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FAITH

Galatians 5:22: • But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (KJV)
 

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (NLT)

Faith in general is the persuasion of the mind that a certain statement is true (Phil. 1:27; 2 Thes. 2:13). It means to believe; to fully trust in; to have confidence; to have assurance; to have reliance; to have conviction.

Faith means both to believe and to be faithful to the belief.

Faith comes as the result of the teaching of the God’s Word. Its primary idea is to trust in the faithfulness of God’s Word. The Word of God is true, and therefore worthy of trust. When we hear the Word, we assent to it and establish it as the true will of God for our lives. (Romans 10:14-17). The Word brings knowledge into our lives - knowledge of the will and ways of God. Knowledge is an essential element in all faith, and is sometimes spoken of as being equivalent to faith (John 10:38; 1 John 2:3). This knowledge is embedded in the belief that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, as the redeemer, sacrificer, and now living savior of our lives.

Saving Faith

Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel (John 3:16).

The object of saving faith is the whole revealed Word of God. Faith accepts and believes the Word as being true. But the act of faith which unites us to Christ has as its object in the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ (John 7:38; Acts 16:31). This is the specific act of faith by which a sinner is justified before God (Romans 3:22, 25; Galatians 2:16; Phil. 3:9; John 3:16-36; Acts 10:43; Acts 16:31). In this act of faith the believer appropriates and rests on Christ alone as Mediator in all his offices.

Those who receive the testimony of the Word of God and yield to it become partakers of heavenly knowledge. Their knowledge comes by faith, yet nonetheless it is knowledge. These believers are persons who “know the things freely given to us by God.” Christ said to His disciples, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God” (Luke 8:10; see also John 8:31-32; 1 Cor. 1:5-6; 21-30; 1 Cor. 2:9-16; Eph. 1:17; 1 Tim. 2:4).

The Bible’s Definition of Faith

In Hebrews 11:1, we find that "Faith is the substance (or possibly, "the guaranty") of things hoped for, the evidence (or "convincing proof") of things not seen." That is, faith is simply reliance upon a God known to be trustworthy. Such reliance enabled the believer to treat the future as present and the invisible as seen. In this context faith is being certain and convinced about unseen hopes and realities. What God says becomes “substance”. We see His promises as realities and His Word as a living will.

This makes our belief in God’s Word as sure and certain. We believe in the character of God because we believe He is who He says He is. This causes us to believe in His promises; He will do what He says He will do. Thus we see true faith as believing that God will fulfill His promises, though they have not yet materialized.

Faith is a commitment of one’s life to the Word of God. Faith is not just a single act, though it often begins with a single act. Nor is it only a body of doctrine to which one gives assent, though what one believes can be described in statements of faith.

Faith is a process. We grow in faith and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This fact can be seen in scripture. The disciples ask for an increased faith (Luke 17:5). Faith continues to grow (1 Cor. 3:1-6; 2 Cor. 10:15). Luke describes Jesus’ childhood development as growing “in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).

Faith is Essential in Prayer

James. 1:5, 6. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed (KJV).

Should be United with Love

1 John 3:23. And this is His commandment, "That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment."

Justification By:

Habakkuk 2:4. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith

Romans 5:1. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Galatians 3:6. Even as Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Philippians 3:9. And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which if of God by faith.