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Misconceptions About Faith

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” – Hebrews 11:6

Faith is such a vital issue that it is critical to have an accurate understanding about it. To embrace misconceptions about faith can bring tragic results.

The Importance of Faith

The only way to be saved from the consequences of sin is to receive the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. “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). If a person is confused about faith, they cannot get saved.

Once we are saved, the only way to grow in the avoidance of sin is to learn to exercise faith in the Lord. “Whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). If we are confused about how to trust in the Lord each day, we will repeatedly stumble into sin.

Correspondingly, the only way to walk in spiritual victory over the enticements of this world is to place our faith in Jesus day by day. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). Any believer who is confused about faith will consistently come under the dominating influence of worldly thinking and behaving.

Ultimately, everything that is needed to live pleasing the Lord must flow from faith in the Lord and be sustained by dependence upon Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Those who name the name of Christ, but hold misconceptions about faith, cannot please the Lord God in any arena where they are applying what they wrongly assume is faith.

Misconception: Faith as a Force

Some in the church world erroneously view faith as a force in itself. They speak of faith as one would speak of electricity. They teach about how to plug into this powerful force called faith. In this unbiblical perspective, faith is virtually a power one can use to “zap away” the unpleasant circumstances of life. Such a distortion has even led religious leaders to write books on “How to Have Faith in Your Faith.”

True Faith: Depends upon Its Object

True biblical faith depends upon its object. The Lord is to be the object of our faith. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). This is how we enter the kingdom of God. “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified” (Galatians 2:16). This is how we are to live in His kingdom every day. “Now the just shall live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38). True faith has the Lord as its object.

Misconception: Faith as “Pat Formulas”

Many wrongly define faith by “pat formulas.” For some, faith is described as “staying positive.” For others, faith is all about what you say with your mouth. They attempt to get people to “name-it-and-claim-it.” They warn people that “what-you-confess-is-what-you-get.” Such views place man, not God, as the central figure.

True Faith: Relies upon God’s Character

God had promised a son to Abraham and Sarah. Time passed, and the son did not arrive. By sight, the situation looked like an impossibility: “his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb” (Romans 4:19). “Positivism” and verbal formulas were not their confidence. They turned to the very character of God as the basis of their faith. “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He has promised He was also able to perform” (Romans 4:20-21). They relied upon the faithfulness and the ability of God to do exactly as He had promised.

Misconception: Faith as a “Ticket-to-Easy-Street”

Some in the church world mistakenly view faith as a “ticket-to-easy-street.” They speak and teach about faith as the way to avoid every difficulty that life could ever offer. In their unbiblical theology, professing faith means everything undesired (illness, distress, battles, financial lack, etc.) must flee. Conversely, if you have what they call faith, you are guaranteed health, wealth, and happiness in constant abundance.

True Faith: Gets Tested Through Trials

The Bible makes it very clear that trials and difficulties are not a strange experience for Christians. “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you” (1 Peter 4:12). In fact, trials are used by the Lord to test and purify our faith, as well as to demonstrate the genuine reality of our faith in God. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7). God is glorified (in time and for eternity) when we trust in Him through the difficulties of life.

Misconception: Faith as “Cold Law”

There are yet others in the church world who misunderstand faith as a “cold law” that anyone can learn to operate. If you believe something strongly enough, or if you expect it with sufficient persistence, you can secure the desired end. To such proponents, it matters not whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, whether you are a carnal Christian or a spiritual Christian. All you must do is to learn how the “law of faith” works  and put it into operation. This might be an acceptable perspective concerning math or physics, but it is a major misconception regarding faith.

True Faith: Develops in Relationship

True faith, as described in God’s word, develops in a growing relationship with the Lord. “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Paul had first believed in the Lord many years before he wrote these words. Since then, he had been getting more intimately acquainted with Christ: “I know whom I have believed.” As Paul got more acquainted with the Lord, his faith in the Lord deepened: “and am persuaded that He is able.” This strengthening of Paul’s faith grew to where he knew the Lord would take perfect care of anything he would entrust to Him: “able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” The better we get to know the Lord, the more our faith in Him will develop.

Conclusion

Faith is vital for living a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Only in the word of God are we able to learn what true faith is all about. May we be those who earnestly and consistently search the scriptures, so we will be guarded from misconceptions about faith. Also, this will enable us to help others who have embraced such deadly misunderstandings.

(This article is an excerpt from the study “Contending for the Faith”.)