‘Have faith in Jesus!’. At one point or another, every Christian has heard these words. The term gets thrown about so loosely, it’s actually becoming sort of a cliche.
In my opinion, understanding what it means to ‘have faith in Jesus’, is absolutely fundamental to being a follower of Jesus. So what does it mean to have faith in Jesus?
In John 10:34 Jesus says “is it not written in your law, I have said you are gods?” 35If He called them gods to whom the word of God came and scripture cannot be set aside…”
Verse 35 is very important which says that scripture cannot be set aside. We cannot overlook a scripture just because it does not make sense or is inconvenient to our argument.
Following your own interpretation of God’s word and your own standard of what is right and wrong, makes you your own god.
Having Faith In Jesus’ Works – Not Ours
We must understand what is meant by ‘works’. ‘Works’ means one’s morals, philosophies and standards. Romans 3:27 & 28 is speaking of exactly this. You cannot enter the kingdom of heaven following your own works – meaning your own morals, philosophies and standards. Interpreting the word of God for yourself makes you your own God.
John 14:10 – Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I speak to you, I do not speak from myself; but the Father dwelling in me does His works.
Jesus is calling his words, teachings and philosophies, his works, which are from the Father. And so our works are our own philosophies, beliefs and teachings (independent of Jesus). When we put our faith in Jesus’ teachings and philosophies instead of our own, this is called ‘faith’.
Salvation can only be achieved through faith in Jesus’ interpretation, philosophies and standards. In other words, to surrender our beliefs and follow Jesus’, such as ‘turn the other cheek’, ‘give to all who ask’. Following Jesus’ teachings is how we show true faith in him. There is no other way to have faith in Jesus. Everything else is just lip service.
Matthew 15:7-9 – You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
Before Jesus, the Jews tried to fulfill the law according to their own interpretation of it, which would be like trying to fulfill the law by our own works. But now that Jesus has come, we can only fulfill the law through faith in Jesus’ teachings because only his teachings fulfill the entire law.
Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Romans 3:31 – Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
We must now uphold the law through our faith in the teachings of Jesus. Instead of through trying to fulfill the law through our own interpretation, independent of Jesus.
Of course, this is impossible as ‘there is no one righteous, no not one’. No one through their own self righteous interpretation can fulfill the law. The law can only be fulfilled through adhering to Jesus’ standards without compromise. This is what makes us righteous.
Faith In Jesus Means To Practice His Teachings
We must make sure that when we understand and believe Jesus’ teachings, we also fulfill them in our lives by doing them in action also since it is said in
James 2:14-26: What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
Romans 4:1 says that it was ‘Abraham in the flesh’. All Abraham could boast about in his flesh (his spirit) is merely that he believed God and this belief was accredited to him as righteousness. This does not mean that when Abraham was told to go to the land of Canaan, he somehow did not have to do it yet claim that he believed in God. Nor would it have been accredited to Abraham as righteousness. Abraham showed he believed in God through his actions.
The first step to righteousness is to believe what God has said in his word. And if you truly believe then you will follow through with your actions or else you don’t truly believe. For faith without action is dead.
I also think it is important to note that there technically was no law in Abraham’s time (as in the 10 Commandments). Since Abraham was before Moses, God spoke to him through a series of promises which to Abraham’s credit, he both believed and followed through his actions (such as moving to Canaan or putting Isaac on the altar).
Getting Rid Of Our Philosophy
Without keeping Jesus’ commandments, we do not love Jesus and we are not his disciples. Therefore, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven because eternal life is obtained through belief followed by action.
So we definitely have an active role in our salvation (the bible says to work out our salvation through fear and trembling – repentance, turning from our ways and adopting Jesus’ ways). That means to do away with our works (our philosophies) and follow or have faith in Jesus’ philosophies. This is how we are saved by faith and not works.
John 8:31 – So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.
John 14:15 – If you love me, keep my commands.
John 14:21 & 23 – Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them…23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
John 15:10 – If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
1 John 2:3 – We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.
1 John 5:3 – In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome
2 John 1:6 – And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
1 John 2:6 – Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
1 Peter 2:21 – To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
1 John 3:24 – The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Salvation Requires Work On Our Part
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? 2 Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.
This does not mean that the Jews don’t have to follow Jesus’ interpretation of God’s word in order to be righteous in the eyes of God. In this way, Jews and Gentiles are equal and alike.
3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.
Every human being who speaks independent of Jesus whether Jew or Gentile, is a liar. This does not nullify God’s promise that if you repent, He will forgive everyone whether Jew or Gentile.
As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”
5 But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) 6 Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7 Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” 8 Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!
Nothing good can come from our understanding of the word of God independent of Jesus’ interpretation of it.
9 What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.
10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 ruin and misery mark their ways,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
This is how all people are when they follow their own standards of right and wrong. They understand, teach and preach God’s word separate from Jesus’ understanding, whether Jew or Gentile.
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
No one who is trying to fulfill the law as the Jew does (independent of Jesus), can be declared righteous (no not one). The law is meant to give us a preliminary look at our sin. It is only through the ‘eyes’ of Jesus, that we can see all the ways in which we fall short of fulfilling the commandments in our lives. Jesus’ teachings remove the exceptions that we have added to the 10 commandments.
Jesus’ Teachings Makes Us Righteous
Romans 3 cont’d vs21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
Instead of trying to fulfill the law through your own understanding, God has made the knowledge of Himself (which is found in Jesus’ teachings) the only way to become righteous.
22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
God has made the way to become righteous to be through our faith in the teachings of Jesus. We cannot be made righteous through our own understanding of the scriptures because they will be independent of Jesus’ teachings.
There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,
There is no different standard for Jews and Gentiles. Neither Jew nor Gentile can follow their own interpretation of how to fulfill the law. Both Jews and Gentiles must follow Jesus’s teachings.
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.
We must have faith in the teachings and message that Jesus died for. This faith makes us righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus died for a particular message. If he had compromised his message, he would not have died on the cross. We must do as Jesus did and not compromise it either.
He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27 Where, then, is boasting?
No one can boast of their own interpretation, as it is inferior to Jesus’.
It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.
By works, Paul is referring to the works of your own interpretation. By faith, Paul is referring to faith in Jesus’ interpretation.
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. 31 Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.
Abraham Demonstrates How To Have Faith In Jesus
By having faith in Jesus’ interpretation of God’s word, we uphold and fulfill the law. The only way to uphold the law is through faith in Jesus. We cannot achieve this through following our own way and this goes for all mankind – both Jews and Gentiles.
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.”
We must first understand that Abraham was before Jesus and Moses. Abraham did not try to follow God’s way through his own thoughts. Rather he believed whatever God said. This is 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.
The one who is rewarded with righteousness is the one who believes God’s words (through Jesus). Not through what they believe God’s word says (meaning their own works).
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.”
David is saying the one who believes God’s word and uncovers his sin receives forgiveness and is blessed. Forgiveness is received by admitting one’s sin. The one who covers up their sin through justifying them and seeing the word of God his own way is trying to get into the kingdom of heaven by his own works.
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.
Whether you are a Jew or Gentile, you must follow Jesus’ interpretation on how to fulfill the law. Just like Abraham had faith in what God said (Jesus’ teachings for us today).
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.
It was not Abraham’s attempt to fulfill the law his own way that made him righteous. It was his belief and faith in God’s promises (due to Abraham being before Jesus). For us, it is our belief in Jesus’ teachings which are his promises, that make us righteous.
14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,
If those who follow their own interpretation are heirs also, then what would be the point of following Jesus’s interpretation? It would be 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.
The ‘faith of Abraham’ in this verse means that Abraham believed God and not himself.
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.”
Abraham did not believe in his own thoughts and sensibilities. Instead, he believed God’s words and promises, regardless of how unlikely they seemed. This was accredited to Abraham as righteousness.
We must believe Jesus’ teachings. Through this faith, we become righteous. We cannot believe Jesus or love him without following and obeying his commandments.
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.
If we do as Abraham did and believe in God’s ways over our own thinking, we will also be considered righteous in the eyes of God.
Having Faith In Jesus Leads To Salvation
Ephesians 2:1 – Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
This shows that we do need to change in order to receive salvation and enter the kingdom of heaven. We must stop following our old nature; our philosophies and ways. We must begin following the teachings, philosophies and ways of Jesus only and without compromise or exceptions.
This is the grace of God who is rich in mercy: that as bad as we are; as unrighteous and twisted in philosophy as we are, He has sent his son with a message. And if we believe in it and apply it to our lives, God will consider us as righteous.
Ephesians 2:4 – But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
Paul is stating that we have to change from our old ways of thinking and acting and begin to think and act in accordance with Jesus’ teachings. This is what it means to have faith in Jesus. It is more than just something we confess with our lips.
Faith In Jesus Is More Than Lip Service
Matthew 15:7-9 – You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
Luke 6:46 – Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?
Matthew 7:21 – Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
James 1:22 – Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
We must aspire to follow all that Jesus has taught us and to keep the standards he has set. His standards are perfect and impossible to maintain 100% of the time because we are imperfect and will inevitably fall short now and then.
It is by grace that we have been saved and the grace of God is this: that we have been given Jesus’ interpretation of God’s word, which helps us to identify our shortcomings. As long as we can acknowledge our sin (where we fall short according to Jesus’ standards) and admit our faults, God will surely forgive us no matter what the transgression or how many times we transgress. We have been saved through God’s grace and mercy, which is Jesus’s teachings, not through any belief or philosophy we previously held.
So now we can understand Ephesians 2:8 & 9.
8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
We have been saved through our belief in Jesus’ teachings and our aspirations to obey and follow it in our lives. The teachings of Jesus are a gift from God which we refer to as grace. Of course we will inevitably fall short of Jesus’ perfect standards, as we are imperfect ourselves. But the characteristic of trying with all our heart, mind and strength (without compromising the integrity of Jesus’ message) is what God is looking for. This allowance is a merciful gift from God since if he did not allow salvation in this way, no one would or could enter the kingdom of heaven.
9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
Through believing in Jesus’ teachings, our philosophies and ways will be acceptable to God. By adhering to Jesus’ teachings, we are now shaped by God.
Faith In Jesus Means To Believe In His Teachings Without Compromising
Romans 5:1-6 – Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
We are justified through our faith in Jesus’ teachings and interpretation of the word of God. If we will not compromise Jesus’ teachings by mixing it with the world’s ways of thinking, we have peace with God through Jesus. There is no other way to have faith in Jesus. Simply claiming to have faith with our lips or even going to church, bible studies and prayer meetings will not suffice.
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.
Now that we are living our lives according to the standards of Jesus, we are standing in his grace. We now know that we can ask for forgiveness for every sin we commit and receive it. This is grace! If we don’t recognize our sin and subsequently ask for forgiveness, God cannot forgive it.
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we confess or admit our sin, God is faithful to forgive it. However we must be able to recognize our sin which is done through the uncompromised teachings of Jesus.
Psalm 32:5 – Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Proverbs 28:13 – Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Leviticus 26:40 – But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me.
Romans 5 continued…3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
This scripture affirms that we must go through suffering. Following Jesus’ teachings and aspiring to reach his perfect standards are difficult. It is also difficult to fall short of Jesus’ teachings and resist the temptation to cover up our sin with excuses and justifications. Looking in the mirror and being honest and repentant and admitting that we have indeed fallen short is suffering and hard to do.
Acts 14:22 – strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
2 Timothy 3:12 – Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.
It is true that Jesus died for us when we were all ungodly, following our own ways and disregarding his teachings. Thankfully, renouncing our old ways and adopting Jesus’ teachings means that our faith in Jesus can bring us back into communion with God.
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