There are two biblical components to a true conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ; repentance and faith. Today, we examine the biblical doctrine of faith.
What is faith? It is a commitment to, a dependence upon, a trust in and an honoring of an object. In effect, every individual who has lived, is living, and will live has been, is and will be an individual of faith. The all-important question is “faith in what or who?”
What Faith is Not. Faith is not…
- Faith is not a blind leap into the dark.
- Faith is not supposition.
- Faith is not speculation.
- Faith is not opinion or hypothesis.
- Faith is not believing in something when common sense tells you not to.
- Faith is not speculation.
- Faith is not supposition.
What is the relationship between repentance and faith? Repentance is a turning from sin. Faith is a turning to Christ (Acts 20:21).
How is faith produced? Faith is produced by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:1-5) and consequently understanding the Word of God (Romans 10:13-17; Galatians 3:1-5).
Why is Faith Necessary? Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). Sinners are saved by grace, through faith alone, in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone (Rom. 3:21-26; Acts 16:31; Gal. 3:10-15; Eph. 2:1-9). The converted are sanctified by faith. We live by faith (Rom. 1:19). We stand by faith (2 Cor. 1:24). We walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). We battle by faith (I Tim. 6:12). We overcome by faith (I John 5:4).
“Consistently the Scriptures teach that faith is not conjured up by the human will but is a sovereignly granted gift of God (John 6:44-65; Acts 3:16; Philippians 1:29; 2 Peter 1:1). “As a divine gift, faith is neither transient or impotent. It has an abiding quality that guarantees it will endure to the end,” states Dr. John MacArthur.
“Although we have been considering initial faith and repentance as the two aspects of conversion at the beginning of the Christian life, it is important to realize that faith and repentance are not confined to the beginning of the Christian life,” explains Dr. Wayne Grudem.
“Although it is true that initial saving faith and initial repentance occur only once in our lives, and when they occur the constitute true conversion, nonetheless the heart attitudes of repentance and faith only begin at conversion. These same attributes should continue throughout the course of our Christian lives. Each day we should have heartfelt repentance for sins we have committed and faith in Christ to provide for our needs and to empower us to live the Christian life.”
Soli deo Gloria!
His Word Today 