Articles
Growing a Genuine Faith
Hebrews 11:1 reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” How can a person develop a genuine faith in Christ if they’ve never seen Him? To answer that question, you must first ask yourself, how does a person begin to have faith?
Regarding faith Romans 10:14-17 says, “How 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?... So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” To develop their faith in Christ, a person must get to know Him by hearing and immersing themselves in His word. Many of us will first hear about Christ from our parents, another family member, or a friend (2 Timothy 1:5).
As you begin to hear about and get to know God, it is imperative that you also get to know His son, Jesus Christ. In John 14:6 He mentions, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Aside from God Himself, Jesus is the best authority on His will. He loved His father so much and He is the only man to obey God’s will perfectly without sin. In John 14:15 Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” Three of the biggest commands He issues to His disciples are:
- “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30)
- “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)
- “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)
James 2:18 reads, ”But someone will say, “‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” Righteous works are a key part of genuine faith because enacting God’s teachings will solidify them in your heart. Righteous works also are a way to shine God’s light on others, which glorifies Him and spreads His gospel (Matthew 5:16).
Romans 15:4 says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” You and I may not have seen or talked to God personally, but the accounts of many people who lived before us who knew Him and had faith are written in the Bible (Hebrews 11). Apart from being able to personally read His words, you and I have seen God, just in a way may not have expected. Romans 1:20 tells us, “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” Lastly, for God’s Children to develop a genuine belief and trust in Him, they must learn by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
