4.  What is faith?

Faith is the submission of your intellect and your will to God.  Faith is our response to God’s revelation of Himself to us.  The two parts to faith are the fides qua and the fides quae. Fides qua is the personal adherence; the belief that you have; the fact that you cling to Him.  Fides quae is the assent to the whole Truth which God has revealed — it is the “stuff” of faith; the content of your faith; “what” you believe.  The Creed symbolizes the fides quae.

We cannot have fides qua without fides quae (or the other way around) and have a true faith.  You cannot believe without content, nor have content without belief, and truly have faith as it is understood.

Faith is when you are willing to submit for it.  You take everything that you are and give it to God.  Faith is the laying down of your life.

God initiates with revelation; we respond with faith.  (Of course, we always have choice to not respond with faith, to instead be indecisive or apathetic.  We can say no.  We have freedom of will.)

We need God’s grace in order to have faith.  Faith is a free act of our will.  Faith is necessary for salvation.