Most of what has been termed "faith" is just make believe. The faith of which the Bible speaks is not of the same substance or authority as the make believe faith of which the world speaks. Worldly faith is a belief based on observation combined with speculation. It is a reasoned faith. Romans 10:17

faith is sin." target="_blank" href="http://www.seekfind.net/Romans_1423_Whatever_We_Do_Or_Think_That_Is_Not_Of_Faith_Is_Sin.html">Romans 14:23 tells us simply that anything that is not of faith is sin. Faith comes from God. (James 1:17) Faith comes by hearing an utterance from God. (Romans 10:17) It is possible to read the Bible and not hear the word of God. (2 Corinthians 3:14)

Spiritual faith is not the same as unsupported belief. You may believe something because you have seen the evidence of it in the natural world around you, but such a belief could not produce faith. The devils believe and tremble, but they do not have faith.

Faith is not required to believe in God. God is obvious. The Bible says that the devils believe in God and tremble. Devils do not have faith. The fool has said in his heart there is no God.

Real faith is a supernatural belief that comes from God. It is not human faith. Human pseudo-faith is fake--not real. Human pseudo-faith is a rationalized "faith." It is a self-generated faith. Real faith is the faith of God and it must come from God. It comes by hearing, that is hearing an utterance from God. God speaks. God speaks to every person either by a word, by a Christian, by the Bible, by nature, by a vision, by a dream, or by other means. He speaks to us to draw us to Jesus. When we receive His word, His leading, faith comes. When we reject His leading, no faith comes, we don't have faith. This is devastating because our only access to grace is through faith and grace is the only way to have righteousness, since it is grace alone that does good works in us. (some caveats about hearing God's Voice)

What the Christian has done is to go beyond belief to faith. All real faith comes from God. It is a gift. No one comes to Jesus unless the Father calls him or her. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Faith is a good and perfect gift. It is one of the three things that goes into the eternities.

Faith is a substance. Specifically, it is the substance of things hoped for. It comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the [lit. a] word of God. God speaks. How else could there be any hearing. God spoke to you through His creation and you had a Romans 1 conversion by hearing Him. To others, God speaks through a Christian friend or the Bible. I have even heard of a man in India, a Hindu, who was converted because God spoke to him directly. I'm just simple enough to believe that the almighty God can do about what he wants to do and can communicate to us in any way He chooses.