There is no question that the believer’s faith in Christ is essential for salvation. Christ Himself said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). The apostle Paul wrote, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law” (Romans 3:28).Clearly, then, faith is required for salvation. But what exactly is faith? Does it simply believe that Jesus exists and that He died for our sins? Is it agreeing with certain theological propositions about Him? Or is it something more?
The biblical definition of faith is given in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This definition has two parts. First, faith is the assurance or confident expectation of future good. Second, faith is the conviction or firm persuasion of present reality. In other words, faith looks to the future and believes that God will keep His promises; and it also looks to the present and sees things that are not yet visible to the natural eye. This twofold nature of faith is seen in the life of Abraham. In Genesis 15:6 we read, “And he [Abraham] believed in (trusted in, relied on, remained steadfast to) the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness (right standing with God).
Faith of the new believer in Christ
The new believer has so much to learn and take in. One of the most important things is understanding what we believe. As Christians, we have faith in God who created us and loves us. Our faith is based on His Word, the Bible. We believe that Jesus is God’s Son who came to earth to die for our sins. We believe that He rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of the Father. We have faith in the Holy Spirit who indwells us and gives us power to live for Christ.
The new believer needs to grow in their faith. They need to read the Bible and pray daily. They need to find a good church where they can worship God and learn more about Him. They need to fellowship with other believers and serve in some capacity in the church. As they grow in their faith, they will be able to overcome trials and difficulties because they know that God is with them.
Faith in Christ
One of the most important things we can do as Christians is to have faith in Christ. This means that we believe in Him and His teachings, and that we trust Him to lead us and guide us through our lives. When we have faith in Christ, it does not mean that everything will be perfect or that we will never face trials or difficulties. In fact, Jesus Himself faced many challenges and trials during His life on earth.
However, because He had faith in God, He was able to overcome them all. If we want to follow Jesus’ example, then we need to have faith in Him too. When we do, He will help us overcome whatever challenges and difficulties we may face in our own lives.
