Faith is one the greatest gifts of God's grace, firstly, to His chosen individuals to and through whom He sovereignly discloses His truth and secrets, and eventually also, to mankind that will finally become beneficiaries of His grace in Christ in the 0n-coming eons (or ages).
Literally, faith means belief. It is "belief of the truth" (2 Thes.2:13, KJV), and not just belief of any words or teachings propounded by human reasonings or opinions. The apostle Paul's warning is apt: "Beware that no one shall be despoiling you through philosophy and empty seduction, in accord with human tradition, in accord with the elements of the world, and not in accord with Christ, for in Him the entire complement of the Deity is dwelling bodily." (Col.2:8-9)
Not every thing that glitters is gold. Likewise, not any so-called "knowledge" (or "science") is what it professes to be. There is such a thing as "falsely named 'knowledge'" (1 Tim.6:20, CV) or "science falsely so called" (KJV). That is, certain views, theories, ideas, doctrines and dogmas are nothing but lies even though they are tagged as philosophical or scientific "knowledge".
The external tagging doesn't change the fact that they are just lies flaunting their own foolishness to deceive the unwary.
"Consequently, faith is out of tidings, yet the tidings through a declaration of Christ." (Rom.10:17)
Faith is Out of Tidings
The "tidings" mentioned by Paul in Romans 10:17 refer to the message that is heard whenever the good news (evangel) about Jesus Christ and His work at Calvary is being declared. This declaration can take the medium of either oral preaching or writing. The important thing is the communication of the message of the good news to people. And as it particularly pertains to the present age, the evangel (or good news) of God's grace, focused on Christ and His death for our sins, entombment, and rousing on the the third day, is the evangel for today which is God's power for salvation to everyone who is believing.
Faith is out of such giving forth of the good news. The tidings becomes the root cause of faith. God appoints and uses such occasions for the imparting of faith at the right moment when His good news is being proclaimed to people. "To believe on Him" is given (graciously granted, Phil.1:29, CV) by God to "whoever were set for life eonian" (Acts 13:48).
Note that it was on "hearing" the message that Paul proclaimed (cf. Acts 13:48) that the believing took place and not before. The case of Lydia is also similar. It was while hearing Paul proclaimed the good news that "[Lydia's] heart the Lord opens up to heed what is spoken by Paul." (Acts 16:14) Lydia was able to heed Paul's message, because the Lord had opened up her heart.
The Tidings Through a Declaration of Christ
The tidings, for it to be really useful for God's purpose, must be "through a declaration of Christ." This speaks of the content of the message to be preached. It must be a declaration about Christ. The term "of Christ" in the Greek of Romans 10:17 is an Objective Genetive (hence about Christ) and not Subjective Genetive (by Christ).
Hence Contemporary Engligh Version renders Romans 10:17: "No one can have faith without hearing the message about Christ." (italics ours) And New Century Version reads: "So faith comes from hearing the Good News, and people hear the Good News when someone tells them about Christ."
So real gospel preaching that could be instrumental, under God's spirit, for salvation is NOT declaring a message about a sect, a church, a set of religious rules, a traditional creed, or anything like that under the sun.
"Faith is out of tidings, yet the tidings through a declaration of Christ." Nothing more, nothing less. That tidings alone ABOUT CHRIST is the true evangel. (Rom.10:15-16)
CHRIST HIMSELF and His work at the cross of Calvary is the true good news. Any other so-called good news - about a church, a creed, a sect, a philosophy, a religious organization, etc. - is counterfeit gospel.
The apostle Paul warns: "But if ever we also, or a messenger out of heaven, should be bringing an evangel to you beside that which we bring to you, let him be anathema! As we have declared before and at present I am saying again, if anyone is bringing you an evangel beside that which you accepted, let him be anathema!" (Gal.1:8-9, CLNT)
The ABC of Faith
Basic to any saving faith is the belief that GOD IS. This is how Hebrews 11:6 puts it: "Now apart from faith it is impossible to be well pleasing, for he who is coming to God must believe that He is, and is becoming a Rewarder of those who are seeking Him out."
Psalm 14:1 tells us: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." Those who don't believe that GOD IS are fools, according to the word of God. They are blind.
A man born blind that doesn't understand what light is, and doesn't believe that light is (light exists), cannot be convinced of the reality of light, unless he be given the gift of sight. It is only then he will come to know and experience what light is.
Faith is spiritual sight! "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal [lit. eonian] weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal [lit. temporary]; but the things which are not seen are eternal [lit. eonian]...For we walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Cor.4:17-18; 5:7)
God must first impart spiritual life and light, before anyone is able to see beyond the range of the physical and temporary, and perceive spiritual realities through faith in God's word.
Such a gift of faith is nothing less than life from the dead. It vivifies the spirit to perceive the truth about the past, when Elohim (God) created the heavens and the earth and the entire universe. (cf. Genesis chapter 1)
We only come to know our Creator, the supreme God, by His grace and gift of faith.
Faith as Sight and Foresight
Faith in God's word enables one to see beyond the surface of things, peoples, and events. It makes one able to see God as supreme over all - "the One Who is operating all in accord with the counsel of His will, that we should be for the laud of His glory". (Eph.1:11)
And it is only through the foresight that faith on God's word provides that anyone is able to pierce through the darkness of space and time, and look through the eons (or ages), from ages past to the on-coming future ages. God's word enables faith to see God's kingdom to be established triumphantly by God's Anointed, Jesus (Jehovah-Saviour) for a thousand years, with His restored people Israel reigning over the nations.
Faith, as carried on the omnipotent wings of God's word, is even able to see the glory of God in the new heaven and the new earth as the culmination of Christ's preparatory, millenial reign. God, through His word, can reveal even the consummation when death, as the last enemy, will be finally abolished, and God becomes All in all.
Faith and a Pattern of Sound Words
Paul advised us to "have a pattern of sound words." Real faith rests alone on the very words of God. Not merely on inferential deduction or dogmatic interpretation of the bible.
There are numerous existing versions and translations of the Sacred Scriptures, which we call "Bibles." When Paul wrote the following words to Timothy: "All Scripture is inspired by God [lit. God-spirited or God-breathed]", the apostle was not referring to these bibles (in English, Chinese, or Russian) but to the Scriptures as they were originally given by God in Hebrew.
Note that in the context, Paul speaks of the sacred scriptures to which Timothy was acquainted from infancy (2 Tim.3:15). This of course doesn't refer to any English versions (or current translations) but to the Hebrew Scriptures that Timothy was taught from childhood, for both his mother (Eunice) and grandmother (Lois) were Jewish believers.
Most of our Bible versions or translations are useful, in one way or another, to a certain extent. But to really understand what God reveals in all its fullness and purity, we must go back to the original source of God's written revelation as He has given them in the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures.
A method of translation that recognizes and respects the microscopic perfection of God's word and words must be adapted consistently in faith. It is not enough to glibly pay lip service to the doctrine of a plenary, verbally inspired Scriptures.
Action speaks louder than words. The majority of 'Bible believers' often make deafening noise about their stand on the doctrine of plenary, verbal inspiration of the Scriptures. What they noisily emphasize by word of mouth, on the one hand, they, by their action, deny woefully by their clinging blindly to their traditional bible version against the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures, when their traditional bible is shown to be inaccurate in rendering certain words, verses, and passages of the original Scriptures.
Hell, Forever and Ever
One such clear error of the traditional bibles is the mistranslation of the words aion and aionios of the Greek Scriptures [click here to see the article "The Eons of the Bible with Concordance" by Joseph E. Kirk for a more detailed examination of this fact].
Another mistranslation is the rendering of the three different Greek words hades, gehenna, and tartaroo by the one English word "hell" in the King James version and others. What darkness and confusion this careless handling of God's words brought to Christendom in particular, and what woeful misrepresentation of God's name and attributes it wrongfully conveyed to the unbelieving world in general.
Believe God
Yes, we must believe God Himself. Believing God means believing His very words as He had actually given them, and not just a mistranslation of them. God chose to give His words originally in Hebrew and Greek. It is not our choice but His. Literal translations of the Scriptures such as the Rotherham's Translation and the Emphatic Diaglott help us get closer to the actual meaning of God's word. The following quotation from a brother in the Lord (Andrew Maclarty) is to the point:
"Many people have been taught that God created a perfect universe, where His creatures could live in peace and harmony with Himself. Due to unforeseen circumstances, a creature appeared - from nowhere - and brought sin. To contain this situation, God had to make contingency plans, but they seem not to have worked.
An accurate translation of the Scripture will reveal that God Who planned the end, also planned the beginning, and purposed to reconcile all mankind unto Himself, through the finished work of Christ, Who 'will see of the travail of His soul and be satisfied' 'Having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him to reconcile all unto Himself.' God planned all before any of His purpose was put into operation. 'Out of Him, and through Him and unto Him is all.'
God shares His greatest secrets with His dearest ones, those who search and believe His word. They comprise the present church. The purpose of God is revealed in His word, but has been obscured by inconsistent translation. You can understand more of God's purpose by using the Concordant Version, the only version of the Scriptures to have a consistent vocabulary."
Brother Maclarty further adds, "Remember, The original scriptures, penned by the apostles, were already concordant. These writers did not say one thing and mean another."
Conclusion
True faith is a gift of God. But God always bestows this gift in conjunction with His words of truth. True faith cannot exist side by side with blind philosophical and traditional errors. Gullibility, bigotry, and fanaticism always go with superstitious beliefs and dogmaticism, which are often misconstrued as faith.
But the true faith that comes from God, though uncompromising, is always patient, humble and relies alone on God's grace. "Faithful is the saying and worthy of all welcome (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers." (1 Tim.4:9-11)
