What is faith according to this distinction between believing in God and believing God?
Faith is believing God, not merely believing in God. Believing in God is common and does not take faith into consideration; believing God means taking Him at His Word and believing what He says. That is the faith the Gentiles lacked for thousands of years.
Les explains that there are two facets in this distinction. A person can believe in God, and just about everybody does, at least in America, but that does not take faith into consideration at all. The other facet is believing God, and that narrows it down. That becomes faith. Les teaches that faith is when we take God at His Word—when we take what He says and believe it. The Gentiles for thousands of years did not believe God; they may have believed in some God, but they did not believe God. This distinction makes a real difference.
For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
More Questions
Which kind of believing is actually faith?
Believing God is faith — believing in God does not take faith into consideration at all, but believing God, taking Him at His Word, is faith.