Defining Biblical Faith!
Have you ever wondered what faith actually is? We hear this word tossed around in Christian conversation often. I remember knowing it was incredibly important before I became a believer. But if I had to explain it, I wouldn't have known where to start.
In this post, we will go back to the basics and break down what biblical faith is.
The Three Parts Of Faith
A book was given to me when I sought to understand how to become a believer, and it was by a man named Charles Spurgeon. As I was reading it, I came on a passage where he broke down faith in a way that I had never heard before. It really helped me understand where I was getting lost.
Now, anytime I think of faith, I think of the three sections he broke down in the book. As you know, we come into Christianity through faith, but we also continue to walk out Christianity through faith. So when I get stuck in my walk, I go back to the basics.
Part One, Knowledge
To have faith, we have to possess knowledge. We simply can't have confidence in something we have never heard before. We need facts. Scripture tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. If we want biblical faith, we must understand what the Bible says about the gospel.
When it comes to salvation, the Bible says that we become believers by grace through faith! We must know the details before we can ever think about having true faith in Christ. So if you are struggling and don't actually understand the facts, go to Scripture.
Part Two, Belief
The second part of faith is belief. It is not enough to know information about something and call it faith. Satan and all of the fallen angels know the whole Bible. In Scripture, we see that the enemy tempted Jesus in the wilderness with the very Word of God, but Satan does not have saving faith.
Belief is accepting the information that you have heard as truth. An analogy that really helps me grasp faith is a chair. We've talked about knowledge, and that would be you gathering information about the chair. It doesn't necessarily mean you believe the information. It just means that you know the information. But belief is taking what you heard as actual truth.
This is also true with the gospel. Having faith in the gospel is accepting all you've read from Scripture to be true. It's believing we were born in sin and need a savior. It's believing Christ is God and came in the flesh to die on the cross, taking our sins upon himself so that we can be forgiven and made righteous.
It's believing Jesus really did get up and walk out of the grave, conquering death, giving us hope of a future resurrection. It's believing that He is now seated at the right hand of the Father, praying for us. It's believing if we repent of our sins and believe in Christ, we will be saved. Faith involves believing all of the above is true and not just a fairytale.
Part Three, Trust
The last piece of faith is trust. It is not enough to know the facts and believe, but we have to have confidence and hope in what we know. This is where we get hung up. Often we think that if we know and believe certain truths about the gospel, we are good. But, Christ asks us to hope in Him, to sit in His truth. To rest in His work.
Going back to the picture of the chair. It is not enough to know facts about how reliable the chair is to hold you. It is not enough to actually say you believe the facts about how the chair can hold you. It is not until you sit in the chair that you have exercised faith in the chair's capabilities. It is not until we surrender and rest in the work of Christ that we have exercised biblical faith.
Stuck On Trust
When I was seeking Christ for salvation, I was stuck on trust. I couldn't understand how I could know so much about the gospel and actually believe it was true but still not be saved. It was because I wasn't trusting God.
I wanted to say that I had faith in the chair, but I was unwilling to sit in it. It wasn't until the Lord did work in my heart that I could let go of my own striving to hope in Christ. When I did, I received so much rest for my soul, and the heavy burden on me was lifted off, leaving me with joy.
I don't know where you are right now. I don't know if you have knowledge, belief, and trust. Whatever you do have and whatever you lack, Christ is enough, and He is willing to help.
I would encourage you to get the facts through Scripture, ask the Lord to help you believe that it's true, and ask Him to help you to have confidence and hope in the things you say you believe. We have a promise. If we seek the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)
I would love to know your thoughts and questions. Direct message me here on Instagram to have a conversation!