I love the simplicity of Ephesians 2:8.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith.”
God saves us by His grace. And He also saves us through, or by means of, our faith in Him and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Only those who believe “in him” (Jesus) have eternal life instead of eternal death (see John 3:16).
This begs the question, “What is the meaning of faith in Christ?” Fortunately, God has answered this question in Scripture.
God’s Definition of Faith
Hebrews 11:1 provides what is arguably the best teaching on the meaning of faith in the Bible:
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (ESV, NASB)
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain about what we do not see.” (NIV 1978)
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV 2011)
By looking at four translations of Hebrews 11:1, we can enhance our understanding of faith, for here we find five synonyms: assurance, conviction, sureness, certainty, and confidence. To have faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord means that I am thoroughly persuaded that He is who He claimed to be and will do what He has guaranteed to do.
To believe in Jesus means that, like Abraham, we are “fully convinced that God was [and still is] able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21).
Aren’t you glad that Jesus commands us to “believe in the gospel” and then He goes to great lengths to explain what that means in His Word?
Two Illustrations of Faith
God also raises up godly and gifted Bible teachers to help us understand the meaning of biblical faith.
In his book All of Grace, Charles Spurgeon provides several “word pictures” that capture the meaning of faith. Here are two illustrations from the human body.
“Faith is the hand that grips. When our hand takes hold of anything for itself, it does the same thing that faith does when it takes hold of Christ and the blessings of his redemption. Faith says, “Jesus is mine.” Faith hears about the pardoning blood and cries, “I accept it to pardon me.” Oh friend, take that which grace has provided for you. You will not be a thief because you are the rightful heir and have been given divine permission to receive it. The one who is allowed to have a treasure simply by taking hold of it will be foolish indeed if they remain poor.”
“Faith is the mouth that feeds on Christ. Before food can nourish us, it must be received into us. Eating and drinking are simple matters. We willingly receive food into our mouth and then give consent for it to pass down into our stomach where it is absorbed into our body. Paul says, in his Letter to the Romans, that “The word is near you, in your mouth.” So then, all that needs to be done is to swallow it, to allow it to go down into the soul. Oh, that people had an appetite!”
God has prepared a Thanksgiving feast for our souls – a cornucopia of salvation blessings that await our reception and consumption, such as the forgiveness of sins and the infinite joy that accompanies it. By faith, we can come to the table and partake.
The invitation to believe has been extended to all:
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.”
Isaiah 55:1-3
The Divine Prescription for Greater Faith
God desires and expects our faith to grow. I certainly covet more faith. How about you?
What can we do to pursue and cultivate a stronger faith? Start with these two practices:
- Ask God to provide the gift of faith. According to Philippians 1:29, belief is “granted” to us; God gives it to us. Therefore, like the man in Mark 9, we should cry out, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). Pray this prayer every day with desperation and expectation. Acknowledge your need for greater faith and cling to the One who can meet that need.
- Spend much quality time in the Word. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Feed your mind with God’s truth about Himself. The more deeply you know your God, the more deeply you will believe Him, because “those who know your name put their trust in you” (Psalm 9:10).
May God answer our prayers, and by the power of the Spirit and the Word, may He supply the faith we need to satisfy our souls in Him and His Son.
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