Faith Made Simple

Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

To the unbeliever faith is not hard to grasp, it is impossible to grasp.  The unbeliever’s world focuses on the seen not the unseen. But faith can also be a challenge for the believer.  What believer has not expressed, at one time or another, the thought that “I just don’t know if I have the faith to believe for that”?
Recently a well-known minister of the gospel gave a definition of faith that helps bring the understanding of faith to a new level of simplicity – one that is very easy to wrap our heads around: “Faith is having a good opinion of God.”

What does having a “good opinion” mean? Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines “good” as “that which contributes to diminish or remove pain”.  “Opinion” is defined as, “the judgment which the mind forms…” Putting the two definitions together is evidence of why the above definition is so helpful.  When our minds form the judgment that God contributes to diminish and remove pain in our lives, we begin to see God for Who He has always been – a loving, caring, doting heavenly Father, who desires only good for our lives. 

Let’s replace the word faith with the words “having a good opinion of God” in some well-known faith scriptures:

• Romans 10:17 NKJV)
  “¹⁷ So then having a good opinion of God comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  The more Word we take in, the easier it is to have a good opinion of God.
• Hebrews 11: 6 (NKJV)
  “⁶ But without having a good opinion of God 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 diligently seek Him.”  God is not satisfied with us having anything less than a good opinion of Him, because recognizing His Goodness is what opens the door to receiving His BLESSING. 
• 1 John 5:4 (GW)
  “⁴ because everyone who has been born from God has won the victory over the world. Our having a good opinion of God is what wins the victory over the world.”  Having a good opinion of God is what allows us to rest even when circumstances are contrary to His Word; and that is victory, indeed!

Faith is not just for spiritual giants as religious tradition and the traditions of man sometimes seem to suggest.  It is not even something we have to work at to make it grow. Faith is the natural result of experiencing fellowship and intimacy with our Heavenly Father. It comes when we stop trying to love God enough to feel accepted, and just letting Him saturate us with His Love – which is exactly how we come to feel accepted.  No wonder Jesus said on more than one occasion, “Your faith has made you whole.”  That’s what having a good opinion of God will do every time! 

Hebrews 11:1-2 (MSG)
11 ^1-2 The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living.

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