Faith has always been and will always be a core component of the Christian life. It is by faith that we accept and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ and become believers. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). It is by faith that we live a life of continued obedience to our Lord and King. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). 

At times, faith seems very important to us. This is especially true during times of fear and confusion such as this coronavirus pandemic. While at other times, faith seems to have little bearing on our day to day lives. However, our perception of the necessity of faith in every aspect of our lives does not alter its foundational nature.

Since faith is such an important part of the Christian life, we must understand both what it is and what it is not. There are many different views on faith. Satan and the world have their counterfeit versions of it; however, the only view of faith that matters is God’s view which He has revealed to us in the Bible.

This article is the first in a series on the nature of Biblical faith. We will search the Scriptures to learn God’s answers to our questions about it. Questions such as: What is it? How does one get it? What can we have faith in? How does faith grow? How do we show our faith? How do we share our faith? When does faith end?