faith

Trust in or reliance on God, who is trustworthy. In the OT, God’s initiative and faithfulness as revealed in creation, the exodus event, the covenant, and the subsequent history of Israel are what prompt people to respond to God with faith. The emphasis of faith, furthermore, is focused not primarily on the individual, but on the relationship of the people of Israel to God. There is even more emphasis on faith in the NT, especially in the writings of the apostle Paul. Faith has as its object God’s salvific manifestation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Thess 4:14). This act of God in Christ is preached (Rom 10:17) and its benefits are received by faith (Rom 3:25), a faith that rests “on the power of God” (1Cor 2:5). Therefore, those who have received the good news of God’s act in Christ, namely, the gospel, are called “believers” (1Thess 1:7).