BELIEF OR FAITH? (Part I)

QUESTIONS:

What is the difference between “believing in Jesus” and “believing on Jesus”? Believing in Jesus is a merely acknowledging that he exists while believing on Jesus is to accept absolutely, having no doubt or uncertainty, trusting in, putting faith in or trust in, exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hello Priest, here are a series of questions but under the same question about Belief and Faith. Does faith go hand in hand with belief? What comes first? What leads to the other? Can one exist without the other? Are they different? Francis

RESPONSE: Thank you, Elder Francis, for the follow up questions. It is, theologically, an extensive and contentious question but allow me to try in my capacity (anointing and academics) to simplify the response as much as I can.

Belief in the modern world today is more of a secular term than it is a religious one. Every corner of our world teaches the power of belief and we are all advised to believe in ourselves if we are to succeed and have a good life.

When you turn to church there is belief and faith and one wonders which of the two terms is secular and which one is spiritual.

For instance, it is hard these days to tell whether the preacher in the pulpit is telling us to have faith in the Lord or to believe. Should I believe or have faith or both?

Belief without Faith

I could give a simplistic answer and say; ‘Faith’ is divine and supernatural while ‘Belief’ is human, natural and carnal. Faith is spiritual but belief is social.

You need faith to go to heaven, but you need belief to succeed in life. The relationship between faith and belief is that you can have ‘Belief’ without faith but you cannot have ‘Faith’ without ‘Belief’.

One, therefore, needs belief to access Faith; for belief is a natural instinct that every human being ought to ignite. The philosophers of this world have taught the power in the self, and they have resolved it can only be accessed through belief.

You need to believe in yourself and you need to believe that everything is possible and that you can do and be whatever you want. The Idea of the law of attraction is entirely built on belief and imagination.

The motivational world has mobilized all of us to believe in ourselves, to ignite that ‘Belief Instinct’ designed in each of us to achieve our dreams and goals. We are conditioned to believe and this requires no gods and nor religions, but a belief in the self.

In fact, according to the new age teachers, the god in whom ‘Belief’ is placed is known as; ‘’The SELF’. It is important, however, that at this point I point out that, Christianity does not teach a belief in ‘Self’ for everything but for particular causes.

We are called to Believe God and God alone for our future destinies (John 14:1).

New Testament on Belief and Faith

In the New Testament (NT) Greek, Faith (Pistis) is a Noun but Belief (Pisteuo) is a verb. However, to those who read translations, it is difficult to tell the difference between faith and Belief in the NT.

For ‘Faith’ to be a noun, it means that it is a standard and if Belief is a verb, it renders it to be fluid in nature. Belief can be placed in just about anything but faith is particular and can only be applied to a specific object.

To understand the use of the terms in the NT, we need to point out a few things in the grammar of the Greek Bible.

In the NT ‘Pisteou’ can, in the syntax, convey faith (noun) or belief (verb) depending on the syntax. Often when pisteuo is followed by the Greek preposition eis, (“into, in, among,”) especially in the accusative case, it communicates ‘a deliberate choice to trust’ (John 3:16, 36; 12:36; 14:1).

The idea here is not faith as we will see but the will and choice of man to trust in something or someone.  We access the ‘Grace’ we are saved by and the ‘Faith’ through which we are saved by our instinctual and deliberate pisteuo.

That is why both Heaven (eternal life) and Hell (eternal death) are human choices post-cross.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. (John 6:47). Other verses on salvation faith as distinguished from sociological belief are John 11:25; 20:31; Acts 16:31, Mathew 27:42 and Romans 4:3.

Other meanings of the grammatical construction of the Greek verb pisteuo “believe” followed by the Greek preposition eis “into” in the accusative are:

• Matthew. 21:25, 32; John 1:7, 12; 2:23–24 = Believe what people claim/say. Same Belief students place in their teachers for appreciating the lessons
• Matthew 12:36 = Believe to become.

Often in Greek, you can distinguish between Faith and Belief based on the preposition used. When it is ‘Eis’ (“into, in, among,”) it is highly true that it is ‘belief’ that is implied and when it ‘Epi’ (upon, on, at, by, before) especially in the dative and accusative case then depending on the context it is highly true that it is “Faith” being discussed.

Faith and Belief Contrast

As stated earlier, it is ‘belief’ that ushers in faith to operate on a human being. Faith can only access man through faith. Faith cannot operate within the constraints of BELIEF but Belief can be exercised within the sphere of belief.

Atheists, scientists, philosophers, pagans, religious people and all others who are not Christians Believe but have no Faith (Mathew 17:20-24). Christians with faith can still be believers in all other non-contradictory fields of life.

Belief is limited; it is to the extent of qualifiable facts that we believe, However, faith starts where belief ends and goes beyond to establish unqualifiable realities (Hebrews 11:1).

Allow me to share a few facets of both:

Belief: Knows to Believe (Knows first and Acts) = Peter (Mathew 14:28)
Faith: Believes to know (Acts first Knows Later) = Abraham (Hebrews 11:1-4, 8)

Belief: not divine but creaturely (demons inclusive) = Doesn’t impress God (James 2:19)
Faith: Divine attribute = Impresses God (Hebrews 11:6)

Belief: Is for Sociological and timely Deliverance = (Mathew 13:57-58)
Faith: Is for Salvation and eternal Deliverance = (Ephesians 2:8)

You need to believe in yourself, in education, in all sorts of possibilities for you to succeed in almost every project you attempt in life. Belief is for that use.

However, you need to understand the limitations of those daring instincts (believing faculty) in you that keep you going. You need (as a Christian) to raise the bar.

Your righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees otherwise you are just a religious believer and you lack faith (Mathew 5:20).

Next, I will attempt a background of faith from the Old Testament.

God bless you I invoke TRUTH, REASON, and FAITH (2Tim 2:7)
Priest Isaiah White (+256-793/775 822833 for further inquiries)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24)
@Think & Become