FAITH

ONE DOES NOT STUDY the Bible very long before becoming conscious of the importance of faith. A sinner cannot be saved apart from faith (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Therefore it is important that we should find out what this word means.

I WHAT IS FAITH?

    Faith is personal confidence. We use the word in everyday conversation, as follows, “I have complete faith in my doctor”. We mean that we trust him with our case. So, in the Bible, faith is personal confidence in God. It means that we believe what He says, and trust Him to save us and to keep us.

II WHERE DOES FAITH COME FROM?

    As we look around us in the world, we realize that some men do not have faith in God, and thus they are not saved. This leads us to inquire as to the source of faith. In a very real sense, this faith is a gift of God (John 3:27). God gives men the power to believe on Him.

    But how does a man receive faith? The answer to this is found in Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”. Therefore, if a man does not have faith in God, he should read the Bible. As he reads, he should pray somewhat as follows: “God, if this Book is Thy Word, if Jesus Christ is Thy Son, and if He died for me, then show me these things as I read the Bible”. God has promised that any man who wishes to do His will will come to a knowledge of the truth (John 7:17).

III WHAT IS THE TRUE OBJECT OF FAITH?

    Faith must have an object. This object may either be a person, such as a relative, or a friend, or it may be an inanimate thing, such as an airplane or an elevator.

    It is not enough to have faith. Faith must be placed in a trustworthy object. A man may have faith in his automobile to take him to a certain place, but if the automobile is badly in need of repairs, he will soon find that his faith has been misplaced.

The Bible sets forth the Lord Jesus Christ as the true object of faith (Acts 20:21). The important thing is not how much faith a man has, or what kind of faith he has, but whether his faith is in Christ. If it is, then the man is saved.

A man may believe all that the Bible says about Christ and yet not have faith in Him. You may believe that a certain train will leave the railroad station at 11 A.M. and that it will arrive at a distant city at 5 P.M. You may believe all the facts about the train; yet you do not really believe in the train to take you to your destination.

So you may believe that Christ was born in Bethlehem, that He died on Calvary, that He rose again and ascended into heaven. But you have not really put your faith in Him until you trust Him to save you from your sins and take you to heaven.

IV EXAMPLES OF FAITH

    The Scriptures are filled with examples of faith. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews has been called the “Honor Roll of Faith” because it lists some outstanding men and women who had faith.

    Two other instances might be cited. The first is the faith of the centurion in Matthew 8:5-10. The centurion believed that Christ could heal his servant by merely saying the word.

    The other is the faith of the woman of Canaan, Matthew 15:22-28. She pleaded that the bread reserved for the chosen Jews should be given to her, a Gentile. Her faith was humble and persistent.

V THE REWARD OF FAITH

    True faith never goes unrewarded. No one has ever trusted God in vain. Every seeking sinner who has repented of his sins and who has put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ has been saved.

    The Savior said, “Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out” John 6:37.

What Christians Believe
Chapter 10: Faith
Copyright, 1949, 1951, by Emmaus Bible School
Chicago, Illinois