“We became Christians by faith in Jesus, we stay Christians by faith in Jesus, and we grow as Christians by faith in Jesus.” -J.C. Ryle

Where does our faith come from?

  • God calls & sends his people to preach the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ
  • Faith comes from hearing the word of Christ

Romans 10:14-17: 14How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

What is faith?
From the Christian Research Institute:
 (http://www.equip.org/bible_answers/what-is-the-biblical-definition-of-faith/) :  “First, the Bible defines faith as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Thus, in biblical vernacular, faith is a channel of living trust—an assurance—that stretches from man to God. In other words, it is the object of faith that renders faith faithful.

Furthermore, faith is the assurance that God’s promises will never fail, even if sometimes we do not experience their fulfillment in our mortal existence. Hebrews 11 underscores the fact that we trust God to fulfill his promises for the future (the unseen) based on what he has already fulfilled in the past. Thus, our faith is not blind, but based squarely on God’s proven faithfulness.”

Hebrews 11:1-3: 1Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for. 3By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

Living and standing in faith – Trusting in who Christ is and living in Him and for Him through the power of the Holy Spirit

1 Peter 1:6-9: 6In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though 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, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Romans 5:1-4: 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, wea have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And web boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but wec also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Colossians 2:6-13: 6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Men in the trenches, our God is faithful even when we are not. The object of one’s faith is what matters most, not the faith itself;  It is not about who has faith, or how much faith we have, but WHO we place our faith in.

Lamentations 3:22-23: 22The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.