoped for until it becomes reality. It is being persuaded that what God promises in the Bible is not only true, but already accomplished in the spiritual realm, even if it has not yet appeared in the natural.
The evidence of its reality is your faith, which holds its place until the promise is fulfilled.
Faith vs. Presumption
Some may say, “That sounds like presumption.” But faith is not presumption. Presumption is believing without a promise.
God never calls us to have hope or faith in something without first giving us a solid foundation in His Word. Faith and hope must always be based on God’s promises. Without a biblical foundation, faith will not work.
Final Definition
The biblical definition of faith is this: Faith is the persuasion of the heart and mind concerning things not yet seen, of things hoped for according to God’s Word — and it is always rooted in His promises.
Want more verses that will stir your faith? Check out this list of over 70 Bible Verses about Faith to deepen your understanding and live a life grounded in God’s promises.
Further Study
Want to go deeper on this topic? Explore these related articles:
Faith in the Bible — deepens the definition and spiritual roots.
Faith Is Powerful — explores the practical impact of faith.
Faith Pleases God — upon understanding faith, this explains its spiritual importance.
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