Great Faith: The Power Of Unwavering Belief

The phrase great faith is referenced in the Bible, specifically in the Gospels, where Jesus commends people for their great faith. The Bible only records two instances of this: in one story, a Roman centurion asks Jesus to heal his paralysed servant (Matthew 8:6); in the other, a Canaanite woman asks Jesus to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:22-28). In both stories, Jesus observes their great faith but does not say that he decided to heal the person because of the amount of faith they had. Biblical scholars agree that Jesus highlights their faith to commend these non-Jewish people and to encourage his Jewish audience to have the same faith in him.

The term great faith is also contrasted with little faith in the Bible. For example, in Matthew 14:22-32, Jesus admonishes the Apostle Peter for his little faith. However, it is important to note that having little faith or great faith is not about the size or amount of faith one has. Instead, it is about the difficulty of the truths that are believed. People with great faith believe truths that are hard to believe and are rarely understood or believed by others.

Great faith is not about how much biblical knowledge you have

Great faith is not about how much biblical knowledge one has. It is about truly understanding and believing in God's goodness. It is about having the conviction and confidence in God's power and willingness to heal and provide, even when faced with adversity and doubt.

Jesus himself identified only two people in his ministry who possessed great faith: a Roman centurion and a Canaanite woman, both of whom were outside the covenant God had made with Israel. Their faith had nothing to do with their performance or lifestyle, but rather, their unwavering belief in God's goodness and power to heal.

The Roman centurion approached Jesus with humility, recognizing his unworthiness yet believing in Jesus' ability to heal his paralyzed servant without even being physically present. He understood that Jesus' word was enough to bring about healing. This belief in something difficult to comprehend amazed Jesus and demonstrated the centurion's great faith.

Similarly, the Canaanite woman, a Gentile, persistently sought Jesus' help to heal her demon-possessed daughter, even in the face of rejection and insult. Her unwavering faith and refusal to be deterred by Jesus' initial resistance demonstrated her great faith.

Great faith, therefore, is not about how much one knows or recites from the Bible. It is about having a deep conviction and trust in God's goodness and power, even when faced with challenges and doubts. It is about believing in the difficult truths that few people understand or accept. It is this unwavering belief and trust in God that truly defines great faith.

Great faith is about knowing how good God is

Great faith is not about how much biblical knowledge one has or how much scripture one can memorise and recite. It is about knowing how good God is. Jesus identified only two people in His earthly ministry who He said had great faith: a Roman centurion and a Canaanite woman. Both were outside of the covenant God had made with Israel and did not keep the "law" as Israel was required to do. Their confidence in God had nothing to do with their own performance or lifestyle. They understood something that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jewish nation could not see or comprehend: that God was a good God.

The Roman centurion believed in his own lack of merit. He knew that all he had and all he was given was simply and only by the grace of God. He also believed in the power of Jesus and His ability to heal from a distance. Most people do not believe this. The centurion believed that if Jesus wanted to heal someone, He could do it with a simple word and from a great distance.

The Canaanite woman, whose daughter was demon-possessed, showed unrelenting persistence in her faith. She refused to quit believing and did not allow unbelief, doubt, or fear to erode her faith. She did not care what people thought of her. Her unwavering persistence forced Jesus to use stronger language to try to push her away. It was a blatant contrast to His words to Peter when He invited him to join Him on the water. This unclean gentile woman was the perfect antidote to Peter's brief faith and unbelief.

Great faith is not about the size of one's faith or the percentage to which one believes a particular fact. It is about believing truths that are difficult to believe. It is about being persuaded or convinced of some of the hard and difficult truths which few people come to believe. It is about knowing how good God is.

Great faith is believing in truths that are difficult to believe

Faith is a complex concept, and what constitutes "great faith" is subjective and open to interpretation. However, the idea that "great faith is believing in truths that are difficult to believe" can be explored through a few perspectives.

Religious Perspective

According to the Bible, Jesus commended individuals on their "great faith" on two notable occasions. One story involves a Roman centurion who asks Jesus to heal his paralysed servant (Matthew 8:6). The centurion believes that Jesus can heal his servant with just a word, and Jesus is amazed at his response, mentioning his "great faith" (Matthew 8:5–13).

Another instance is the story of a Canaanite woman whose daughter Jesus heals (Matthew 15:21–28). In both narratives, Jesus observes their "great faith" without connecting it to the amount of faith they possess. Biblical scholars suggest that Jesus highlights their faith to encourage his Jewish audience to emulate the faith of these non-Jewish individuals and challenge the belief that God's grace was exclusive to the Jews.

These examples illustrate that great faith is not about the quantity of faith one possesses but the conviction and trust in God, even in difficult circumstances. It is about believing in truths that may be challenging, such as God's ability to heal and His grace extending beyond a specific group of people.

Philosophical Perspective

The concept of faith and belief has also been explored in philosophy, notably by William James in his lecture "The Will to Believe." James argues that it can be rational to adopt a belief without prior evidence, particularly in religious matters. He suggests that our passional nature often decides between propositions when there is a genuine option that cannot be decided on intellectual grounds.

James provides examples where belief without evidence can be justified, such as self-fulfilling beliefs. He contends that in some cases, "a fact cannot come at all unless a preliminary faith exists in its coming." Therefore, faith can play a role in creating the truth, and believing in difficult truths can lead to significant personal and spiritual growth.

Practical Perspective

In practical terms, great faith can be understood as having conviction in beliefs that go beyond what is commonly accepted or easy to believe. It involves embracing challenging concepts and ideas that may require deep thought, insight, or spiritual experiences. For example, believing that "God will supply all your needs" (Philippians 4:19) can be challenging when faced with uncertainty or scarcity.

Great faith, then, is about having a strong conviction in truths that may be difficult to accept or understand fully. It is about trusting in something greater, even when our logical intellect has not been entirely convinced.

Ultimately, the idea of "great faith" is subjective and open to individual interpretation. However, the notion that it involves "believing in truths that are difficult to believe" resonates across different perspectives. Great faith transcends simple acceptance of easy-to-believe concepts and instead embraces challenging truths that may require trust, spiritual experiences, or a shift in perspective. It is about having conviction and confidence in something greater, even when it may be easier to doubt or dismiss.

Great faith is not about the size of your faith

Jesus commends two people in the Bible for their "great faith". The first is a Roman centurion, who asks Jesus to heal his paralysed servant (Matthew 8:6). The centurion is confident in Christ's power to heal, and believes that Christ's word is sufficient to accomplish the healing. The second is a Canaanite woman, whose daughter Jesus heals (Matthew 15:22-28). Both of these people were outside of the covenant God had made with Israel, and yet they had a deep understanding of God's goodness. Their belief in God had nothing to do with their own performance or lifestyle, but rather, their compassion for those who were suffering and their belief that God could heal them.

Jesus also speaks of people having "little faith" on several occasions. For example, when the disciples are afraid that their boat is going to sink during a storm, Jesus remarks on their "little faith" (Matthew 8:24-26). However, it is important to note that Jesus still performs miracles despite their lack of faith. This shows that God is not limited by our level of faith.

So, what is the difference between great faith and little faith? It is not about the quantity of faith, but rather the object of our faith. Great faith believes in the harder and more difficult truths of Scripture, while little faith may struggle to believe even the basic, introductory truths. Great faith is fully convinced of the difficult promises and hard-to-understand truths, while little faith may doubt and waver.

In conclusion, great faith is not about the size or amount of faith one has, but rather the depth of conviction and the object of one's faith. It is about believing in the goodness and power of God, even when faced with doubt, adversity, or seemingly impossible circumstances.

Great faith is about unrelenting persistence

Great faith is not about how much biblical knowledge one has or how much scripture one can memorise and recite. It is simply about knowing how good God is. It is about believing in the power of God and trusting in His grace.

In the Bible, Jesus identified only two people in His earthly ministry who He said had great faith: a Roman centurion and a Canaanite woman. Both were outsiders to the covenant God had made with Israel, and their confidence in God had nothing to do with their own performance or lifestyle. They understood something that the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Jewish nation could not see or comprehend—that God was a good God.

The Roman centurion believed in his own lack of merit and the power of Jesus to heal his servant from a distance. He understood that if Jesus wanted to heal someone, He could do it with a simple word and from a great distance. This was a difficult truth to believe, yet the centurion believed it, and Jesus marvelled at his great faith.

The Canaanite woman, whose daughter was demon-possessed, demonstrated unrelenting persistence in her faith. She refused to take "no" for an answer and continued to plead for help, even when Jesus tried to push her away. Her persistence caught Jesus' attention, and He healed her daughter, using her great faith as a lesson to His disciples.

Great faith, therefore, is about unrelenting persistence. It is about believing in difficult truths and not allowing doubt or fear to erode one's faith. It is about trusting in God's power and goodness, even when faced with rejection or adversity.

In law and business, the concept of good faith is also important, denoting honesty and fairness in dealings. This concept is rooted in the Latin phrase "bona fides," which means "good faith" and conveys a sense of trust and reliability between two parties.

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