It is very easy to believe God when everything is going well and there are no situations that lead to feeling disturbed. But, how to have faith when afflictions overwhelm us?, discover here with us how to persevere in trust in the Lord.
How to have faith?
As Christians we must be faithful to God, mainly by trusting and having genuine faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the Bible we can find a great cloud of witnesses who give us an example of what a true testimony is, they are the heroes of faith.
All these heroes of faith, as well as many other characters in the Bible, witnessed the wonderful actions of God, being blessed by the Lord as a reward for their faithfulness, they are a true example of how to have faith when things are not going well:
- Moses: He knew how to have faith in God, letting himself be guided by Him, he managed to emerge victorious against Pharaoh's obstacles. To command the exodus of the people of Israel through the desert with the aim of reaching the promise that God had made to them of the promised land.
- Abraham: I get to have a size of faith in God, to the level of being willing to sacrifice his only begotten Isaac, the son of the promise. This level of faith of Abraham was counted for justice and God went on to consider him his friend, blessing him with a multitude of descendants and placing him as the Father of Nations.
- Job: He trusted and managed to remain faithful to God after going through multiple and severe tests, giving us testimony of faith in Him. And for this, God blessed him with twice what he had before.
Job 42: 10 (NIV): After Job prayed for his friends, God restored his prosperity previous, and he even gave him twice as much as he had before.
In this sense we invite you to read, testimony of faith: Speaking of the glory of God. Because transmitting our own testimony or experience in Christ Jesus is an opportunity to share our faith with others.
How to develop and have faith according to the Bible?
If we want to develop and have faith in our lives, we must first know: How is faith defined in the Bible? In the sacred scriptures we can find several verses that help us to define and that it is worth having faith.
Here are some verses that illustrate us in the definition of faith, and that also fills us with encouragement and confidence in our God and Lord Jesus Christ:
Being certain of what is expected
The Christian's faith is based on the certainty that God will fulfill his purpose in his time, according to his perfect, pleasing and good will. That is why as Christians we do not cry out to the heavenly Father according to our own desires, but in the way that is pleasing to Him and wishes to fulfill His will.
Hebrews 11:1 (NASB): Now, faith is the certainty of what is hoped for, the conviction of what is not seen.
In wanting to please God
Faith is the route to please God, with it we show and manifest our trust in his promises. So, it is not pleasing to God that we doubt Him.
To please God and for him to consider us intimate or a friend, it is necessary to fully express that we believe in his existence, he knows how to reward those who desire and yearn for his friendship.
Hebrews 11:6 (NLT): In fact, without faith it is impossible to please God. Anyone who wishes to approach God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
Do you want to be intimate with the Lord? Enter here Intimacy with God: How to develop it? In this article you will find some key aspects to develop a genuine intimacy with God, so that you can enjoy being in the presence of the Heavenly Father even more.
How to have faith? This is accomplished in the conviction and affirmation that God is real. As well as in the certainty that only God is the one who can grant the desires of our hearts.
This proven assertion in any circumstance deeply pleases and rejoices our Heavenly Father. With faith we confirm before the Lord, the understanding of knowing that God has all the power to give us what suits us, and that he also gives us salvation and eternal life.
With the understanding that there is only one God and Lord
Faith is the response to a single real and living God, who manifests himself to us in different ways, because he longs and wants us to know him in all his fullness. In the Bible the Lord confirms that there is only one God and that there is no other.
Isaiah 45:5-6 (NIV): 5 –I am God, and besides me there is no other. You didn't know me but I prepared you for the fight, 6 so that everyone knows that I am the only God-.
God not only says so, but also if we open our hearts to him, he empties himself in us through his Holy Spirit. Through this revelation the Lord guides us, strengthens us and prepares us for the battle, which we can only fight with the faith we have in Christ Jesus.
The faith of believing in Jesus Christ
On the subject of how to have faith, the foundation or principle of the Christian faith is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the power of his divine character as the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, he is the foundation of the Gospel.
The good news is Jesus and his redemptive mission for the salvation of the world. The key verse being the word of God written in:
John 3:16 (RVC): -Because God so loved the world, who has given his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him don't get lost, but have eternal life-.
Believing (having faith) in the Savior Jesus Christ and transmitting his redemptive message from the cross is the mission of every Christian. As well as having the knowledge that man did nothing to be saved, because salvation is by faith and not by works:
Ephesians 2:8 (PDT): you were saved thanks to the generosity of God because they had faith. They didn't save themselves his salvation was a gift from God.
Romans 5:1 (PDT): So God approved us thanks to faith, and now, through our Lord Jesus Christ, there is peace between God and us.
Galatians 3:24 (PDT): Therefore, the law was our guardian until Christ came. The result is that we are approved through faith.
True faith or dead faith
But, the word of God also says that this faith must be true and not dead. Because a true faith will result in good works in the life of those who believe in Jesus Christ.
That is, the demonstration or evidence of true faith is a transformed believer with good works. Otherwise, there will be a dead faith, without any evidence that the believer has truly believed in Jesus.
James 2:14 (NIV): My brothers,What is the use of saying that you have faith, if your facts do not prove it?? Can that faith save him??
James 2:17 (NLT): As you can see, faith alone is not enough. Unless she produces good deeds, she is dead and useless.
James 2:26 (ESV): Botton line: just as the body without spirit is dead, so too faith is dead if it is not accompanied by facts.
In the scriptures, the apostle Paul tells us that we were created for good works:
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV-2015): Because we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do the good works that God prepared beforehand for us to walk in them.
But, what could those good works be? What are the manifest acts of a believer with true faith? Paul also gives us the answer with the fruits of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV): 22 Instead, the Spirit of God makes us love others, be always happy and live in peace with everyone. he makes us be patient and kind, and treat others well, have trust in God, 23 be humble, and know how to control our bad desires.
We were created in Christ, do you know what for?, go to Ephesians 2: 10 meaning, how to apply it to your life? And appropriate this powerful word about God's purpose.
How do you come to have faith in Jesus Christ?
Starting from the definition of faith given by the letter of Hebrews 11, that it is the conviction of believing in something that cannot be seen, as well as having the certainty of expecting it. So how can you come to believe in Jesus Christ?, and have the certainty of waiting on Him.
How is it possible to have that faith? How can one reach the conviction of the reality of our Lord Jesus Christ, whom we have not seen? In this sense, the word of God in the Bible gives us the following teachings:
- God through his Holy Spirit makes them know that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, who became incarnate and consumed the redemptive work of his Father on the cross.
1 John 4:2 (NIV): In this way you can know who has the Spirit of God: all whoever recognizes that Jesus Christ came as true man, has the Spirit of God.
- To others the creator gives the revelation and the understanding to believe the message given by those who carry the Spirit of God, so that they too attain eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV): For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life.
From the beginning, God made his prophets known so that it would be announced that the Messiah would come as the Son of God. To carry out his earthly mission and his atoning sacrifice for all mankind.
In this sense, the sacred scriptures contain several messianic prophecies, which speak not only of the first coming of Christ but also of the eschatological theme of his second coming.
a proven faith
During the earthly life of the Messiah, those who believed what was announced by the prophets, recognized in Jesus, the Savior and were blessed following his path. However, after the cross, the faith of all these followers was put to the test.
The apostle Thomas needed to be in front of the risen Jesus in order to believe the testimony of the disciples who saw him first:
John 20:29 (RVC): Jesus said to him: –Thomas, you believed because you saw me. Blessed are those who did not see and believed.
Jesus at that moment had compassion on Thomas, showing himself lovingly before him. Just as he also leaves us the teaching for us of the joy and beatitude of what it means to have faith today.
What was announced by the prophets about the first coming, everything has been fulfilled and consummated by our Savior Jesus Christ. Hence, there is a great multitude of believers throughout the world.
However, there are still prophecies to be fulfilled regarding the second coming of Christ and that is our hope of glory. We must have a proven faith in this, maintaining that hope, believing that our Lord is a living God who will soon return to reign among us for eternity. Amen!
How do we achieve a proven faith? The apostle Paul answers this question in his letter to the Romans:
Romans 10:17 (NKJV): So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of god.
The fundamental step then to walk in a proven faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is to allow the word of God to penetrate our hearts. And that it also become alive, with a faith manifested in good works.
What should we do?
As already mentioned in the previous section, it is necessary to hear the word of God in order to grow in faith. But, we also owe something more on our part, as Jesus tells us:
Matthew 11:15 (NKJV): 15 Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.
Or what is the same "He who reads understands", that is to say that hearing the word of God requires us to act on our part. That means that we must take responsibly what the sacred scriptures teach us, in addition to:
- Be obedient to God's commandments.
- Search and study carefully the word of God.
- Learn from the testimony that others have of the gospel and let it sink deep into our hearts.
- Inquire and study in depth about the faith experiences of biblical characters, such as the patriarchs and prophets.
- Maintain a communion with God, through the power of prayer. Doing it with gratitude, adoration and supplication, asking with faith in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.
If we move in faith with this appetite for spiritual wisdom, God will fulfill in us his written word in:
Matthew 5:6 (PDT): Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, because they will be completely satisfied by God.
Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV): 7 -Ask God, and he will give you. Talk to God, and you will find what you seek. Call him, and he will attend to you. 8 For he who trusts in God receives what he asks for, he finds what he seeks, and if he knocks, he is answered.
Because it is a reality that Jesus Christ became incarnate, suffered, died on the cross, resurrected and ascended to heaven. He lives, he is seated at the right hand of the Father and one day he will come in glory for his people to reign eternally.
Bible verses that teach how to acquire faith
Next, we share two biblical passages that teach us how faith is acquired. God gives us faith in an equal measure for each one, so that no one can boast:
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV): 8 Certainly the grace of God has saved them through faith. It was not born of you, but which is a gift from God; 9 Nor is it the result of works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 12:3 (ESV): By the grace that has been given to me, I say to each one of you who thinks no more highly of himself than he shouldBut think sensibly of yourself, according to the measure of faith that God distributed to each one.
So having faith is a matter that requires us to have humility. Because we must assume ourselves as weak beings and recognize ourselves as dependent on God.
Now, this measure of faith represents a commitment from us to the creator to make it grow, letting it work in our hearts so that the Holy Spirit can perfect us.
The fact that we are perfected in the faith encourages us to speak and share what God has done in us, to give freely what we receive by grace. As we are perfected in Christ, faith is manifested in our actions, sayings and decisions:
Romans 10: 8a-10 (NASB): 8 that is, the word of faith we preach: 9 what, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.; 10 because with the heart one believes for justice, and with the mouth one confesses for salvation.
Why is it important to have faith?
The first thing that gives relevance and importance to faith and what bases the Christian doctrine; is that through it the believer receives forgiveness to be saved. Through faith we recognize in our hearts the great love of God, by giving his Son to die for us, (John 3:16).
Christ dwells in our hearts
Through faith, Christ comes to dwell in every heart that believes him. By believing in Jesus we decide to open our hearts to allow his Spirit to dwell in us and with him we are strengthened, being grounded in his love.
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV): 17 so that by faith Christ dwells in your hearts. And I pray that, rooted and grounded in love, 18 you may understand, along with all the saints, how wide and long, high and deep is the love of Christ; 19 finally, that they know that love that surpasses our knowledge, so that they may be filled with the fullness of God.
We gain victory against evil
Through faith in Jesus Christ we can battle and achieve victory over every temptation that leads to sin. A genuine faith in Jesus Christ leads us to want to please God, before giving in to our carnal desires.
The Lord strengthens us to be able to overcome the temptations offered by the world, and gives us victory:
1 John 5:4 (NIV): Actually, everyone who is a child of God overcomes the evil of this world, and everyone who trusts in Jesus Christ obtains victory.
It is a spiritual weapon of God
Faith is part of the spiritual armor of God, the apostle Paul defines it as the shield. Because with a strong faith we can repel any attack or dart launched by the evil one.
Ephesians 6:16 (PDT): 16 But, above all, take up the shield of faith to stop the flaming arrows of the evil one.
The shield of faith that this verse speaks of is associated with the shield used by Roman soldiers to go into battle. And it is that God covers us with a whole armor to be able to overcome the spiritual war that every Christian has to face.
When we decide to leave the path of the world to walk with Jesus, we have to face our own thoughts, doubts and other fronts of attacks from the enemy. But if we wield the shield of faith well and learn to use it, we can withstand all these attacks from the evil one.
Lets experience miracles
Having faith allows the heavens to open and receive favors, as well as the possibility of experiencing miracles, if it is God's will. In the Bible there are many cases that we find of healing and miraculous prodigies through faith. If we have confidence in God we can approach him to intervene in any area of our life.
