Bible verses about faith
Hebrews 11:1 gives the Bible's own definition: faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:6 says without faith it is impossible to please God, Ephesians 2:8-9 calls it the means of salvation and a gift rather than an achievement, and James 2:17 insists faith without works is dead.
12 verses about faith
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) →6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) →8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) →17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:17-18 (KJV) →17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10:17 (KJV) →7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) →20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Matthew 17:20 (KJV) →24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mark 9:24 (KJV) →17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Romans 1:17 (KJV) →7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1 Peter 1:7 (KJV) →20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 (KJV) →5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) →
The definition Scripture gives itself
Hebrews 11:1 is unusual because the Bible rarely defines its own terms. Substance and evidence are both concrete, legal-sounding words, which cuts against the popular idea of faith as a feeling or a wish. The chapter that follows is a long list of people who acted on something not yet visible — built an ark, left a country, kept walking. Faith in Hebrews 11 is consistently demonstrated by what someone did next.
How much faith is enough
Matthew 17:20 answers this with a mustard seed, which is a deliberately tiny image. The point is that the quantity is not the operative factor. Mark 9:24 is the most human verse on the subject: Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. The father says both things in one breath and the request is granted anyway. Anyone who has held faith and doubt simultaneously is in good scriptural company.
Faith and works
Ephesians 2:8-9 and James 2:17 are sometimes set against each other, and they are answering different questions. Paul is addressing how a person is put right with God — by grace through faith, not of works, lest any man should boast. James is addressing how you can tell that faith is real — faith without works is dead. One is about the basis, the other about the evidence. Romans 10:17 adds where it comes from in the first place: faith cometh by hearing.
Scripture quoted from the King James Version, which is in the public domain. Esther reads the ESV, NIV and NLT in the app.