Faith is a word that almost everyone uses, but few people really understand. Faith is often used to describe having confidence in someone or something, but it’s just as often used as if it were code for a dream or wishful thinking. But how does the Bible describe faith?
The Bible describes faith as trusting in Christ alone for salvation. Faith, along with repentance, is one part of the human side of conversion. Throughout the New Testament, we are called to repent and believe, or to have faith in, Jesus as the one through whose life, death, and resurrection we find salvation from sin.
Biblical faith isn’t a blind one, that is believing something in the absence of facts. Faith without a foundation fails to stand against the storms and trials of life.
Faith also isn’t simply mental assent to facts or affirmation of historical events. Plenty of people affirm the facts of events, including the facts of the gospel, but don’t believe what they really mean. The Bible actually says that even demons believe—that is, they know who Jesus is—but they don’t have faith!
Instead, genuine, biblical faith creates within us a heartfelt recognition and confession of the truth of the gospel and a desire to humble ourselves before Christ as our Lord and Savior (John 1:10-13; 1 John 4:13-16).
Is this Calvinist teaching in theology? I know that there are Calvinists, reformed believers within the SBC; are they trying to infiltrate the teaching of children with this theology? I noticed Salvation is not listed here. Are we still teaching free will, choice in salvation by faith, which is not works?
Hi Judy, thanks for asking this question. No, we are neither teaching nor promoting calvinistic theology in The Gospel Project. This Bible study series is produced in alignment with Lifeway’s doctrinal standards, and churches across the spectrum on that particular issue have found great benefit from it.
This video, which is part of our series on the 99 essential Christian doctrines we highlight in The Gospel Project, is related specifically to the nature of faith, along with the New Testament’s consistent call for all people to repent and believe, or to have faith in, Jesus as the one through whom we are saved. Thanks for watching the video, and I hope you find the additional videos addressing God’s calling, repentance, regeneration, justification, sanctification, glorification, and more helpful upon their release.