Lesson 4: What Is Faith in Christ?
Faith in Christ is one of the most important truths a person can understand.
The Bible says:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”
— Acts 16:31, KJV
That is a simple statement, but it must not be treated carelessly.
Many people use the word believe, but they do not always mean what the Bible means. Some people think faith means believing that God exists. Some think it means believing that Jesus was a good man. Some think it means agreeing with Christian facts. Some think it means having a religious feeling. Some think it means being positive, hopeful, or sincere.
But saving faith is more than knowing facts about Jesus.
Saving faith is trusting Jesus Christ Himself.
It is trusting who He is.
It is trusting what He did.
It is trusting what He promised.
It is trusting Him as Lord and Saviour.
This lesson follows the lesson on repentance because repentance and faith belong together. Repentance turns the heart toward God and away from sin. Faith looks to Jesus Christ for salvation.
A sinner is not saved by trusting himself.
He is not saved by trusting his good works.
He is not saved by trusting his church membership.
He is not saved by trusting his baptism.
He is not saved by trusting his religious background.
He is not saved by trusting his emotions.
He is saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8–9 says:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
— Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV
That must be settled.
Salvation is by grace through faith.
Faith Has an Object
Faith is only as good as what it rests on.
A person can have strong faith in the wrong thing and still be lost.
A person can sincerely believe a lie.
A person can trust religion and still not be trusting Christ.
A person can trust himself and still be guilty before God.
That is why the object of faith matters.
The Bible does not merely say, “Have faith.”
It says:
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ…”
— Acts 16:31, KJV
Saving faith is faith in Christ.
Not faith in faith.
Not faith in feelings.
Not faith in a prayer.
Not faith in a preacher.
Not faith in a church.
Not faith in personal goodness.
Faith must rest on Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 says:
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
— John 14:6, KJV
Jesus did not say He was one way among many.
He said He is the way.
Faith in Christ means you stop looking for another way to be right with God. You come to God through Jesus Christ.
Faith Believes Who Jesus Is
Saving faith believes the truth about Jesus Christ.
Jesus is not merely a religious teacher.
He is not merely a prophet.
He is not merely a moral example.
He is not merely a famous figure from history.
He is the Christ, the Son of God, the Saviour, the Lord.
John 20:31 says:
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing ye might have life through his name.”
— John 20:31, KJV
The Bible was written so that people might believe rightly concerning Jesus.
A person cannot reject the biblical Jesus and still claim saving faith in Christ.
If someone says, “I believe in Jesus,” but denies who He is, that is not biblical faith.
Faith believes that Jesus Christ is who the Scripture says He is.
He is the Word made flesh.
He is the Lamb of God.
He is the only begotten Son.
He is Lord.
He is risen.
He is able to save.
He is coming again.
A disciple must not build faith on an imagined Jesus, a cultural Jesus, or a softened Jesus.
Saving faith rests in the true Jesus Christ revealed in the Word of God.
Faith Believes What Jesus Did
Faith in Christ also believes what Jesus did.
The gospel is not merely that Jesus lived.
It is that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 says:
“For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,
how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”
— 1 Corinthians 15:3–4, KJV
That is the gospel message.
Christ died for our sins.
He was buried.
He rose again.
Faith does not look to human effort as the payment for sin. Faith looks to the finished work of Jesus Christ.
You cannot pay for your sin by being religious.
You cannot erase guilt by trying harder.
You cannot balance your sins with good deeds.
You cannot cleanse your own soul.
Jesus Christ died for sins.
1 Peter 3:18 says:
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins,
the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God…”
— 1 Peter 3:18, KJV
That is the hope of the sinner.
The just suffered for the unjust.
Jesus Christ did what we could never do for ourselves.
Faith receives that truth personally.
Faith Is Not Merely Agreeing With Facts
A person may believe many true facts and still not have saving faith.
He may believe Jesus existed.
He may believe Jesus died on a cross.
He may believe Jesus rose again.
He may believe the Bible is true.
He may believe heaven and hell are real.
But saving faith is not merely agreeing that facts are true.
James 2:19 says:
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well:
the devils also believe, and tremble.”
— James 2:19, KJV
The devils believe true facts about God, but they are not saved.
This should warn us.
A person can have religious knowledge without personal trust.
Saving faith is not only knowing that Jesus is able to save.
It is trusting Him to save you.
It is not only believing that Christ died for sinners.
It is trusting Christ as the Saviour you need.
It is not only believing the gospel is true.
It is resting your soul on Jesus Christ.
Faith Receives Christ
John 1:12 says:
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:”
— John 1:12, KJV
Notice the connection:
received him
believe on his name
Faith receives Christ.
This is more than admiring Him from a distance.
This is more than respecting Him as a teacher.
This is more than liking Christian ideas.
To believe on Christ is to receive Him for who He is.
Receive Him as Saviour.
Receive Him as Lord.
Receive Him as the only way to the Father.
Receive Him as the One who died and rose again.
Receive Him as the One who has authority over your life.
A person who wants forgiveness while rejecting Christ Himself does not understand faith.
Faith receives the Person of Jesus Christ.
Faith Is Not Trusting Your Own Righteousness
Many people are willing to believe in Jesus as long as they can also keep trusting themselves.
They want Jesus plus their goodness.
Jesus plus their church attendance.
Jesus plus their moral record.
Jesus plus their religious works.
Jesus plus their sincerity.
But saving faith stops trusting self as the foundation of salvation.
Philippians 3:9 says:
“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law,
but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith:”
— Philippians 3:9, KJV
Paul did not want to stand before God in his own righteousness.
He wanted the righteousness which is of God by faith.
That is important.
Your righteousness is not enough.
Your best efforts cannot make you clean before God.
Your religious record cannot remove sin.
Faith abandons self-righteousness and looks to Christ.
A person cannot cling to his own goodness and truly rest in Jesus Christ.
Saving faith says:
“I have no righteousness of my own that can save me. I need Christ.”
Faith Is Not Trusting Religious Rituals
Baptism matters as obedience, but baptism itself is not the Saviour.
Church attendance matters, but church attendance is not the Saviour.
The Lord’s supper matters, but it is not the Saviour.
Religious activity may have a proper place, but none of it can replace Jesus Christ.
Galatians 2:16 says:
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law,
but by the faith of Jesus Christ…”
— Galatians 2:16, KJV
A man is not justified by works of the law.
He is justified through faith in Jesus Christ.
Many people are religious but lost because their confidence is in religious things rather than in Christ Himself.
They say:
“I was baptized.”
“I go to church.”
“I grew up Christian.”
“I try to live right.”
“I take communion.”
“I pray sometimes.”
But the question is:
Are you trusting Jesus Christ?
Faith does not despise obedience, but it does not confuse obedience with the Saviour.
Christ alone saves.
Faith Comes by Hearing the Word of God
Biblical faith is not built on imagination.
It is not built on human opinion.
It is not built on emotional pressure.
It is not built on dreams, signs, or religious excitement.
Faith comes by the Word of God.
Romans 10:17 says:
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— Romans 10:17, KJV
The Word of God reveals Christ.
The Word of God reveals the gospel.
The Word of God reveals sin and salvation.
The Word of God shows what God has promised.
That is why Scripture matters so much.
A person is not called to invent faith.
He is called to believe what God has spoken.
The Word gives faith something true to rest on.
When God says Jesus Christ saves, faith believes Him.
When God says Christ died for sins, faith believes Him.
When God says whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, faith believes Him.
Faith is not pretending.
Faith is trusting God’s testimony concerning His Son.
Faith Calls Upon the Lord
Romans 10:13 says:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
— Romans 10:13, KJV
Saving faith is not cold and distant.
The sinner who believes calls upon the Lord.
He knows he needs mercy.
He knows he cannot save himself.
He knows Christ is able.
He cries to Him.
This does not mean a certain exact wording saves you. It does not mean repeating words without faith will save you. But a heart that truly trusts Christ will call upon Him.
Like the publican who said:
“God be merciful to me a sinner.”
— Luke 18:13, KJV
Faith does not come proudly.
Faith comes needy.
Faith comes honestly.
Faith comes looking to the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.
If you believe on Christ, call upon Him.
Do not merely study salvation from a distance.
Come to the Saviour.
Faith Rests on God’s Promise
Faith believes God’s promise, even when feelings rise and fall.
John 3:16 says:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
— John 3:16, KJV
That is a promise from God.
Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Faith says, “God has spoken. I trust Him.”
Faith does not say, “I feel saved today, so I must be saved.”
Faith does not say, “I had an emotional experience, so I must be saved.”
Faith does not say, “People told me I am saved, so I must be saved.”
Faith rests on God’s Word and God’s Son.
Feelings may change.
Memories may weaken.
Emotions may rise and fall.
But God’s promise stands.
Faith takes God at His Word.
Faith Is Personal
It is not enough to say, “My family believes.”
It is not enough to say, “My church believes.”
It is not enough to say, “My parents taught me.”
It is not enough to say, “My spouse is saved.”
It is not enough to say, “I live in a Christian country.”
Faith must become personal.
Thomas said to Jesus:
“My Lord and my God.”
— John 20:28, KJV
That was personal.
Not merely “the Lord.”
Not merely “the God of others.”
“My Lord and my God.”
Every person must personally respond to Jesus Christ.
No one else can believe for you.
No one else can repent for you.
No one else can call upon the Lord for you.
No one else can stand before God in your place except Jesus Christ Himself.
Faith says:
“Jesus Christ is the Saviour I need.”
“He died for sins.”
“He rose again.”
“I trust Him.”
“He is my Lord and my God.”
Faith Is Not Presumption
Some people confuse faith with presumption.
Faith believes God.
Presumption assumes God will approve what He has not promised.
Faith submits to God’s Word.
Presumption uses religious language while ignoring God’s Word.
Faith trusts Christ.
Presumption says, “I can live however I want, and God will still accept me.”
That is dangerous.
Matthew 7:21 says:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
— Matthew 7:21, KJV
Jesus warned that not everyone who says “Lord, Lord” truly belongs to Him.
Saving faith is not empty talk.
It is not using Jesus’ name while refusing Jesus’ rule.
It is not claiming Christ while making peace with sin.
Faith does not mean perfection, but it does mean the heart has turned to Christ.
A person should never use the word faith to cover rebellion.
Faith Produces a New Direction
Faith is not a work that earns salvation, but real faith is not dead and empty.
When a person truly trusts Christ, his life has a new direction.
2 Corinthians 5:7 says:
“For we walk by faith, not by sight:”
— 2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV
Faith does not only begin the Christian life. Faith continues in the Christian life.
The disciple learns to walk by faith.
He trusts God’s Word.
He trusts God’s promises.
He trusts God’s wisdom.
He trusts God’s warnings.
He trusts Christ more than himself.
He trusts Christ more than the world.
This lesson is not meant to teach every detail about obedience and growth. Those lessons will come. But it is important to say this clearly:
Saving faith is not a dead claim.
It begins a new walk.
Faith Must Be in Christ, Not in a Moment
Some people place their confidence in a past moment rather than in Jesus Christ.
They say:
“I prayed a prayer.”
“I walked an aisle.”
“I raised my hand.”
“I signed a card.”
“I had an emotional experience.”
Those things may have happened when someone truly came to Christ. But those things themselves are not the Saviour.
The question is not merely:
“Did I have a religious moment?”
The question is:
“Am I trusting Jesus Christ?”
A prayer does not save apart from faith.
An altar does not save.
A decision card does not save.
An emotional memory does not save.
Jesus Christ saves.
Hebrews 7:25 says:
“Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost
that come unto God by him…”
— Hebrews 7:25, KJV
He is able to save.
Faith must rest in Him now.
Do not trust the memory of a moment more than the living Saviour.
Faith Is Not Measured by Its Size, But by Its Saviour
Some sincere people worry because their faith feels weak.
They say:
“My faith is not strong enough.”
“I still have questions.”
“I still feel afraid sometimes.”
“I do not understand everything.”
“I wish I trusted more.”
It is good to desire stronger faith. But remember, faith saves because of the Saviour it rests on, not because of how impressive the faith feels.
A weak hand can receive a strong gift.
A trembling sinner can call on a mighty Saviour.
Mark 9:24 says:
“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
— Mark 9:24, KJV
That is an honest cry.
The answer is not to look at your faith all day and ask whether it feels large enough.
Look to Christ.
He is strong.
He is sufficient.
He is faithful.
He is able to save.
Faith may grow, but the foundation is Christ Himself.
Faith Does Not Make God True — Faith Receives What Is Already True
Faith does not create truth.
Faith receives truth.
Jesus Christ is Lord whether a person believes or not.
The gospel is true whether people accept it or reject it.
The resurrection is true whether the world mocks it or not.
God’s promises stand whether feelings agree or not.
Romans 3:3–4 says:
“For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar…”
— Romans 3:3–4, KJV
Faith does not make God reliable.
God already is reliable.
Faith does not make Jesus powerful to save.
Jesus already is powerful to save.
Faith simply receives God’s testimony as true and rests in Christ.
That should comfort the soul.
Your faith is not the foundation.
Christ is the foundation.
Faith rests on Him.
Faith and Repentance Belong Together
Because the previous lesson focused on repentance, it is important to keep the connection clear.
Repentance and faith are not enemies.
They are not two separate roads.
They belong together in the sinner’s response to God.
Acts 20:21 says:
“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
— Acts 20:21, KJV
Repentance turns from sin toward God.
Faith trusts the Lord Jesus Christ.
A person does not truly believe on Christ while intentionally refusing to turn from sin.
And a person does not truly repent by trying to save himself apart from Christ.
The repentant heart turns from rebellion.
The believing heart rests in Christ.
Together, they show a sinner coming to God honestly through the Saviour.
What Faith in Christ Sounds Like
Faith may be expressed in words like these:
“Lord Jesus, I believe You are the Son of God.”
“I believe You died for sins and rose again.”
“I know I cannot save myself.”
“I stop trusting my own righteousness.”
“I trust You as my Lord and Saviour.”
“Have mercy on me.”
“Save me.”
“I belong to You.”
These words are not a formula.
A person is not saved by repeating sentences without faith.
But they express the heart of someone who is looking away from self and trusting Jesus Christ.
Romans 10:9–10 says:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
— Romans 10:9–10, KJV
Faith is from the heart.
It confesses Christ.
It believes God raised Him from the dead.
It comes to the Lord for salvation.
Simple Questions to Examine Faith
Ask yourself honestly:
Am I trusting Jesus Christ, or am I trusting myself?
Do I believe He is who the Bible says He is?
Do I believe He died for sins and rose again?
Am I depending on my good works, religion, baptism, church attendance, or sincerity to save me?
Have I personally called upon the Lord?
Am I trusting a past moment more than the living Christ?
Am I willing for Jesus Christ to be Lord, not merely a religious addition to my life?
These questions matter.
They are not meant to confuse sincere believers. They are meant to make faith clear.
The question is not, “Have I done enough?”
The question is:
“Am I trusting Jesus Christ?”
Discipleship Questions
- Before reading this lesson, what did you think faith in Christ meant?
- Why is the object of faith so important?
- What is the difference between knowing facts about Jesus and personally trusting Him?
- Are there any religious works, experiences, or memories you may have trusted instead of Christ Himself?
- How would you explain saving faith to someone who thinks being a good person is enough?
Closing Exhortation
Faith in Christ is not vague religion.
It is not mere agreement with Christian facts.
It is not trusting yourself.
It is not trusting your works.
It is not trusting church attendance, baptism, emotion, or a past moment.
Faith in Christ means trusting Jesus Christ Himself.
He is the Son of God.
He died for our sins.
He was buried.
He rose again.
He is Lord.
He is able to save.
Come to Him.
Trust Him.
Rest your soul on Him.
Call upon Him.
Do not look to yourself for salvation.
Look to Jesus Christ.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”
— Acts 16:31, KJV
A Prayer of Faith in Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, I believe You are the Son of God.
I believe You died for sins, were buried, and rose again.
I know I cannot save myself. My works cannot save me. My religion cannot save me. My goodness cannot save me.
I turn from trusting myself and trust You.
Have mercy on me. Save me. Forgive me. Make me Yours.
I receive You as Lord and Saviour.
Help me follow You from this day forward.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Next Step
Take a few quiet minutes and ask yourself:
“Am I truly trusting Jesus Christ, or am I trusting something else?”
If your confidence has been in your works, religion, emotions, or a past moment, bring that honestly before God.
Look to Christ Himself.
Call upon Him.
Trust Him.
Previous Lesson: Lesson 3: What Is Repentance?
Next Lesson: Lesson 5: Can I Know for Sure I’m Saved?