FAITH , WHAT IS IT? PART 6 OF 10
Text - Hebrews 11:1
INTRODUCTION
This evening I would like to speak to you concerning the subject of faith.
Within the New Testament, the Greek word for faith is “pisteuo.”
In both its noun and verb forms it is used 492 times in comparison to the word repent which is found on 58 times.
In the Gospel of John the word faith is found 99 times while the word repent is not used even once.
In order to fully understand the meaning of faith and repentance we need to first understand their relationship to one another.
For instance, sometimes in the Bible repentance is the one and only requirement stated for salvation.
Acts 17:30 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
On other occasions faith is the only requirement stated for salvation.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”\
Then there are times in the Bible when both repentance and faith are required for salvation.
Mark 1:15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
Acts 20:18-21 And when they had come to him, he said to them,"You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 21solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
What can we conclude from these verses is that repentance and faith are not the same things.
We can also conclude that when repentance for salvation is mentioned separately it also includes faith and when faith is mentions alone for salvation it includes repentance, since they are both required for salvation.
From this evidence, we must also conclude that the Bible places great emphasis on faith.
Yet, even though faith is a vital issue within the Bible, it is quite evident that many today do not understand its meaning.
For many today, faith is nothing more than a leap into the dark, or simply a sophisticated synonym for superstition.
Since Jesus tells us in the Great Commission, in Mark 16, that faith is an important part of preaching the Gospel, we need to understand what faith means.
Mark 16:15-16 And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16"He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.”
Basically, faith consists of three elements.
This evening I would like us to examine what a person needs to do in order to have saving faith.