Belief is trust that something exists. The common example is that you believe a chair will support you before you sit in it. The important distinction here is that the trust you show the chair is not faith. Faith incorporates belief, that is, belief is one facet of faith, but faith is so much more.
FAQ
What is interesting is that, in the ESV version bible, faith is first referenced - in fact it’s more commonly used - in the negative; that is broken faith or unfaithfulness. It’s first appearance in the English text of ESV is in Exodus 21, when discussing laws around slaves. The text their speaks on behalf of a woman who was sold into slavery by her father. In the case that the master puts her away, he is to allow her to be redeemed “as he has broken faith with her.” The literal here is “unfaithfulness” or “unfairness.” Similarly, the second and third times (Lev 5 and 6) when used to refer to unintentional sin. These words, however, vary.
In King James, we get a more direct translation in the Hebrew word emun or emunah which translates to faithfulness or trusting. It’s first appearance is Deut 32:20 and is spoken of as a negative, that God will hide his face for lack of faith.
So what does the word emun mean, then? The word itself is derived of the same root as em, which means “mother.” The ancient pictograph language was is “strong water,” or more abstractly: liquid that binds, glue. Just as a mother is a type of glue in the family unit, our faith is a type of spiritual glue that aligns us to God’s will.
Faith is an action, better described with the English word “faithful.” One can’t do a faith but one can be faithful. Think of that in western terms. Especially knowing that the word has roots in “mother,” being faithful means sticking it out things are hard, trusting in the process, believing that it will all be worth it one day. Faith is knowing that, even though God isn’t here or visible to us, that he makes good on his promises. When someone asks how I have faith, I often answer with a question: why don’t you cheat on your spouse while they are on a work trip? Because you know they’re coming home and you are faithful to them. In the same way, I know my God is coming back for me. No one would question the earthly but the once the timespan gets too big, as is the case with God, questions arise. That is natural, but God rewards patience and loves those who are faithful to him. We see this in several parables from Jesus. Faith isn’t asking me to believe in God, it’s asking me to believe that his word is good, that he is trustworthy, and to trust that he will be faithful to me.
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