What is faith?

Faith is the substance or assurance of things we hope for, but have not yet received. Faith (confidence, belief, trust) is also our evidence of that which is not seen—the invisible spiritual things. Faith comes before a prayer is answered or before an individual has received what he or she has requested from God. If we have received what we asked for, then faith is not needed.

Faith without works is dead
The apostle James, the half-brother of Jesus Christ, uses the example of Abraham, who had both faith and works because he believed God and he obeyed what God commanded him to do.

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?” (James 2:21-22).

Real faith is more than just believing in God alone. It includes acting on that faith in one’s life by serving God and obeying His commandments.

Some may argue that James’ teaching that we should obey the commandments of God is teaching that we are saved by works. That is not the case. The apostle Paul makes this clear when he says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Paul clearly understood and wrote that no one could earn salvation and that faith itself is a gift from God. Yet in the very next verse he went on to say that we are God’s “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (verse 10).

Like James, Paul knew living faith would be accompanied by service and obedience to God and His laws. Paul wrote in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
What is the difference between faith and belief?

Many in Christianity today use the words faith and belief interchangeably. But is there a difference between these words in the Bible?

Generally they are synonymous, and sometimes they are translated from the same Greek word. Actually, the only time the word belief appears in the New King James Version of the Bible, it is translated from pistis, the word for faith (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

But the word believe can carry a different shade of meaning.
The apostle James wrote in his epistle about what he called dead faith. Dead faith is when one believes in God, but does not obey His commandments.

James wrote, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:19-20, emphasis added).
Here believe is translated from a related Greek word, pisteuo. James contrasts simple belief with living faith.

As Christians, we must strive for living faith—belief in God demonstrated by good works according to His laws and commandments. If we simply believe in Jesus Christ, believe that God exists and believe that He is the Creator God, we’re on the same level of belief as the demons!

But if our belief in these things inspires us to be obedient to God and changes the way we live our life, then we truly have faith and will be considered faithful if we consistently increase and grow in our relationship with God.

Bible on faith
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! John 8:24 unless you believe that I am who I claim to be, you will die in your sins.
Understanding to the public life of Jesus. They fill in the blanks between the childhood of Jesus and His suffering and death on the cross.
•    The Sorrowful Mysteries remind us of how much Jesus loves us. They recall how He suffered and died just for us.
•    The Glorious Mysteries tell us what happened after Jesus died-His Resurrection, the descent of the Holy Spirit and the love Jesus had for his Mother