Understanding Faith
By Pastor Chinedu Emmanuel
Before we can truly understand faith, we must first recognize what it is not. Faith is not hope. Many people confuse the two and then wonder why their prayers seem unanswered. Hope is future-focused—it looks ahead, expecting something to happen. You might hear phrases like, “God is going to heal me” or “God will do it,” but that’s hope, not faith. Hope anticipates, while faith claims the promise as a present reality.
Romans 8:24-25 reminds us that “hope that is seen is not hope.” Saying, “God will do it,” acknowledges that it hasn’t happened yet, meaning we are not yet walking in faith. Jesus said, “As you have believed, so let it be done for you” (Matthew 8:13). Faith takes hold now, not later.
Faith is also not presumption, it doesn’t make assumptions without true understanding. Many follow religious traditions, believing they are saved because of their upbringing or because someone else told them so. But salvation, like faith, is a personal, intentional belief in Jesus Christ (John 1:12).
So, what Is Faith?
Faith is now! It doesn’t say, “I will be healed”; it says, “I am healed.” Even before you see it, you know it is yours. Faith is tangible in the spiritual realm before it manifests physically. For example, when you believe for healing, you may start with hope after finding a scripture on healing. As you meditate on it, something shifts inside you. What was once just words becomes alive in your spirit, and suddenly, you know beyond doubt that it is done. That is when hope turns into faith. 2 Corinthians 1:20 assures us, “All of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding ‘Yes!’” Everything we need has already been provided; our role is to receive it.
Faith Produces Evidence
Faith is not blind—it has proof. Just as evidence in a courtroom confirms the truth, faith has outward signs. When faith comes alive in you, it is reflected in your words and actions. You begin to speak differently, declaring what God has already done instead of what your circumstances show. You act because your heart is fully convinced.
The Bible shows that faith is visible.
- In Luke 5:19-20, Jesus saw the faith of the men who lowered their friend through the roof.
- In Matthew 8:8-10, the centurion’s faith amazed Jesus.
- In Acts 14:9-10, Paul recognized a man’s faith and saw his immediate healing.
Faith produces visible results.
Faith Stands on God’s Word, Not on Sight
Imagine needing healing. Faith means you are convinced beyond what you feel or see that healing belongs to you right now because God said so. Even if symptoms persist, you stand firm, knowing that God’s Word is more real than your circumstances. Abraham exemplified this. Before Isaac was born, he gave thanks, fully persuaded that God’s promise was already fulfilled (Romans 4:20-21). He did not wait for physical evidence—he already had spiritual evidence through God’s Word. Likewise, when you have true faith, you praise God before seeing the outcome. If you are waiting for circumstances to change before believing, then you are not yet in faith.