The Refinery

What We Believe

What is Faith

A really simple explanation

A deeper look for child-like believers.

"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see." — Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)

Faith means trusting God even when you can't see.

Imagine it's your birthday, and your mom says, "We're going to your favorite place later!" You don't see the place yet, but you're excited because you trust her. That's faith — believing something good is coming because someone you trust said so.

God wants us to believe His promises the same way. He wants us to say, "Even if I don't see it yet, I trust You, God!"

But Christian faith is more than trusting in general. It is trust placed in a specific Person — Jesus Christ. Jesus came, lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Christian faith looks at Him and says, "I trust You. I trust what You did for me. I belong to You." All the rest of faith — believing God's Word, waiting, obeying, growing — is built on that one foundation.

1. Faith believes God's promises are true.

"Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises." — Romans 4:20-21 (NLT)

"God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act?" — Numbers 23:19 (NLT)

When God says something, He means it. Faith is taking Him at His word.

2. Faith trusts even when things are hard.

"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up." — Daniel 3:17-18 (NLT)

Faith doesn't mean we always get what we want. It means we always trust that God knows best — even when life is hard, even when we don't understand.

3. Faith acts on what God says.

"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." — James 2:17 (NLT)

"'Yes, come,' Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus." — Matthew 14:29 (NLT)

This doesn't mean we save ourselves by doing good. We are saved by trusting Jesus, not by our works. But real faith always shows itself in how we live. When Peter trusted Jesus, he got out of the boat. When we trust Jesus, we obey Him. Real faith always does something.

4. Faith grows when we hear God's Word.

"So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ." — Romans 10:17 (NLT)

Just like a seed grows into a big tree when it's watered, your faith grows when you read the Bible and hear God's Word. The more you know what God has said, the more you can trust Him.

5. Faith is the key to pleasing God.

"And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him." — Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

God isn't pleased by how religious we look or how hard we try. He is pleased when we simply trust Him.

6. Faith means trusting God's timing.

"Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." — Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

Sometimes God says yes. Sometimes God says wait. Faith trusts that His timing is always best — even when waiting is hard.

7. Faith can be as small as a mustard seed.

"I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible." — Matthew 17:20 (NLT)

Jesus did not say, "If you have enough faith, you can do anything you want." He said something better. He said the size of your faith is not what matters most. What matters is Who you place your faith in. A tiny faith in a great God can move what no great effort in itself could move. Even if your faith feels small today, if it is in Him, it is enough.

God holds us, even when our faith feels small.

Here is the best news for the believer whose faith feels weak. Your salvation does not depend on how strong your faith is. It depends on how strong your Savior is. "He is faithful, even when we are not" (from 2 Timothy 2:13). When your grip on Him feels weak, His grip on you is still strong. He began the work in you, and "he will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns" (Philippians 1:6).

So if your faith feels small, do not despair. Bring it to Him as it is. He will receive you, and He will grow it.

Putting it all together.

So what is faith?

Memory Verse

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you." — Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

Prayer to Grow in Faith

Lord, help me to believe Your Word, even when I can't see what You're doing. Help me to trust You when it's hard, obey You when I'm scared, and wait patiently when I don't understand. Thank You that Your grip on me is stronger than my grip on You. Help me to grow in faith and to trust Jesus more every day. In Jesus' name, Amen.