Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase,
just take the first step. - Martin Luther King Jr.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [Hebrews 11:1]

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made... [Romans 1:20]

Faith is not contrary to reason. -Sherwood Eddy

Faith is like radar that sees through the fog. -Corrie Ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord

Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there. -Author Unknown

Faith is spiritualized imagination. -Henry Ward Beecher

Faith is a passionate intuition. -William Wordsworth

Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive. -David S. Muzzey

Faith is putting all your eggs in God's basket, then counting your blessings before they hatch. -Ramona C. Carroll

Faith and doubt both are needed - not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve. -Lillian Smith

In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don't. -Blaise Pascal

Faith enables persons to be persons because it lets God be God. -Carter Lindberg

Weave in faith and God will find the thread. -Author Unknown

Faith isn?t faith until it?s all you?re holding on to. -Unknown

Where we posses intuition, argument is superfluous. -Archibald Alexander (1772-1851)

I long to understand in some degree thy truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. -Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109)

Trust the past to God?s mercy, the present to God?s love, and the future to God?s providence. -Augustine (354-430)

Faith is not an abstract belief in the Word of God, nor a mere mental credence, nor a simple assent of the understanding and will; nor is it a passive acceptance of facts, however sacred or thorough. Faith is an operation of God, a divine illumination, a holy energy implanted by the Word of God and the Spirit in the human soul ? a spiritual, divine principle which takes of the supernatural and makes it a thing apprehendable by the faculties of time and sense.  Faith deals with God, and is conscious of God. It deals with the Lord Jesus Christ and sees in him a savior; it deals with God?s Word, and lays hold of his truth; it deals with the Spirit of God, and is energized and inspired by its holy fire. God is the great objective of faith; for faith rests its whole weigh on his Word. Faith is not an aimless act of the soul, but a looking to God and a resting upon his promises. Just as love and hope have always an objective so, also, has faith. Faith is not just believing anything; it is believing God, resting in him, trusting his Word. -E.M. Bounds (1835-1913)

Trust is altogether too splendidly simple for verbal definition; too hearty and spontaneous for theological terminology. The very simplicity of trust is that which staggers many people. -E.M. Bounds (1835-1913)

Faith is no more than the response to and appropriation of the grace of God. -Jerry Bridges (20th century)

A good conscience will look through the blackest clouds, and see a smiling God. -Thomas Brooks (1608-81)

Alas! faith is sometimes in a calm, sometimes up, and sometimes down, and sometimes at it with sin, death, and the devil; as we say, in blood up to the ears. Faith now has but little time to speak peace to the conscience; it is now struggling for life, it is now fighting with angels, with infernals; all it can do now, is to cry, groan, sweat, fear, fight, and gasp for life. -John Bunyan (1628-88)

It becomes thee, when thou canst not perceive that God is within reach of thy arm, then to believe that thou art within the reach of his, for it is long, and none knows how long. -John Bunyan (1628-88)

O believer, though the arms of thy faith be small and weak, yet they embrace a great Christ. -John Flavel (1627-91)

That only is saving and justifying faith which is in all true believers, in none but true believers, and in all true believers at all times? There are three acts of faith, assent, acceptance, and assurance. The Papists generally give the essence of saving faith to the first, mere assent. There are some who give it to the last, assurance. But neither can be correct. Assent is not solely applicable to true believers or justified persons. Assurance applies to justified persons and them only, but not to all justified persons and at all times?  So that assent widens the hand of faith too much, and assurance on the other hand straitens it too much; but acceptance, which says, ?I take Christ in all his offices to mine,? fits it exactly, and belongs to all true believers, and to none but true believers, and to all true believers at all times. This therefore must be the justifying and saving act of faith. -John Flavel (1627-91)

Make no mistake. Faith is never more dangerous than when it senses danger. In fighting for his life, the conscience, the will, the mind and the emotions of an individual can be fanned into a blaze of pent-up conviction. Christianity grew strong this way in the first place, and periods of revival have always had this personal element at their heart. So for religion to be personal is for religion to be powerful, but if only if it does not stop there. -Os Guinness (20th century)

Faith is the good spy, that makes discovery of the excellences in Christ, and then makes report of all to the soul it sees in him and knows of him. -William Gurnall (1616-79)

Justifying faith is not to believe that I am elected, or to believe that God loveth me, or that Christ died for me, or the like: these things are indeed very difficult, and almost impossible to be attained at the first by those who are serious; whilst natural atheists and deluded hypocrites find no difficulty in asserting all those things. -William Guthrie (1620-69)

the heart?s satisfaction with God?s plan of salvation by Christ. -William Guthrie (1620-69)

Biblical faith is always a response to revelation. It is therefore not a leap in the dark but a step into the light. -Peter Lewis (20th century)

Faith has this quality and this distinguishing feature: that though it is starved and beaten and mistreated, though it is put away in a drawer, packed up in the attic and dragged through situations which are utterly inimical to it, yet in the goodness and mercy of God it can survive and surface and finally assert itself. -Peter Lewis (20th c)

Faith then is believing God, recognizing and receiving His revelation of Himself and His truth, and committing ourselves to Him for this life and the next, for time and eternity. -Peter Lewis (20th century)

Faith is a refusal to panic. -Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)

We must learn this vital importance of walking with God day by day, of relying upon Him day by day, and applying to Him for the particular needs of each day. The fatal temptation to which we are all prone is that of trying to store grace against the future. That means lack of faith in God. -Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981)

Man?s reason is either brutifed and debased by sense, or refined, sublimated, and raised by faith. -Thomas Manton (1620-77)

Faith is an outward look and not an inward view. It is not important to examine the nature of faith, but it is all important to study the object of faith. -D.L. Moody (1837-99)

Faith is the ceasing from all nature?s efforts, and all other dependence; faith is confessed helplessness casting itself upon God?s promise and claiming its fulfillment; faith is the putting ourselves quietly into God?s hands for Him to do His work. -Andrew Murray (1828-1917)

Faith is the eye through which the light of God?s presence and the vigor of His power stream into the soul. -Andrew Murray (1828-1917)

Faith is very far from being a mere conviction of the truth of God?s Word or a conclusion drawn from certain premises. It is the ear that has heard God say what He will do and the eye that has seen Him doing it. -Andrew Murray (1828-1917)

Only by using faith are we kept from practically losing it. -A.T. Pierson (1837-1911)

Faith must be personal, but is practice should not be private. -Stuart Piggin and John Roxborough (20th century)

Faith gives a subsistence and reality in the soul of that object on which it is acted. -Arthur Pink (1886-1952)

It is the voluntary surrender of ourselves to the Lord Jesus, not only by a consent of dependence upon His merits, but also a willing readiness to obey Him, giving up the keys of our hearts and laying them at His feet. -Arthur Pink (1886-1952)

Saving faith consists of the complete surrender of my whole being to the claims of God upon me. -Arthur Pink (1886-1952)

Saving faith is not only the heart being weaned from every other object of confidence as the ground of my acceptance before God, but it is also the heart being weaned from every other object that competes with Him for my affections. -Arthur Pink (1886-1952)

Belief is not merely an agreement with facts in the head; it is also an appetite for God in the heart, which fastens on Jesus for satisfaction ... Therefore eternal life is not given to people who merely think that Jesus is the Son of God. It is given to people who drink from Jesus as the Son of God. -John Piper (b. 1947)

Faith is that act of our soul that turns away from our own insufficiency to the free and all-sufficient resources of God. -John Piper (b. 1947)

Faith is that act of the soul that connects with grace, and receives it, and channels it as the power of obedience, and guards it from being nullified through human boasting. -John Piper (b. 1947)

Faith is the experience of contentment in Jesus. -John Piper (b. 1947)

If "works" wants the satisfaction of feeling itself overcome an obstacle, "faith" savors the satisfaction of feeling God overcome an obstacle ... Faith loves to experience all that God can do, not all that self can do. -John Piper (b. 1947)

If the gospel demands a response from sinners, then the demand itself must be good news instead of an added burden, otherwise the gospel would not be gospel. -John Piper (b. 1947)

If we do not taste the beauty of Christ in his promises as delightful, or as satisfying, we do not yet believe in a saving, transforming way. -John Piper (b. 1947)

Part of saving faith is the assurance that you will have faith tomorrow. Trusting Christ today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow?s trust when tomorrow comes.
-John Piper (b. 1947)

Saving faith is the confidence that if you sell all you have, and forsake all sinful pleasures, the hidden treasure of holy joy will satisfy your deepest desires. -John Piper (b. 1947)

The essence of faith is being satisfied for all that God is for us in Christ. -John Piper (b. 1947)

The world is desperate for a faith that combines two things: awe-struck apprehension of unshakable divine Truth, and utterly practical, round-the-clock power to make a liberating difference in life. That is what I want too. Which is why I am a Christian. -John Piper (b. 1947)

I have served in the ministry thirty years, almost thirty-one. I have come to understand that there are two kinds of faith. One says if and the other says though. One says, ?If everything goes well, if my life is prosperous, if I?m happy, if no one I love dies, if I?m successful, then I will believe in God and say my prayers and go to the church and give what I can afford.? The other says though: though the cause of evil prosper, though I must drink my cup at Calvary ? nevertheless, precisely then, I will trust the Lord who made me. So Job cries: Though he slay me, yet will I trust Him. -George Everett Ross (20th century)

I see faith?s necessity in a fair day is never known aright; but now I miss nothing so much as faith. Hunger in me runneth to fair and sweet promises; but when I come, I am like a hungry man that wanteth teeth, or a weak stomach having a sharp appetite that is filled with the very sight of meat, or like one stupified with cold under the water, that would fain come to land but cannot grip anything casten to him. I can let Christ grip me, but I cannot grip him. I love to be kissed, and to sit on Christ?s knee; but I cannot set my feet to the ground, for afflictions bring the cramp upon my faith. All that I can do is to hold out a lame faith to Christ like a beggar holding out a stump, instead of an arm or leg, and cry, ?Lord Jesus, work a miracle!? O what would I give to have hands and arms to grip strongly and fold handsomely about Christ?s neck, and to have my claim made good with real possession! I think that my love to Christ hath feet in abundance, and runneth swiftly to be at him, but it wanteth hands and fingers to apprehend him. I think that I would give Christ every morning my blessing, to have as much faith as I have love and hunger; at least I miss faith more than love or hunger. -Samuel Rutherford (1600-61)

Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully as when it lays its head on the pillow of God?s omnipotence. -J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

True faith does not depend merely on the state of man?s head and understanding, but on the state of his heart. His mind may be convinced. His conscience may be pricked. But so long as there is anything the man is secretly loving more than God, there will be no true faith. The man himself may be puzzled and wonder why he does not believe. He does not see that he is like a child sitting on the lid of his box and wishing to open it, but not considering that his own weight keeps it shut. -J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

True saving Christianity is not the mere believing a certain set of opinions, and holding a certain set of notions. Its essence is knowing, trusting and loving a certain living Person who died for us, even Christ the Lord. -J.C. Ryle (1816-1900)

Childlike confidence in the word of God is the highest form of common-sense. -Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-92)

Faith is appointed as the porter to open the gate of salvation, because that gate turns upon the hinges of free grace. -Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-92)

Faith is simply the hand that takes. When the beggar receives alms, he does not bless the hand that takes, but the hand that gives; therefore do we not praise the faith that receiveth, but the God who giveth the unspeakable gift. -Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-92)

Oh, it is easy to trust when you can trust yourself; but when you cannot trust yourself, when you are dead beat, when your spirit sinks below zero in the chill of utter despair, then is the time to trust in God. -Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-92)

It is never on account of its formal nature as a psychic act that faith is conceived in Scripture to be saving... It is not, strictly speaking, even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides exclusively, not in the act of faith or the attitude of faith or nature of faith, but in the object of faith. -B.B. Warfield (1851-1921)

Faith is the open hand by which we take what God is offering us in his grace. -David Watson (20th century)

Faith as a star sometimes shines brightest in the dark night of desertion. -Thomas Watson (1620-86)

Justifying faith does that in a spiritual sense which miraculous faith does, it removes mountains, the mountains of pride, lust, envy. -Thomas Watson (1620-86)

Justifying faith does that in a spiritual sense which miraculous faith does; it removes the mountains of sin, and casts them into the sea of Christ?s blood. -Thomas Watson (1620-86)

Other graces make us like Christ, faith makes us members of Christ. -Thomas Watson (1620-86)

True justifying faith consists in three things: Self-renunciation, Reliance, Appropriation -Thomas Watson (1620-86)

Where reason cannot wade, there faith may swim. -Thomas Watson (1620-86)

Faith, to be robust, must have worthy thoughts of God. -Tom Wells (20th century)

Faith is the spiritual spy of the soul. -Octavius Winslow (1808-78)

A Scottish preacher in the last century lost his wife suddenly, and after her death he preached an unusually personal sermon. He admitted in the message that he did not understand this life of ours. But still less could he understand how people facing loss could abandon faith. ?Abandon it for what!? he said. ?You people in the sunshine may believe the faith, but we in the shadow must believe it. We have nothing else.-Philip Yancey (20th century)

The Bible contains 365 commands to ?fear not? ? the most reiterated command in the Bible ? as if to remind us daily that we will face difficulties that might naturally provoke fear. -Philip Yancey (20th century)

We need faith most at the precise moment when it seems impossible. -Philip Yancey (20th century)

A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul. -Author Unknown

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. -Martin Luther King Jr.

Faith makes the discords of the present the harmonies of the future. -Robert Collyer

Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death. -Author Unknown