All three of these words, faith, belief and trust, could be considered synonymous. Most dictionaries have definitions that are the same or nearly so for all three. The Bible uses identical words for all three concepts. Many Bible texts are translated using one word or another, seemingly indiscriminately or randomly. However, it is my purpose in this study to show that they are not the same; that they are all different. This may initially sound like semantic nit picking, but I believe you will eventually agree with the important distinctions.

There are so many cases where these three words could be and are used interchangeably, but if we apply these words to the most important spiritual issues we will see that they are not the same.

What are these spiritual issues?

For this study, we are especially discussing faith, belief, trust in our heavenly Father's love, salvation, righteousness and creation (ownership) of us and His handling and victory in the great controversy between good and evil.

Accepting this stipulation, these three words definitely are not the same or equal. Let's deal with the easiest, first.


BELIEF

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. James 2:19

The devils believe (they know!), but they have no faith or trust in our Father. So it is instinctively very clear that belief is not the same as faith and trust. The devils' belief will not admit them to Heaven. But faith will admit us. Belief is NOT the same as faith.

Even though belief is part of trust and faith, it is only a small part. Belief is mental. Head without heart.


FAITH

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Faith is based on heart and relationship - something hoped for, desired, but not yet seen. The proof is absent.

Faith is how we, the faithful, represented by the barley harvest, go to heaven (see Salvation by Faith). In contrast, the people of the wheat harvest believe, but do not go to heaven (see Barley or Wheat and Tares). The wise virgins represent the faith of those taken to heaven in the barley harvest.

The foolish virgins represent the wheat harvest, those who believe. They knew the bridegroom and were invited to the wedding feast. They even waited and watched for the groom's coming, but they lacked the faith that saves. Their belief got them invited to the feast, but their lack of faith left them outside the feast; outside heaven.

People of the grape harvest aren't part of this discussion. They have no belief, faith or trust, but will also eventually be harvested.


TRUST

Finally, all faith will become extinct and will be replaced by trust. Unbelief will be replaced by belief. Belief will eventually be replaced by trust. What does this mean?

Faith and trust imply and require a relationship; love, honor, fealty, desire. These are all lacking in simple belief which is only mental knowledge.

The sole difference between faith and trust is the "unseen" component of evidence or proof.

Once all is revealed, there is nothing more unseen. If nothing remains unseen (because all has been revealed) there can be no more faith. Faith requires unseen evidence and there is none. Faith will become obsolete, non-existent. Trust is what remains.

Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. Matthew 10:26

For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Luke 12:2

These promises can only be referring to the time around and after the great white throne judgment and the lake of fire when all is revealed.

This is why, before all is revealed, we (the barley) are judged by our faith (at or before the 2nd coming) Ephesians 2:8-9. But after all has been revealed, there is no more faith (nothing unseen) so the great white throne judgment will be based on works or deeds (wheat and grape harvests after the 1000 years) Revelation 20:13.

We should BELIEVE in Yahweh, but more important than that, we should have FAITH in Him, but more important still, we should TRUST our heavenly Father. Faith is the minimum, sufficient to reach heaven, but faith implies that we haven't yet seen the proof. TRUST this side of heaven means that we have seen the proof, at least in our own life, and have moved beyond faith. Then we BELIEVE and TRUST.