What Is Faith? Why It's Only as Good as What You Trust
Green Light Faith - Real Faith | DJay Akers

DJay Akers • Discipleship Pastor
June 29, 2026

7 Minute Read

Some Sundays are tough on the heart. This one is tough on the mind. Working through what faith actually means takes a little mental gymnastics, so let's take the cookies off the top shelf and put them where everyone can reach them.

The whole study rests on one verse: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Notice what the writer is doing here. He is not handing us a tidy dictionary definition. He is describing what faith actually does. Faith gives substance to God's promises.

What Is Faith According to Hebrews 11?

Start with that first phrase: faith is the assurance of things hoped for. The word assurance is rich. Some scholars translate it as confidence, others as certainty. The Greek carries the idea of substance, something solid, something you can stand on.

There is a story that captures this perfectly. A Scottish missionary named John G. Paton went to the New Hebrides, a chain of islands in the South Pacific, to translate the book of John and preach the gospel. He hit a wall trying to render one word into the native language: faith. He could not find a word for belief or trust.

One day, he was sitting with the local man, who was helping him translate. He sat down in a chair and asked, "What am I doing?" The man answered, "You sit in a chair." Then he leaned back, balancing on two legs, and asked again, "What am I doing?" This time the man gave him a different word entirely: "You are leaning your whole weight upon it."

That was it. That was the word he had been searching for. So when he translated John 3:16, it read, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever leans his whole weight upon Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

That is the essence of faith. Faith is not merely believing a chair exists. It is putting your whole weight on it. In the same way, faith is not merely the collection of head knowledge about Jesus. It is placing your entire life on Him: your fears, your anxieties, your worries, and your eternity.


Is Biblical Hope the Same as Wishful Thinking?

When most of us hear the word hope, we think of something uncertain. I really hope my team wins the Super Bowl. I hope the weather cooperates. I hope this works out. As a lifelong fan of a team that rarely cooperates, I have done plenty of wishful thinking over the years.

But that is not biblical hope. That is just wishful thinking dressed up. Biblical hope is confidence rooted in God's promises. Christian hope is not "I hope God keeps His promises." Christian hope says, "God has promised, therefore I know He will."

This is where faith and hope link together. Faith grabs hold of hope, and hope grabs hold of God's promises. That is exactly the pattern running through Hebrews 11. Noah built an ark when it had never rained. Abraham left his home with no idea where he was going. Faith says, "I do not have it yet. I cannot touch it yet. I do not even fully understand it yet. But God, You spoke it, and I am putting my full weight on that."

So the focus of the verse is not on hope itself. The focus is on the faith that grabs hold of what God has promised.

Picture receiving a notice today that a three-million-dollar inheritance is now in your name. The money has not hit your account yet, but you know it is coming. Does that change anything for you? Of course it does. The promise changes the present. Faith works the same way. God promises things that reshape our present circumstances, because we trust His future.


Does the Strength of My Faith Matter?

This runs consistently through the New Testament. Faith is never about your self-confidence. It is confidence in God. It is taking God at His Word and placing your full weight on His promise. Faith says, "God, I trust You even when I cannot see the outcome." And no, the outcome is usually not visible.

That leads to the second half of the verse. Faith is not only the assurance of things hoped for. It is also the conviction of things not seen. The King James Version calls it the evidence of things not seen. The New American Standard calls it the proof of things not seen. They all capture the same idea.

Faith is not limited to what we can see with our eyes. Faith sees a larger reality. It does not deny what is visible. It simply believes there is more to the picture than the surface. For a believer, there are invisible realities: God, the Holy Spirit, angels, heaven, the kingdom of God, and eternity. Faith believes God's testimony about all of it.

I quote Tim Keller almost every time I teach, because he was a great mind, and he often pointed out that everyone interprets reality through a lens. Everyone is trusting something. Everyone has faith in something, whether it is money, success, science, politics, relationships, or career. The question is never whether you have faith. The question is what you have placed your faith in.

Here is where it gets a little tricky. Faith is only as good as its object. You can have enormous faith in very thin ice and still drown. You can have trembling, weak faith in very thick ice and be completely safe. The issue is not the strength of your faith. It is the object you put your faith in. And God has proven Himself trustworthy and faithful again and again.


What Does 2 Kings 6 Teach About Faith?

Faith understands that more is happening than what we see on the surface. One of the clearest pictures of this is in 2 Kings 6, with the prophet Elisha and the Syrian army.

Every time the Syrian army moved out, Israel already knew. The troops would shift, and Israel was ready. The Syrian king grew furious and gathered his commanders, demanding to know who was leaking information. One of his generals stepped up and said, in effect, "It is none of us, my lord. There is a prophet in Israel named Elisha, and he knows what you are going to do before you do it." The king's response was simple: go get him.

So the army found where Elisha was staying and surrounded the entire city with troops, chariots, and horses. The next morning, Elisha's servant walked outside the tent, saw the army, and panicked. He ran back inside. "Master, master, what are we going to do?"

He was looking only at the facts. He was looking at his reality, at what he could see. And Elisha answered him, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are against us."

Put yourself in that servant's sandals. You look at Elisha, then out at the army, then back at Elisha. The math does not add up. It is two against a hundred thousand. So Elisha prayed, "Lord, open his eyes so he can see." And suddenly the servant saw what had been there the entire time. The hills were full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding the Syrian army. Heaven's angels had been present all along.


Where to Go From Here

That is the heart of biblical faith. It leans its whole weight on God. It treats His promises as solid ground rather than wishful thinking. It trusts the One who has proven Himself faithful, even when the math does not add up and the outcome is not yet visible.

Your faith does not have to be enormous to be real. It only has to rest on the right object. The servant's eyes were eventually opened, but the chariots of fire were there before he ever saw them. God's reality does not depend on your ability to see it. So the question to carry with you is not how strong your faith feels today. It is where you are leaning your whole weight.

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From this Author: DJay Akers
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June 29, 2026 • 7 Minute Read
What Is Faith? Why It's Only as Good as What You Trust
Some Sundays are tough on the heart. This one is tough on the mind. Working through what faith actually means takes a little mental gymnastics, so let's take the cookies off the top shelf and put them where everyone can reach them. The whole study rests on one verse: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Notice what the writer is doing here. He is not handing us a tidy dictionary definition. He is describing what faith actually does. Faith gives substance to God's promises. What Is Faith According to Hebrews 11? Start with that first phrase: faith is the assurance of things hoped for. The word assurance is rich. Some scholars translate it as confidence, others as certainty. The Greek carries the idea of substance, something solid, something you can stand on. There is a story that captures this perfectly. A Scottish missionary named John G. Paton went to the New Hebrides, a chain of islands in the South Pacific, to translate the book of John and preach the gospel. He hit a wall trying to render one word into the native language: faith. He could not find a word for belief or trust. One day, he was sitting with the local man, who was helping him translate. He sat down in a chair and asked, "What am I doing?" The man answered, "You sit in a chair." Then he leaned back, balancing on two legs, and asked again, "What am I doing?" This time the man gave him a different word entirely: "You are leaning your whole weight upon it." That was it. That was the word he had been searching for. So when he translated John 3:16, it read, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever leans his whole weight upon Him will not perish but have everlasting life." That is the essence of faith. Faith is not merely believing a chair exists. It is putting your whole weight on it. In the same way, faith is not merely the collection of head knowledge about Jesus. It is placing your entire life on Him: your fears, your anxieties, your worries, and your eternity. Is Biblical Hope the Same as Wishful Thinking? When most of us hear the word hope, we think of something uncertain. I really hope my team wins the Super Bowl. I hope the weather cooperates. I hope this works out. As a lifelong fan of a team that rarely cooperates, I have done plenty of wishful thinking over the years. But that is not biblical hope. That is just wishful thinking dressed up. Biblical hope is confidence rooted in God's promises. Christian hope is not "I hope God keeps His promises." Christian hope says, "God has promised, therefore I know He will." This is where faith and hope link together. Faith grabs hold of hope, and hope grabs hold of God's promises. That is exactly the pattern running through Hebrews 11. Noah built an ark when it had never rained. Abraham left his home with no idea where he was going. Faith says, "I do not have it yet. I cannot touch it yet. I do not even fully understand it yet. But God, You spoke it, and I am putting my full weight on that." So the focus of the verse is not on hope itself. The focus is on the faith that grabs hold of what God has promised. Picture receiving a notice today that a three-million-dollar inheritance is now in your name. The money has not hit your account yet, but you know it is coming. Does that change anything for you? Of course it does. The promise changes the present. Faith works the same way. God promises things that reshape our present circumstances, because we trust His future. Does the Strength of My Faith Matter? This runs consistently through the New Testament. Faith is never about your self-confidence. It is confidence in God. It is taking God at His Word and placing your full weight on His promise. Faith says, "God, I trust You even when I cannot see the outcome." And no, the outcome is usually not visible. That leads to the second half of the verse. Faith is not only the assurance of things hoped for. It is also the conviction of things not seen. The King James Version calls it the evidence of things not seen. The New American Standard calls it the proof of things not seen. They all capture the same idea. Faith is not limited to what we can see with our eyes. Faith sees a larger reality. It does not deny what is visible. It simply believes there is more to the picture than the surface. For a believer, there are invisible realities: God, the Holy Spirit, angels, heaven, the kingdom of God, and eternity. Faith believes God's testimony about all of it. I quote Tim Keller almost every time I teach, because he was a great mind, and he often pointed out that everyone interprets reality through a lens. Everyone is trusting something. Everyone has faith in something, whether it is money, success, science, politics, relationships, or career. The question is never whether you have faith. The question is what you have placed your faith in. Here is where it gets a little tricky. Faith is only as good as its object. You can have enormous faith in very thin ice and still drown. You can have trembling, weak faith in very thick ice and be completely safe. The issue is not the strength of your faith. It is the object you put your faith in. And God has proven Himself trustworthy and faithful again and again. What Does 2 Kings 6 Teach About Faith? Faith understands that more is happening than what we see on the surface. One of the clearest pictures of this is in 2 Kings 6, with the prophet Elisha and the Syrian army. Every time the Syrian army moved out, Israel already knew. The troops would shift, and Israel was ready. The Syrian king grew furious and gathered his commanders, demanding to know who was leaking information. One of his generals stepped up and said, in effect, "It is none of us, my lord. There is a prophet in Israel named Elisha, and he knows what you are going to do before you do it." The king's response was simple: go get him. So the army found where Elisha was staying and surrounded the entire city with troops, chariots, and horses. The next morning, Elisha's servant walked outside the tent, saw the army, and panicked. He ran back inside. "Master, master, what are we going to do?" He was looking only at the facts. He was looking at his reality, at what he could see. And Elisha answered him, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are against us." Put yourself in that servant's sandals. You look at Elisha, then out at the army, then back at Elisha. The math does not add up. It is two against a hundred thousand. So Elisha prayed, "Lord, open his eyes so he can see." And suddenly the servant saw what had been there the entire time. The hills were full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding the Syrian army. Heaven's angels had been present all along. Where to Go From Here That is the heart of biblical faith. It leans its whole weight on God. It treats His promises as solid ground rather than wishful thinking. It trusts the One who has proven Himself faithful, even when the math does not add up and the outcome is not yet visible. Your faith does not have to be enormous to be real. It only has to rest on the right object. The servant's eyes were eventually opened, but the chariots of fire were there before he ever saw them. God's reality does not depend on your ability to see it. So the question to carry with you is not how strong your faith feels today. It is where you are leaning your whole weight.

DJay Akers

Discipleship Pastor

June 8, 2026 • 8 Minute Read
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DJay Akers

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