Faith the Perceiving Power of the Mind

“Faith is the essence of things hoped for, a conviction in things unseen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received their approval.  By faith we understand that the world was prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”       

                                                                                   Hebrews 11:1 - 3

Faith says “yes” to the invisible substance, but there is only one real faith, faith in the invisible, living substance that we call God, in whom we live move and have our being.

When we say yes to something that we already see with our own eyes, this is not faith, this is simply agreeing with what we see and accepting the evidence, the proof that it is part of our reality.  We say seeing is believing… But believing only what one sees does not do anything to exercise or increase faith. We learn most effectively by exercising our faith in the invisible good, which is God – spirit, principle, living essence; only then shall we find that our awareness of faith is growing in leaps and bounds and becoming strong beyond our highest expectations.

Belief and faith are very closely related, and yet they are very different.  When one understands the difference between belief and faith they can work with both to produce very powerful results.  Jesus emphasized the need to believe first. In the healing works of Jesus, he asked for belief on the part of the patient. Over and over again he tells us that belief is what makes the group work possible: believe in God; believe in truth; believe in healing; believe in love. Belief is the key that opens the way to faith, and then faith comes forth to manifest its power.  The faith is the healing; faith is the victory; but we must have belief first, faith is quickened through belief.  Faith is the ability to look beyond the appearance of a thing and know Spirit is present amidst whatever situation we find ourselves in.

An important point to keep in mind in cultivating a consciousness of faith is not to connect faith with what we call personal opinion. Faith is not a matter of opinion.  Faith is clearly and simply a matter of saying “Yes” to God, to good and to Truth.  You see, a person can have some very clever and logically sounding opinions about God and truth, but this is not the feeling of a genuine attitude of faith, of saying “yes” towards the Invisible, Living Presence and Truth. 

You cannot have faith about God. You can only have opinions about God and about truth you can only have faith – which is an intuitive active knowing - in God and in Truth.  And opinions simply have nothing to do with it. Faith on the other hand simply flows through and waits for us to acknowledge its power and presence.  Exercise it; exercise it more diligently than any muscle in your body. Never neglect it! Take time many times each day to willing, and deliberately, recognize the things you know to be of God, and good, and truth. Say, “yes” to the beautiful principle of health, say “yes” to eternal life.   Say “yes.”  Don’t fret about it; exercise your faith. 

                        Notes from Ed Rabel Lectures at Unity School of Christianity