How do you know you have faith in Jesus? This is a question that has often bothered me. I understand the Bible speaks on the importance of believing on Jesus. Does the Bible tell us how we know we believe?
In my own life I can see my faith in Christ. I’m not sure how I should respond when I have self doubt about the genuineness of my faith.
And if they never truly believed who walked away, how can Christians know they possess genuine faith?
You can know you are His through your actions in obeying the two greatest commandments: how you treat others and how you worship the Father.
Faith without works is dead, so the fruit of our actions proves the faith we have. There are many people who claim to be pretty good people, even claiming to be Christians...but do they truly treat others the way they personally would like to be treated by others? Do they love the Almighty with all of their heart...all of their soul...all of their mind...all of their strength? If so, then the very character and nature of the Son are in you even if they're not perfectly expressed just yet.
...But believers can and do experience moments when their faith is low...and some are even in danger of losing their faith altogether and becoming spiritually bankrupt. But maybe I can explain what scripture says faith is to help in the process of growing yours (and others) so that we always have it in abundance.
What is faith?
Scripture proves that faith is something one possesses. It's not a state.
- Faith is portioned out (
Romans 12:3)
- Faith can be grown (
Luke 17:5-10)
- Different people have different amounts of faith (
Matthew 8:26; 13:58; 15:28)
- Faith can be lost (
2 Thess. 2:1-3)
- Faith is to be used and is
very, very potent/valuable when used (
Matthew 17:20)
Q: What is scripture describing here? What is something similar in our world that's portioned to us...that we can grow or lose...that different people have different amounts of...that is very, very valuable when used?
A: Money. And even our money is said to be backed by the
"full faith and credit" of the people. Every dollar has two signatures on it, because "
by the testimony of two or more witnesses is every matter established".
Likewise, faith is the currency of heaven. It can be argued that it's literally the "treasure" that Messiah teaches one should "store up" instead of storing up treasure down here. The more you use your faith, the more it grows...even our faith in the Messiah.
We must grow the initial faith we've been given, but how? Well, just like money down here, we must properly use and reinvest our faith. The Messiah taught that when we pray we are to believe that we
have received (past tense) what we're asking for, and it will be ours to the glory of the Father (
Mark 11:24).
The "have received" part is us using our faith (like hitting "complete transaction" on Amazon). And as long as there's
enough faith in our account the transaction is successful (even though faith is very, very valuable you still need to have enough faith to justify a sizable request..this is also why praying with more than one person is even more potent. Equivalent to sharing the cost of a purchase.).
The patriarchs taught to end all prayers with "amen". Amen is a statement of faith that means "so be it/so it is". So when you say "amen" you are saying "and so it
already is" or "it is
already true" or "it is
already done".
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I won't get into details about how science has just discovered how the same light particle if split across time and space, appears to react to each other instantaneously. But suffice it to say, they just unknowingly discovered the mechanics of faith.
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When you pray for something and truly have
enough faith, the Father has
already prepared it for you in advance. But if you don't have
enough faith then it was never prepared. This is why the faith you have is both the currency
AND the proof of something you hope for.
Hebrews 11:1-3
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
- Substance = (bible definition) wealth/money/treasure
- Evidence = testimony/proof (like a receipt of purchase)
So faith is the wealth in your heavenly bank account, initially distributed to each person by the Eternal One. And just like He used faith to create the world, He also expects His children to use their faith. The more you use your faith the more your faith - in the Father and in the Son - grows.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
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