What is faith in the Grace dispensation?

The Bible defines faith with the following statement,

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

In the physical realm, faith means placing your trust in something that belongs, or operates, in this realm, whether it be an object or a person, and hoping that your belief or trust will be validated through physical evidence or manifestation. For example, to sit on a chair, you need to believe that the chair will support you. Your faith in the chair, the substance of your hope in it, will become evident when you sit down, and the chair supports you.

Faith that operates in the natural realm is limited to the constraints of this realm.

But what about spiritual (or biblical) faith; which is the specific focus of this article?

Well, spiritual faith means placing your trust in something that belongs, or operates in the spiritual realm, and hoping that your trust in it will be validated through evidence, or manifestation, of biblical truth. Thus, biblical faith, that operates in the spiritual realm, is limited to the constraints of biblical truth, and more specifically, to truth that belongs to our dispensation and doctrine, or truth that is trans dispensational: that agrees with our doctrine, found in Romans to Philemon. For example, Pauls says the following,

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 

Your faith in this statement cannot draw strength or verification from the physical realm. All you can rely upon is the validity of the Word of God and the witness of peace in your spirit. There can be no evidence of its realisation because the foundation of this faith is spiritual, not physical. Faith that operates in the spiritual realm is limited to the constraints of truth in the Word of God.

It is important to note that one cannot mix faith between these two realms. You cannot use spiritual faith to achieve a physical outcome or vice versa. Evidence for this can be found in 1 Corinthians 2:14, which states, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” This indicates a clear distinction between the physical and spiritual realms, confirming that spiritual matters require spiritual understanding and faith.

In a spiritual context, there is no faith outside of the Word of God.

Let’s have a look at a few more verses in the Bible that teach us of the dynamics of spiritual faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight.

As believers, to walk by faith means that we walk in step with what the Word of God says. Biblical faith can only be valid if it is based upon the truth that applies to us in this grace dispensation, whether it be our doctrine, written by the Apostle Paul, or biblical truths of other dispensations that agree with our doctrine. Did you grasp that? Read that statement again slowly because there are many believers in Christ that do not know this fact. Let me explain with another example.

There are many believers that put their faith in tithing. Is this a spiritual truth? Yes. We can clearly read about it in the scriptures. Does it belong in our dispensation? No. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, did not instruct us to tithe a specific percentage but rather to give as one purpose in his heart with gratefulness and cheerfulness, 2 Corinthians 9:7. Tithing is a practice that was required of Israel under their dispensation and laws. So, since this is not our doctrine, you can believe as hard as you want, but this faith will be in vain as it is not based upon truth in our dispensation. We can believe in, and practice tithing, and trust with all our might that the windows of heaven will open up and pour out a blessing too great for us to receive it, but it will not happen, since this is not how God has determined to work in this dispensation. If God chooses to bless someone, that is according to His discretion and for that moment, but we cannot rightfully put faith in something that is not in our doctrine. To do this would be akin to manipulating God to abide by another doctrine or to try to force His hand. Whether by ignorance or arrogance, that would be shameful. What is true spiritual faith today? To trust in the principles within the Word of God that agree with our doctrine, and to believe that God works according to that truth exclusively, manifesting the evidence of what we hoped for, when we, as the Body of Christ, come into the fulfilment of our divine calling and glory in the ages to come. In other words, our faith is not so much in things of this realm and time, but rather, our faith is ultimately to be placed in things of eternal value, things of the spirit, things that will come to us in the glories of heaven. This is why Paul tells us to set our affections on things above, not on the earth, Colossians 3:2, and why he writes that God’s grace is sufficient for us, 2 Corinthians 12:9, during this time of waiting, service, and suffering.

Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Biblical faith can only be manifest by trusting in and agreeing with the principles of our doctrine made known in the written Word of God. Every spiritual hope, outside of that which agrees with our doctrine, is vanity produced in the imagination of a carnal mind. Thus, if we are to walk by faith, we need to get the word of God in us, in our mind and in our heart. We need to hear it, meaning that we need to learn it and become familiar in knowledge of it. As much as the Word of God fills our mind and an understanding of it exists, we can walk in the faith, or influence, of the Word. Faith will not work if it does not live within our mind and give light to our heart, 2 Corinthians 4:6.

In summary, the definition of faith remains consistent, whether it is used in a physical or spiritual sense, but the foundation, or origin of faith, is different in each case. In the natural realm, faith is based on one’s own knowledge and experience of something, and one places trust in that, hoping for an outcome that one desires. In the case of biblical faith, the source is exclusively in the written Word of God, and more specifically in the dispensation and doctrine given to us by the pen of Paul, including any other trans dispensational truth in the Word that agrees with the principles of our doctrine. Our faith is placed in what that doctrine says and our hope for its outcome is not based upon our desires but rather in that which our doctrine determines. Biblical faith outside of our doctrine is simple vanity, imaginations of the carnal mind that lead to lies, to disappointments, and to functional death. Faith in this dispensation of grace is exclusively produced by one’s knowledge of our doctrine and the desire and obedience to act upon it, in the hope of a future manifestation of glory in the spirit. It is more appropriately evident in spiritual matters than with the insignificances of this physical realm. The life of Paul bears witness to this fact and sets the pattern to which we are to abide by, 1 Timothy 1:16.