Faith is Volitional: It Involves the Will

In Hebrews 11:6, the author of the Book of Hebrews says that without faith it is impossible to please God. We know that pleasing God is the purpose of mankind (Rev 4:11), which is to conform to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom 8:29). If faith is what it takes to please God, one should know very well that faith is more than just intellectual, something that is more like acceptance or assent to facts.

God is not pleased by someone just acceding to what He says as if he registers that he only heard what God said. Faith requires intellect, emotion, and will. It requires the proper knowledge, the proper feeling, and the proper response. For instance, it might register that you sinned against God. Faith knows this. It then sorrows over the sin. And last, it determines it will stop sinning, which affects a pursuit of not sinning, which is an ambition toward obedience to God.

True faith changes you, because you stop doing what you shouldn’t believe and you start doing what you do believe. Faith should give the proper assessment of what God says, but once he knows what God says, this affects him above a level of indifference. He doesn’t believe if he continues indifferent.

Volition relates to the will. I contend and believe I could show scripturally that the will is the biggest issue for faith. Many people know about Christ, but they don’t turn to Him and will and do not follow Him. That is not faith in Christ. It is short of that, because it does not involve the will. It is not believing in Him. Someone who believes in Jesus will follow Him, which means his will is involved.