Series 2 - Lesson 8 - Annotation 1
Give a concise definition of faith.
1. Faith is an idea in Divine Mind; a spiritual principle; one of the twelve powers; a faculty in man's mind; an idea that combines and embodies belief, trust, and expectancy in a firm state of consciousness. Faith is the divinely ordained, eternally established God quality of assurance inherent in each soul. Faith is an attitude of mind, a confidence of heart, a joyousness of spirit.
"Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen." — Heb. 11:1.
"Faith is the perceiving power of the mind, linked with a power to shape substance." — Charles Fillmore Prosperity 43.
Faith is an assurance, a conviction, a knowing that a desire for something will be fulfilled at the right time, without a person having anything visible to the five senses as to how and from where the fulfillment is to come. It is in reality possessing the thing in consciousness before there is any sign of it in the outer or manifest world. It is that faculty of mind that knows, and knows that it knows. It is not something that is confined to religion because man often has faith in and brings to himself many things that he considers "not good" after he has them.
Faith is unwavering confidence, free from doubt. The essential part of anything hoped for is confidence in its actual manifestation at the time expected; it is the innate proof or testimony that though there is no visible sign of the thing desired or hoped for, there is nevertheless an intuitive knowing, a faith, a confidence that dispels every doubt, and we expectantly await the fulfillment of that desire. Faith is the direct road to manifestation, the wedge that pries open the door of promise.
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Preceding Entry: Explain the truth back of Jesus' saying, "And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive" (Matt. 21:22 A.V.).
Following Entry: Where should faith be centered?
