What is Faith?
We have recently received the following interesting e-mail:
“Dear Bernard and Rosy,
I hope this email finds you both safe and well.
I would like to ask you a question, ‘What is Faith?’ What do you have to believe (in) to be a true Christian? What is the defining factors that makes a Christian know that they are saved and their sins forgiven?
Wishing you all the best,”
This was my reply:
“What a great question. To answer it we cannot do better than go to what God teaches us in the gospel written by John. Here it is clear that saving faith is much more than acceptance of an idea or doctrines, it is entering into a relationship with a person, with God himself.”
John starts by saying what we need to understand.
“In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” John 1:1
This God, who entered his world as a man, made this world:
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3
This same Jesus can give us eternal life as well as the insight or light we need to know how to live:
“In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” John 1:4
We are, as you so well know, living in a sinful world but Jesus has come to show us the way to live:
"The light shines in the darkness . . .” John 1:5
The problem was that even the religious people in the fallen world could not see that their attempts to be religious could not satisfy a Holy God:
“ . . . but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:5
John the Baptist did not just come to remind people of their sin, of their deep-seated rebellion against God which reveals itself in the decisions we make, but that there is hope if we turn from this sin. However his primary purpose was to introduce people to Jesus, tha Saviour of the world:
“He came as a witness to testify concerning that light so that through him all men might believe.” John 1:7
That is what faith is - to recognise who Jesus is, that he is God himself, and that he entered his world to enable fallen people to be right with God by becoming the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. Faith is to return to our creator and ask him both for forgiveness and for the gift of his Spirit to enable us to live new lives that are set on living for Him. The apostle Peter wrote, at the end of his life,
“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds we have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” 1 Peter 2:24
Faith begins when we open our lives to the rule of Christ. When we receive him, he promises to forgive and forget our sin and to give us the gift of his Spirit. God’s requirement of us is that we receive Jesus as our Saviour and Lord.
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or of a husband’s will, but born of God.” John 1:12
Wow! I well remember the day when, as a student, heard this gospel with a new understanding and went back to my room, knelt down, and after wrestling in my mind the pros and cons of the challenge asked Jesus to accept me. Wonderful – a life changing event.
What assurance Jesus gives us.
“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17
What a wonderful promise Jesus has given to those who accept his forgiveness and Lordship:
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24
In Revelation chapter 3 we are told about a self-satisfied church that had lost its way. It was lukewarm in its relationship with Jesus, they did not have a real faith. God’s answer is clear, there is still hope:
“So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:19-20
People come up with a variety of reasons for not accepting God’s invitation, ‘I’ve lived too bad a life!’ ‘I’ve left it too late’, ‘I’m not the religious type’ etc. Remember that Jesus said to the thief, dying on the cross next to him, who at the last hour had put his faith in Jesus, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise.’ Jesus also addressed this concern in his ‘Parable of the Workers in the vineyard’ (Matthew 20:1-16) where those who are enrolled at the very end of the day receive the same reward as those who have been in the owners employ all the day. This is worth reading.
I hope this is helpful.
With our very best wishes,
Bernard and Rosy
