(Isa. 22:23,25); confirm or establish as a kingdom (2 Sam. 7:16), or a house

(1 Sam. 2:35).  This element of stability is so incipient in the word, that

it could be made the subject of a word play in Isaiah 7:9, 'If ye believe not

(have not firm confidence) ye will not be confirmed'.  From this comes the

conception of faithfulness (Deut. 7:9; Jer. 42:5).  So at last we come to the

form of the word which implies belief as a trust (Isa. 28:16; Gen. 15:6; Hab.

It will be perceived that a Hebrew could not use this word and say,

'While I believe it is so, I cannot be sure, I cannot say I actually know'.

Such looseness of meaning belongs to the later days of degeneracy in

language.  Today, when some people say, 'I hope so', one is fairly certain

that they have no real ground for their hope.  To believe a statement to be

true, especially if that statement concerns a person and not a thing, leads,

according to the Hebrew conception, to trust.  While the New Testament

develops the capacity of faith, it never loses sight of this intimate

relationship, sure, true, trustworthy.

So it is that the English word 'trust' translates both the Greek words

peitho (Matt. 27:43) and elpizo (Matt. 12:21) which really mean 'faith' and

'hope' respectively, but which nevertheless are so linked together that it

can be written, 'Faith is the substance of things hoped for'.  'Faith' in the

New Testament represents the Greek word pistis (Rom. 5:1); and 'faithful' by

the word pistos (Eph. 1:1).  'Believe' is the rendering of the verb pisteuo

(John 3:36 first occurrence) and negatively apeitho (John 3:36 second

occurrence).  Peitho is translated 'assure', 'be confident', 'trust and

persuade'.  To 'believe' the Son, therefore, according to John 3:36 is to be

'persuaded' concerning His Person and Work.  While we believe the Gospel, the

Word spoken or written, the preaching of the apostles, this message

(euaggelion, 'gospel', 'glad tidings') ever points to the Saviour Himself, in

His life, death, resurrection, ascension and present session at the right

hand of God.  Faith becomes trust in a personal Saviour.

We are 'saved by faith' as a drowning man may be saved by a 'rope', but

he would be foolish to thank the rope, or to attribute to the 'rope' any

other quality than a means.  Behind that rope would have been the hands of

the rescuer, without which the rope would have been more of a hindrance than

a help.  We must beware of using 'faith' as though it were a talisman or a

charm.  We cannot simply 'have faith', we must 'have faith In or On' God, His

Son, His Word or His Truth.  Faith receives salvation as a gift.  While we

read of 'the obedience of faith' (Rom. 1:5), faith itself is not obedience,

the obedience of faith is the consequences of believing, not believing

Something of the character of faith can be seen in the way in which the

apostle Paul uses it,

'To show that everything is repudiated but faith alone, the apostle

makes use of various forms of exclusion, such as "freely" (Rom. 3:24);

"without works" (Rom. 4:6); "without the deeds of the law" (Rom. 3:28);

"by His grace" (Rom. 3:24); "by grace through faith"' (Eph. 2:8).

'Grace being represented as the exclusive source of justification, and

the death of Christ as its material cause, faith is in this matter

merely instrumental and receptive of the righteousness of God (Rom.

3:24).  Nor has faith any other value beyond that of uniting us to its