Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ asked a vital question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Jesus was speaking of our time today. The Bible indicates that as we approach the end of the age, real faith will be in short supply. When you look around, the reasons are not hard to find.
We live in a skeptical age, in which faith in God and obedience to His instructions are often ridiculed. Scholars question the existence of God, and theologians openly express doubts about the divine inspiration of the Bible. Educators promote secular ideas about history and morality that directly contradict God’s instructions found in Scripture. Ministers often lack the faith and confidence to preach what the Bible actually says. It is no wonder that many lack real faith today.
But personal experiences can also challenge and test our faith. When someone we love is not healed, when churches split apart, when we encounter difficult and unexpected trials and when our prayers are not immediately answered, doubts can flood into our mind and we wonder—Does God really hear our prayers? Does God actually exist? Is the Bible really the word of God? Is it really worth trying to live by every word of God? Does it matter if we “innovate” a bit with our faith, as long as we “love” God?
Sometimes we pass these “tests of faith” and our faith grows. Sometimes we make it through a challenging experience, but our faith has been wounded or damaged in the process. Sometimes faith becomes a casualty and is discarded, as a result of a skeptical encounter, ridicule or pressure from others. Dealing with nagging doubts or disillusionment can have a withering effect on faith. Seeing others change, lose or give up their faith can also be devastating to our own faith.
What effect have the trials and challenges of recent decades had on your faith? Have the powerful forces in our secular, self-centered and materialistic society influenced your capacity to trust God, His word and His Church? Are you facing a “test” of your faith at this moment? As you wrestle with negative influences, do you see your faith growing stronger or weaker? Is it increasing or declining? What is the actual condition of your faith? In this article we will examine the subject of faith from several vital perspectives: What is faith? How important is faith? Why do we need faith? How do you grow in faith, and what are the enemies of faith? The Bible provides answers to these vital questions.
What Is Faith?
Before we can discuss faith, we need to understand what real faith is. Dictionaries define faith as trust, confidence and having a strong conviction. We exercise faith when we deposit our paycheck in a bank and we trust the bank teller to put our money into our account. Yet, when we read the Bible, do we have enough faith to follow God’s instructions? The Bible defines faith as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). This is not spiritual double-talk; it is an accurate description of important aspects of real faith. Real faith is based on tangible evidence and solid substance—not just warm, vague feelings in your heart.
We do not see God, but real faith in God is based on evidence that He exists. The popular notion that you cannot prove God’s existence, and that you just have to accept God and the Bible on faith, is simply not true—it is a lie! There is plenty of evidence at our fingertips (for more on this topic, please read the booklet The Real God: Proofs and Promises). Fulfilled prophecy is powerful proof that God exists, and that He inspired the Bible, if you know what is contained in Bible prophecies. You can have faith that the kingdom of God is coming, if you can recognize the signs Jesus said would occur just before that kingdom would be established. You will understand the importance of following the laws of God, if you recognize the blessings that come from obedience—and the consequences of disobedience. These are specific items that form the substance [the solid assurance] of real faith.
The Importance of Faith
Scripture reveals the vital importance of real faith. The Bible states that solid teachings about faith in God, and looking to Scripture as the source of truth, are fundamental doctrines that identify God’s true Church (Hebrews 6:1–2: John 17:17). This is vital today, as more and more liberal-minded clergy simply do not believe or teach that the Bible says what it means. As a result, the watered-down theology of many professing Christian churches is actually turning off, undermining and misdirecting the faith of millions of sincere people. While we live in multi-cultural and multi-faith societies, where people go to the church of their choice—if they choose to go anywhere—the Bible actually speaks of one faith, of maintaining the unity of the faith and of earnestly contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints (Ephesians 4:3–16; Jude 3–4). The Bible also warns that at the end of the age there will be serious attempts to dilute and misdirect the faith of sincere people (2 Peter 3:17–18).
Real faith is an absolutely essential quality for true Christians. The Bible plainly states that “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Without real faith in God and His word, we simply will not follow God’s instructions as they are revealed in Scripture. According to the Bible, we must have real faith—which leads to true obedience—if we hope to please God and be in His kingdom. But how do you develop this kind of faith?
Building Real Faith
We are not born with real faith. It is a quality that must be developed—with considerable effort— over time. Unless we cultivate real faith, our lives will be filled with cynicism, doubt, worry and frivolous concerns. Jesus frequently commented on the lack of faith He encountered (Matthew 6:25–34; 13:53–58) even among His own disciples (Matthew 17:14–21; Mark 16:11–14). Yet Jesus spoke of the potential power of real faith (Matthew 17:20), and He noted the remarkable faith of a Roman centurion, “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel” (Matthew 8:5–13).
To understand how we can gain this kind of faith, we will examine seven steps that we can take to begin building real faith:
1. Ask God for Real Faith
Jesus told His disciples to approach God as their Father when they had needs, and to ask, seek and knock persistently (Matthew 7:7–12). The Bible provides examples of people who asked God for faith. Jesus’ disciples came to Him with a specific request: “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). A man who knew Christ could heal, yet who also struggled with doubts, said: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). When Christ’s disciples asked why they could not heal, Jesus said that the faith required to do miracles comes as the result of earnest prayer and fasting (Mark 9:28–29). Ask God for the gift of His faith (1 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 2:8). We need to ask for the faith of Christ (Galatians 2:20; Revelation 14:12), which will enable us to be patient in trials and to know that God acts in His time and in His way—not always according to our desires.
2. Add to Your Faith
The Apostle Peter advised that if we want to grow in faith, we must diligently add specific qualities to our faith: virtue, knowledge, selfcontrol, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love— unselfish outgoing concern for others (2 Peter 1:5–10). We may believe that it is right to keep the Sabbath or the Holy Days or tithe. However, we must also develop the courage and conviction to act on our beliefs and not compromise. The more knowledgeable we are about what we believe, the stronger our convictions will be—which will help us step out in real faith. But merely knowing, believing and obeying the laws of God is not enough. If we want to develop real faith, we must also learn to control our emotions so we can show genuine love, concern and understanding for others—because these are also qualities that a person who desires to live by faith must cultivate (Galatians 5:22–26).
3. Prove All Things
The Apostle Paul wrote that we should “test [carefully examine] all things” and “hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). It is important to get crucial facts before we act on an issue. If you have proven that Christ, the Apostles and the early Church kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16; Acts 13:42; 17:2) and the Holy Days (Luke 2:41–42; John 7:7–10; Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8) according to the commands of God (Exodus 20:8–11; Leviticus 23), and that these days will be observed in the coming kingdom of God (Isaiah 66:23; Zechariah 14:16–19), you can keep these days with faith and confidence. It is also important to know that history records how anti-Jewish sentiments—three centuries after the days of Christ and the Apostles—persuaded the (essentially pagan) Roman Emperor Constantine to outlaw observance of the Sabbath and the Holy Days in an attempt to make Christianity more acceptable to his pagan subjects. If you prove these things to yourself, you will not be deceived by arguments appealing to our desire to “fit in with the crowd,” which have undermined the faith of so many.
4. Know the Bible
To build real faith in God and His word, we must know what the Bible says. Paul told Timothy to “be diligent [study] to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing [correctly understanding] the word of truth” and to avoid endless arguments and foolish disputes that can overthrow people’s faith (2 Timothy 2:14–26). Jesus told an astonished group of religious leaders that some of their questions indicated that they simply did not know the Scriptures they claimed to believe in, and assumed that they were able to teach (Matthew 22:23–33). The Bible clearly warns that in the last days misguided teachers claiming to be Christians will deceive many, by promoting fables and false teachings (Matthew 24:3–5, 11, 24; 2 Timothy 4:3–4). Scripture indicates that many will follow erroneous teachings because they do not have a love for the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9–12)— they do not know what the Bible says, or they have forgotten the truth they once knew—which means their faith is in vain. If we want to grow in real faith, and avoid being deceived, we must know Scripture and remain faithful to the truth.
5. Believe the Bible
When Jesus began preaching about the coming kingdom of God, he said: “Repent [change your life], and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14–15). It is one thing to know about the kingdom of God, to know that Christ died for our sins and to know that we should love God and our neighbors. But it is something else to understand that in order to be in the kingdom of God, we need to do what the Bible says. If you love God, do you believe that you must obey the commandments, as Scripture teaches (John 14:15)? Do you believe that Jesus Christ will return to this earth (Zechariah 14:4), and that we will reign with Him on earth as kings and priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10)? Or do you believe that you will go to heaven— in spite of what is recorded in Acts 2:29–34 and John 3:13? Do you believe that the Church of God is God’s true Church (1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:13), and that it exists today (Matthew 16:18)? Do you believe it is the responsibility of the Church to establish doctrine, or do you believe it is the prerogative of individuals to establish doctrine (1 Timothy 3:15: Proverbs 3:5–7)? If we have real faith that God inspired the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16), we will believe and do what we read in its pages—we will not play games trying to reason around Scripture!
6. Expect, Accept and Endure Trials
God uses tests and trials to develop within us qualities of His own righteous character. Peter tells us not to be surprised when trials arise: “If you are reproached for the name of Christ [for what you believe] blessed are you” because Jesus was tested in a similar manner (1 Peter 4:14). James writes that we should “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect [spiritually mature] and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4). This is why Jesus said that “he who endures to the end [does not compromise or give up] shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13), and that those who “overcome” trials will receive a reward (Revelation 3:5, 12, 21). Just as building muscles requires lifting weights, and winning races requires endurance, building real faith requires time—and learning to trust and work with God to overcome trials.
7. Gain a Godly Perspective
Real faith is based on more than just emotional feelings. The examples of faith recorded in Hebrews 11 describe events in the lives of real people. Abraham and Sarah developed real faith as they saw God working in their lives. They were promised a child that came only after Sarah had aged beyond normal childbearing years. Moses gave up his privileged status as a prince in Egypt because he believed God’s promises about a greater reward in the future, and he saw God work powerfully in his life. Stephen was calm in the face of death, because he had experienced God’s power in his lifetime (Acts 6:8; 7:59–60). Paul remained confident to the end of his life: “I am already being poured out… and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith… there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness” (2 Timothy 4:6–8). Paul’s faith was based on the evidence that God had definitely been at work in his life. Paul was blinded and his sight was restored (Acts 9:17). He was jailed and released several times. He was shipwrecked, yet survived (Acts 27–28). Although God used Paul to heal a number of people (Acts 19:11), Paul was not healed of an affliction even though he beseeched God earnestly (2 Corinthians 12:7–10). Paul’s faith remained strong because he trusted God. He understood God’s perspective that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28), and that God promises to see us through trials we encounter (1 Corinthians 10:13). Paul also realized that God was working out a purpose in his life that was more important than physical healing. That purpose was building real faith and the very character of God. We need to understand that God will do the same in our lives. This is the essence of real faith.
Enemies of Real Faith
Building real faith is not a casual venture for the fainthearted. There are powerful forces arrayed against anyone who embarks on this mission. The Bible reveals that our major adversary in the process of building faith and godly character is Satan the Devil. He is described as one who “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We are told that Satan uses a series of devices [schemes, strategies, deceitful maneuvers] that we cannot afford to ignore, or be ignorant of, lest he take advantage of us (2 Corinthians 2:11).
Satan used lies, and reasonable-sounding yet deceptive arguments, to undermine Adam and Eve’s faith in God (Genesis 3:1–13). He plants doubts (Hebrews 3:12, 19; James 1:5–8) that erode faith, and he uses trials, temptations and the enticements of this world to distract the unwary from walking in faith (Matthew 13:18–23). Satan stirs up social pressures to poison minds and discourage people from following the true faith (Acts 14:1–2). Not only does he employ scoffers and critics to ridicule the faith of believers (2 Peter 3:1–9); he even uses professing Christian ministers and teachers, who are themselves deceived, to draw others away from the true faith (2 Corinthians 11:1–4). If we want to build real faith, we must be constantly alert to these enemies of faith that threaten our quest, because Satan uses these same tactics today.
Real faith is not a vague hope or a nebulous concept. When we study what the Bible reveals about faith, we can begin to understand what real faith actually is, and why it is necessary to have faith. The Bible reveals how to build real faith, and exposes the devious schemes and strategies that Satan uses to undermine and destroy our faith. So ask God for the gift of His faith (1 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 2:8), and by following the biblical principles mentioned in this article you will find your faith increasing. We must use the information that God provides in His word to grow in faith, so that when Christ returns to this earth He will find real faith in each of us—and in His Church!