Faith that Sanctifies
After being justified by faith, we are instructed to walk by faith. Paul wrote, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). God declared, “My righteous one shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38a). Living by faith is foundational to the spiritual life, as it shapes how believers relate to God, navigate life’s challenges, and grow to spiritual maturity. Every believer has a measure of faith, and this is distinct from the gift of faith that God gives to som...
Faith that Sanctifies
After being justified by faith, we are instructed to walk by faith. Paul wrote, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor 5:7). God declared, “My righteous one shall live by faith” (Heb 10:38a). Living by faith is foundational to the spiritual life, as it shapes how believers relate to God, navigate life’s challenges, and grow to spiritual maturity. Every believer has a measure of faith, and this is distinct from the gift of faith that God gives to some Christians after being born again (1 Cor 12:9). This special gift of faith enables some believers “to remove mountains” (1 Cor 13:2), and accomplish great things for God. The gift of faith, according to Ryrie, “Is the ability to believe God for the supply of specific needs. Every believer should walk by faith, and each has a measure of faith, but not all have the gift of faith.”[1] Walvoord states, “As a gift, faith is a blessing bestowed upon some Christians, not all, though all Christians have some faith in God.”[2]
Faith as a noun (pistis πίστις) often refers to that which evokes trust. It is used with reference to God who is trustworthy (Rom 3:3; 4:19-21), and of people who possess faith (Matt 9:2, 22; 21:21). It is also used of Scripture itself as a body of reliable teaching (Acts 14:22; 16:5; Rom 14:22; Gal 1:23; 2 Tim 4:7). Faith as an adjective (pistos πιστός) describes someone who is trustworthy or dependable. The word is used both of man (Matt 25:23; 1 Cor 4:17; Col 1:7; 1 Tim 1:12), and God (1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Tim 2:13; Heb 10:23; Rev 1:5). Faith as a verb (pisteuō πιστεύω) means to believe, trust, or have confidence in someone or something. It is used of trust in God (Heb 11:6; cf. Rom 4:3), Jesus (Acts 16:31; 1 Pet 1:8), and Scripture (John 2:22).
Living by faith means we trust God at His Word. Christian faith starts with knowledge, as Paul wrote, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17 KJV). The writer to the Hebrews states, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb 11:1). J. Dwight Pentecost states, “In Scripture, hope is never a wish, a dream, a fantasy. Hope is that settled assurance that comes to the child of God who by faith lays hold of the promises of God and claims them for himself. Hope must have a foundation, and in Scripture the foundation of hope is always that which God has promised.”[3] This means that faith involves believing in God’s Word and His promises. Abraham’s life is a prime example of this kind of faith; he believed God’s promise to make him the father of many nations, even when it seemed impossible due to his and Sarah’s old age (Rom 4:18-21).
The walk of faith is what pleases the Lord, for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). Faith keeps us focused on the eternal perspective, knowing that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Rom 8:18). It is possible to learn God’s Word and not believe it. For example, the Exodus generation heard God’s Word and understood it; however, “the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard” (Heb 4:2). Our faith is effective when God’s Word is more real and dominant than our experiences, feelings, or circumstances. As we trust God and His Word, we are transformed and strengthened in our spiritual walk. Living by faith enables us to persevere through trials, knowing that God is working all things together for our good (Rom 8:28). Faith generally concerns what we know, what we say, and what we do.
Faith to Know
There are times when the walk of faith is only mental, where we are called to actively trust God and rely on His revelation and promises. For example, the account of creation in Genesis 1-2 provides us with essential knowledge about the origin of the universe, but does not call on us to do anything other than know how it all began. By revealing that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal days, Scripture orients our minds to recognize the universe as a product of intentional and intelligent design. The author of Hebrews wrote, “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Heb 11:3). This verse emphasizes that faith enables us to grasp the reality of God’s creative power, even though it cannot be observed directly. This stands in stark contrast to naturalistic explanations (like evolution) which suggest that the universe is the result of accidental and random processes over time. The atheist’s worldview denies the existence of God and believes the universe and earth happened by a chance explosion billions of years ago. Rather than intelligent design, he believes in unintelligent chaos, that the earth, with all its complexity of life, is merely the product of accidental evolutionary processes over millions of years. His worldview believes everything is the product of matter, motion, time and chance; that we are the accidental collection of molecules; that we are nothing more than evolving bags of protoplasm who happen to be able to think, feel, and act. The conclusion is that we came from nothing significant, that we are nothing significant, and we go to nothing significant. Ultimately, for the atheist, there’s no reason for us to exist, and no given purpose to assign meaning to our lives. We are a zero. But that’s not what God’s Word reveals. The Bible reveals people are special, theomorphic, made in the image of God (Gen 1:27; 9:6; Jam 3:9), with the ability to think, act, and feel in ways that place us above the rest of creation. With this special revelation, we can perceive ourselves and others through the biblical lens and know we are special and unique.
Dr. Steven R. Cook
[1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 431.
[2] John F. Walvoord, The Holy Spirit (Galaxie Software, 2008), 171–172.
[3] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures: A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 175.
