Jesus Is The Source Of Our Faith
esus is the source of our faith because Jesus is the son of God. Jesus gives the living water by which we can be saved through grace. That grace and mercy are given to us by God. Faith is from God . God gave His one and only Son to atone for our sins. What a precious gift! We dont deserve this most extravagant gift. Yet, God loves us so much that He made the decision to give His Son so that we may live .
Jesus was born in humble surroundings, lived a life of servanthood, preached to thousands, healed the sick, followed the will of His Father, and gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.
The wounds and agony Jesus suffered on the cross help us remember the dedication and love of Father and Son. The grief of his mother Mary, and the followers of Jesus, are shared in Scripture.
Hearing or reading the word of God can bring us closer to Him. Through sharing fellowship, good times, and difficult times, we can call to Jesus and have faith He is with us.
Jesus intercedes for us when we pray to God.
At the end of prayers, the words, In the name of Jesus may be spoken, written, or thought. With those words, we are asking Jesus to intercede on our behalf.
The Implications Of Faith: Interlude
The author now pauses in his person-by-person account of the faithful to tease out certain implications he wishes his hearers to recognize. The interlude is both didactic and rhetorical .
The all these of 11:13 almost certainly refers to Abraham and his family and does not include Abel, Enoch, and Noah, since the travel motif found in verses 1316 fits best the patriarch and his company. Enoch for sure cannot be included since the author has already noted that he did not see death , which means he was not among those living by faith when they died. Rather, the focus continues on Abraham, his wife, and his son Isaac.
That they did not receive the things promised they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance alludes to the content of Gods promises to Abraham in Genesis 12:23 15:5 17:18. The possession of the land, the multitude of descendants , and the blessing of the nations all would be fulfilled in a time after Abraham and his immediate family passed from the scene.
Yet to what does the author refer when he says, And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth? In the Old Testament narratives the patriarchs and their descendants refer to themselves as aliens and strangers in the land .
Both in Jewish theology during the New Testament era and in the New Testament itself, this concept developed to emphasize the disparaging of earthly desires and the longing for a heavenly home.¹³
We Cannot Serve God And Money
No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
I truly feel that God gave me a revelation about this verse of Scripture a few months ago. I was thinking about how when we were debt-ridden, jobless, and stressed about money, we were serving money.
Think about it: When you have debt, are living paycheck to paycheck, or dont know how youre going to pay next months electric bill, money becomes your idol.
When youre in debt, it consumes your life.
God does not want us to be careless with our money. On the contrary, He wants us to handle our money His way so that it doesnt have to consume so much of our time, energy, and thoughts.
Remember, value-aligned spending does not just apply to our finances, it applies to our lives holistically so its so much easier to serve God rather than money when we live below our means, pay tithe, and live debt-free because its one less thing we have to worry about in our already busy lives.
I talk about money for a living and yes, I have money goals, but over time, Ive developed habits and discipline that help me not have to think about money every single day, including debt freedom.
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Faith Bible Verses To Bring Light Into The Darkness
Were told that we will have troubles in this world. Its a guarantee. We live in a fallen world.
The great news, however, is that God promises us that we have already won the victory through our faith in Jesus Christ. We can be encouraged by the promises found in His word.
Faith is unseen but felt, faith is strength when we feel we have none, faith is hope when all seems lost. Catherine Pulsifer
John 16:33I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart I have overcome the world.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Psalm 120:1 In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me.
Jesus looked at them and said, With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.
Faith Is Our Foundation
Believing and accepting, by faith, what God has done for us changes our lives from the instant we believe. By faith we accept Gods love for us, and that lays the foundation for our identity as Christians.
1. Ephesians 2:8-10
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. For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
2. Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at Gods command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
3. Hebrews 10:22-23
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
4. Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of faithfulness I have set my heart on your laws.
5. 2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
World Vision Honduras staff during holy hour asking God for wisdom and health for his people before beginning his work in the distribution of food rations, agricultural kits and medical supplies for health centers.
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What Does The Bible Say About Faith
The Bible talks extensively about having faith in Gods love and sovereignty. When we do, while we arent promised that things will be easy, we can know that God is with us through thick and thin, that he cares for us. He provides us the victory in any and all circumstances.
A spiritual mentor of mine, Pastor Bill Berg, said the following in his book, Words of Hope for All Times.
Let us not tremble and lament over what the world is coming to. Let us rather rejoice in the first coming of Jesus to this world to redeem it, and in His second coming to rule in glory, with justice and righteousness and peace. And while we wait may we lose our fears in self-giving love and service for Christ and for others.
Having faith in what is to come, and losing our fears in self-giving love and service for Christ will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life.
Have your own Bible verses about faith that youve found encouraging? Tell us what they are in the comments!
Without Faith It’s Impossible To Please God
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.
This is a critical verse. But what does it mean? When we think of faith as a synonym for belief, we will interpret it to mean that having the right ideas and never doubting them is the key to pleasing God.
Jesus was clear that faithful followers would be recognized by their fruit . But without faith, we cannot bear fruit.
It takes faith to pray.
It takes faith to serve.
It takes faith to embrace a kingdom view of the world.
It takes faith to put others first.
It takes faith to make sacrifices.
Without faith it’s impossible to please God. Why? Because faith is necessary for us to live as children of God.
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Faith Does Not Abandon Reason
Faith is not illogical, blind acceptance. True biblical faith is not a flimsy hope. Instead, our faith is an assurance, a firm, solid confidence in the object of our faith. The author of Hebrews describes this aspect of faith in Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. God can stand up to any scrutiny and investigation. Scientific facts abound to undergird our faith in a Creator.
An abundance of historical information exists to support the biblical narrative. God has also confirmed all of His Word by miraculously demonstrating that we can trust His promises. For instance, the resurrection of Jesus assures us that Jesus will return to judge the world . Living a life of faith does not mean we will never have questions about God and His ways. But when we do have questions, we know we can trust the One who has all the answers.
Faith Vs Works Of The Law
A group of people known as Judaizers opposed Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. They told the Gentile converts to Christianity that they must observe all of the Jewish Law – circumcision, dietary restrictions, and all the many other rules and laws. But Paul said that was wrong salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not by observing the Jewish Law.
Galatia, a region of central Asia Minor , was one of the places the Judaizers were active. Paul wrote this to the Galatian Christians to correct the false teachings of the Judaizers:
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law.
Paul’s teaching has sometimes been interpreted as meaning that if we have faith, nothing else matters we don’t need to repent of sin or do the “good works”of obeying God’s commandments and helping other people. But that was not Paul’s interpretation at all. He said if the Spirit of Christ is truly within us, we will turn away from evil deeds:
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Bible Verses About Boldness In Sharing The Gospel
Acts 4:31
After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Christians in the early church experienced intense persecution and rejection because of their faith. We now experience persecution for our faith in different ways. God does not change, and as He protected Christians in those days, we can count on His protection today as we proclaim the Word of God.
Acts 18:26
He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.
Proclaiming the Word of God with boldness is one way to show people that we firmly believe what we are preaching because it is the truth. It also takes us closer to people of the same heart and mind, and as we grow closer to them, we all grow in our faith.
Acts 4:29
Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.
Proclaiming the Word of God is not an easy task. Unfortunately, we can experience threats, humiliation, and even violence in some cases. Acts 4:29 is a prayer to God spoken by His followers before proclaiming His Word.
Let this prayer connect us to the early fathers of the church and their faith despite the suffering, and let it be an inspiration to us to keep the faith and proclaim Gods Word.
Acts 14:3
Ephesians 6:19
1 Thessalonians 2:2
Key Bible Verses About Faith
Hebrews 11:6 – And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
– And Jesus answered them, Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
James 2:19 – You believe that God is one you do well. Even the demons believeand shudder!
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
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Exercising And Growing Your Faith To Maturity
From the different Bible verses about faith, we are made to know that faith which is a supernatural gift from God can be requested and properly handled in many ways. It is true that God has promised to give faith to anyone who ask, but this does not exclude the fact that we have a role to play. In addition to asking, knocking, and seeking, it is left for us to exercise and take to maturity the faith that God gives us. The scriptures say that God will give to anyone who ask but we must put ourselves in receptive modes in order to benefit from this promise. Upon consulting most of the Bible verses about faith, we found the following ways to put yourself in a receptive mode:
- Soak or saturate yourself with Gods word
- Live by the word of God in the morning, afternoon, and evening
- Until you know what is yours, you cannot claim it
- Until you act on Gods word, you will never see God in action
- Acting on the word means doing what the word says
- Recall how Peter acted on Jesuss words and caught uncountable fishes
- Peter also took Jesus Christ for his words and walked on water for as long as his heart was free from doubts
- Consciousness of Gods presence with a person eliminates fear and doubts
Importance of faith in the Christian Journey
A faithful life holds a lot of benefits as we can read from the best Bible verses about faith. Faith is very important for anyone who is serious about successfully running the Christian race. Below are some of these importance:
Our Favourite Scriptures On Faith
Wondering what the Bible says about faith? Meditate on these faith scriptures and let them change your perspective. Remind yourself that your faith is in God, our Heavenly Father who will never leave us or forsake us. Remember that we have been restored into relationship with God by faith and not by works.
Matthew 17:20 …Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.
John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Ephesians 3:16-17 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love
1 Peter 1:21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we live by faith, not by sight.”
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