FAITH

Hebrews 11:6, But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:1, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

“The just shall live by faith” – Habakkuk 2:4 and three more times! Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38.

Faith is necessary for salvation – for a right standing before God:

Luke 5:20, When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”

Acts 20:21, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 4:9, For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

Romans 5:1, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

Galatians 2:16, believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law

Galatians 3:26, For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8, For by grace you have been saved through faith,

Philippians 3:9, be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

I Peter 1:9, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

So, what is FAITH? a Computer Dictionary:

1. complete trust or confidence in someone or something,
2. strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion

FAITH as an acronym for understanding:

F – Facts  Jesus claimed to be God, was born of Mary, lived a sinless life, was executed on a cross by God’s will for the payment of sins, was buried, then rose from the dead to then ascend back to Heaven.

A – Agree  I believe those things about Jesus to be true.

I – Internalize – “I”  What Jesus did was about me!  This is for me!  This is a call on me to embrace Jesus in a life changing way.  This is a call to be “saved” from my form of being right with God or that taught by a church or my parents.  This means I must make a decision.  I’m being pressed to cease running my own life and to submit to Him.  I’m being confronted with my sin and needing to confess it with a desire to forsake it.  I’m confronted with asking Jesus to take over my life.

T – Trust  To trust is to step away from me and into Jesus – into His will and way.  It is to die to me – my will, my “freedom” and my “rights”.  To trust is to embrace Jesus as Savior and my Lord.  It is to cease running my own life and give management over to Him.  I repent of my rebellion, sin, and selfishness and ask for His forgiveness, then ask that God in His mercy accept me as His child.  I cry out to Jesus to save me.  “Not my will, but His will be done in my life!”

H – Herald it!  It is to call out to God, cry out to God, pray to God, shout praises to God, and thank God for His salvation, desiring His will be known, and asking for His work in others.

It is to proclaim far and wide the release from guilt, fear and anger and the newly found hope, joy, peace of love found in Jesus.  “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!” Psalm 107:2.

The only means to new life – to rightness before God – is by FAITH:
Ephesians 2:8, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.

So, are you saved by FAITH alone!  Are you truly saved?