What is Faith in the Bible: 10 Verses to Read

Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Salvation is:

By God’s grace. Grace is unmerited favor from God.
Through faith. Faith is about trusting Jesus Christ and what He did for us.
We have nothing to do with it.
It is God’s gift to those who accept it.
Not by our works.

2. Faith is transformation.

1 Peter 1:8-9 NIV “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

“The transformation of a person’s individual nature and relationship with God as a result of repentance and faith in the atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross. All humanity stands in need of salvation, which is only possible through “faith” in Jesus Christ.” Dictionary of Bible Themes

Faith enables us to :

Love Jesus even though we have not seen Him.
Believe in Him.
Be filled with inexpressible joy.
Receive salvation

3. We live by faith.

Romans 1:17 NIV “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

Why are we drawn to prayer, reading the Bible, rejecting sin? By our faith, God is talking to us and teaching us His way. It would be difficult to do those things if we didn’t have faith in God.

God gives us the privilege of fellowship with Him because we have accepted His gift. Through this relationship with God, He blesses us and grows our faith.

4. Faith is confidence and assurance.

Hebrews 11:1 NIV “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

What do we hope for? As Christians, our hope is for fellowship with the Father both now and in eternity.

What do we not see? Eternity is not concrete, we can’t touch or see it. Because the bearer of our faith does not make mistakes, we can be assured that He will do what He promises.

5. Faith is the first step in prayer.

Mark 11:22-24 NIV “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.'”

“It’s interesting that this discourse on the prayer of faith grew out of Peter’s calling attention to the blighted fig tree. You see, the first step in prayer must be faith in God.” Thru The Bible Dr. Vernon McGee

Earlier Jesus has cursed the fig tree for it’s lack of fruit. He was talking about the Pharisees and their lack of faith. The next day as they were returning, they passed the fig tree which had withered and died. This represents the fruit of the Pharisees. Without faith, we cannot please God. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)

6. Faith is peace.

Romans 5:1 NIV “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are no longer held responsible for our sin. Therefore, we are justified. Because of this we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. What a blessing!!!

7. Faith is believing God’s promises

Romans 4:20-21 NIV “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

Paul is referring here to the faith of Abraham. He believed what God had promised him. That promise was Isaac, which he waited for until he was 100 years old. What does that say about his faith? He did not waver in believing God’s promise and he was strengthened in his faith, giving God the glory.

8. Faith is pleasing God

Hebrews 11:6 NIV “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Faith is believing God exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him. This faith pleases God. In our walk with God we want to do His will. Yes, we do still sin, but we want to confess and get back on His path. God loves our obedience which is an expression of our faith.

9. Faith justifies us.

Romans 3:27-28 NIV “Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

We are not justified by keeping the law or anything that we do on our own. It only comes through faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, His work on the cross.

10. Faith comes from hearing God’s Word.

Romans 10:17 ESV “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

In this verse, we see that our faith comes from hearing the Word of God.

John 3:16 NIV ““For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Conclusion

Faith in God is a rich experience that only comes through Jesus Christ. As Paul said,

Galations 2:20 NIV “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

These verses speak of what we gain by faith in Jesus Christ. There are many insights to unpack as we read and study them.

Have questions? Feel free to comment below.-Jackie

1. Faith is about salvation.