What Faith Involves

Biblical faith involves three key features:

1. Knowledge

Faith is dependent upon what can be known about God. In fact, the New Testament says that faith involves us coming to know God Himself. In John 17:3, Jesus says, “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

Note: John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

How can you know God? In the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! Speaking of Jesus, John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” That’s why it is so important to consider the claims that Jesus made: it is in knowing Him that we know God. And it is this knowledge of God that gives us the basis for our faith.

2. Assent - express approval or agreement, typically officially.

In biblical faith, our knowledge of God must then be followed by assent. Once we’ve recognized that certain things are true and are to be believed, we must actually believe them! Biblical faith is certainly more than giving assent—but it is never less.

As we read the Bible and consider the claims of Jesus Christ, we discover in Christ someone who compels people’s belief—sometimes even against their will. We might say to ourselves, “I don’t want to believe in Jesus. I don’t want my life taken over. I don’t want somebody in charge of me.” Yet when we lay our lives open before Christ, when we see Him on the cross, and when we understand that He bore all of our sin and rebellion, He compels our belief. When we see Christ in this way, knowledge will be followed by assent.

3. Trust

Lastly, genuine faith involves trust. Knowledge and assent alone do not make genuine faith. James 2:19 says that “even the demons believe.” Demons are not atheists. They even have an orthodox view of God. If faith, then, is simply about understanding God correctly, we must logically conclude that the demons have saving faith. Yet we know that this isn’t the case.

A simple awareness of facts is not faith. There must be a movement from knowledge to assent that then culminates in trust.

A summons to trust in Christ—actively, not passively—is included in all of His invitations. In Matthew 11, for example, He says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (vv. 28–29). Notice the verbs: “come,” “take,” “learn,” “find rest.” These are all action words. They involve doing. You see, faith is not passive resignation. New Testament faith begins in knowledge, leads to assent, and ends in trust on the basis of the knowledge to which we have assented.

A Picture of Faith

A helpful illustration of biblical faith is marriage. Like faith, marriage involves multiple stages. First, you must get to know the individual: you go out for dinner, you walk in the park, you listen to them talk, and you observe them with their family and friends. As you gain knowledge, you begin to ask yourself, “Could I spend my life with this person? Am I willing to commit myself to them?” Then, once you have satisfactory answers to these questions, you begin to tell yourself, “On the basis of the knowledge that I’ve gained, I am prepared to make a commitment. I want to move beyond mere knowledge and assent to trust. I want to give myself to them. I want to know them at the deepest possible level.”

This is the experience of all who place their faith in Jesus. Is it your experience? Are you a person of faith?

It is written Genesis 5:23-24

Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

It is written Genesis 6:9

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Abraham Justified by Faith

It is written in Romans 4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.”

9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness. 10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before! 11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, 15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 17 As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. 22 This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.