Title: What is Faith?
Content Faith is the total grace of the Holy Spirit
Lesson 1 What is Faith?
The word we hear and use the most in the church is 'faith'. All who live in this world cannot be saved without this faith, they cannot please God, nor can they overcome this world. As such, this faith is as precious as life to all who belong to the church.
If you look at the meaning of the word faith in the Bible, it is derived from the Greek word 'pistis', which means 'confidence', 'trust', 'oath', and 'guarantee'. And if you look at the meaning of the verb expressing faith, the word 'believe' has meanings 'to trust', 'to trust', 'to depend', 'to entrust'.
Combining the meanings of these words, faith means living with Jesus Christ as my Lord and my God and trusting and trusting my life completely in Him.
Therefore, we need to know what faith is. In the Bible, many people of faith are introduced. Their life is our mirror, and the Bible we read and learn is also the word of God transmitted through their lives.
Now we are going to learn what faith is and why we need it.
1. Who is the object of faith?
The object of faith must always be unchanging and eternal. Nothing that does not change or endure cannot be the object of faith, something we cannot trust and rely on. It is also impossible to believe in false and weak things.
1) The object of faith is God and His Son, Jesus Christ.
(John 14:1)
“Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.”
(Matthew 16:16)
“Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
(Hebrews 12:2)
“Let us look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
2. Where does faith come from?
Belief is not something that people have created on their own. It is not obtained through good deeds, nor is it obtained through self-study.
1) Faith is a gift from God.
(Ephesians 2:8)
"For by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."
2) It was given through the words of the Bible and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
(Romans 10:17)
"Therefore faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."
(1 Corinthians 12:9)
“To another faith by the same Spirit, and to another the gift of healing by the one Spirit,”
3. How should we believe?
Belief is not just thinking about the object of belief or having an interest in it. True faith means that a relationship of continuous encounter with the object of faith is established and maintained.
1) You must open your heart and receive Jesus Christ. (John 1:12)
“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
2) Not loving the world (the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life).
(1 John 2:15)
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
3) Be united with Jesus Christ to become one.
(John 17:21)
“As you are in me and I in you, so may they all be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
(Revelation 3:20)
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me."
4) We must act according to our faith.
(James 2:14)
"My brethren, if a man says he has faith, but has no works, what profit is it? can faith save him?"
5) We must hold fast the way of faith
(Hebrews 4:14)
“Therefore, we have a great high priest, who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our faith.”
4. What is given to those who believe?
Only those who believe have the gift of God prepared for them. It's not something we get what we want. It is only given to each of them according to His will.
1) Get forgiveness of sins.
(Acts 10:43)
“All the prophets testify of him, saying that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
2) He justifies.
(Romans 3:22, 28, 30)
“The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, without distinction.”
“Therefore we acknowledge that a person is justified by faith, not by works of the law.”
“There is only one God who will justify the circumcised through faith or the uncircumcised through faith.”
3) He gives salvation.
(Mark 16:16)
“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”
4) Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Galatians 3:14)
“This is so that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, and that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith.”
(Ephesians 1:13)
"In him you also heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, in which you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
5) Get eternal life.
(John 3:36)
“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son will not see eternal life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.”
(John 5:24)
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
6) Get heavenly rest.
(John 14:1-3)
“Do not let your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me.”
“In my Father’s house are many dwelling places, otherwise I would have told you, I am going to prepare a place for you.”
“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.”
(Hebrews 4:3)
"We who have already believed enter that rest, as he said, swearing in my wrath that they will not enter my rest. But this has been done since the creation of the world."
5. What blessings do believers receive?
Just because we have faith, we do not actually enter the kingdom of God. However, there is a blessing in giving us the ability to live like the people of the kingdom of God on this earth.
1) Your identity will change.
(John 1:12)
“To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
(Galatians 3:26)
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
2) Gives hope.
(Romans 15:13)
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith, so that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
3) Believe and ask for everything you ask.
(Matthew 21:22)
“Whatever you ask in prayer, believing and asking, you will receive.”
4) He conquers the world (lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, pride of life).
(1 John 5:4)
“For everyone who is born of God overcomes the world, and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith.”
5) It glorifies God.
(Hebrews 11:16)
“They now long for a better homeland, which is in heaven; therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, but has prepared for them a city.”
6) The impossible becomes possible.
(Mark 9:23)
"Jesus said to him, "If it is possible, what do you mean? Nothing is impossible for him who believes."
6. What is the standard of faith?
Faith is not believing what you think or believing what you want to believe. That is, we must have faith that is worthy of the will of God, the object of our faith.
1) You must believe according to the Bible.
(John 20:31)
“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
2) The Bible gives us wisdom that leads to salvation.
(2 Timothy 3:15)
“And from your youth you have known the Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
* Time for review and sharing
1. Who is the object of faith?
2. Where does faith come from?
3. How should we believe?
4. What is given to those who believe?
5. What is the standard of faith?