What does it mean to have faith in Jesus?
Today, many people if asked this question, they would answer that they believe in Lord Jesus Christ. But how is it that this world departs more and more from commandments of the Son of God? How is it that life of most people, who say that they have faith in Lord Jesus, does not resemble Jesus's life?If we think, however, that having faith in Lord Jesus leads to everlasting life (John 3:16,36; 6:47), then the more we must answer the question:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE FAITH IN JESUS?
I. First of all, this implies to know the truth about life and personality of Jesus Christ. You can receive this knowledge from the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible teaches us about the birth of the Son of God, which happened at the beginning of the first day of creation (1 John 2: 13,14; 5:18); then about His existence with the Father from the beginning (John 1: 1-3); as He was the agent who God used to make all the things: visible and invisible (Colossians 1: 15-17); later, as Lord Jesus came on earth (John 1:14); His birth of Mary (Luke 1: 30-35); His baptism (Luke 3: 21,22); His work of preaching the Gospel, making disciples and also, doing miracles (Mark 1:15; John 4: 1,2; Luke 8: 1,2; Matthew 4: 23-25); His death on the cross by which He paid the ransom for mankind (Isaiah 53: 3-5; Mark 10:45; 1 Corinthians 1: 17-18; 1 Timothy 2: 5,6).
Lord Jesus was resurrected on the third day of His death (1 Corinthians 15: 4) and after 40 days ascended to heaven (Acts 1: 1-11). Since then, He rules over His church (Colossians 1:13; Ephesians 1: 20- 2. 3) and He will come again to judge the living ones and the dead ones (Acts 1: 3,4; 2 Timothy 4: 1).
In order to find more credible information, you can look into the testimonies offered by many witnesses of Jesus, namely, that He is the Christ (Messiah), the Savior of the world. The first and greatest witness is God Himself, who confessed Jesus being His Son. Other witnesses are John the Baptiser and Jesus' disciples, who testified about Jesus by writing four Gospels about His life, and even putting their own life at stake to support their testimony (John 12:44; 1 John 5: 9,10; John 1:29; Acts 2: 22-24; 4:12; 5: 31,32; 10: 42,43; John 20:31).
II. Secondly, you shall trust in Jesus, which means to let your mind and heart be influenced by these truths.
Your thoughts must be about Him, the One who died and raised up for you (Romans 4: 24,25; Colossians 3: 1-4) You shall love Him, the One who loved you so much that gave His life for you (Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 5: 2; John 15:13). The more you meditate on His example, the more it will lead you to submissiveness, humbleness, repentance! (Acts 2: 14-38; Luke 19: 1-10). You'll realize how reprehensible your life is, being far from Jesus's example. By comparing your life with the holy life of Jesus, who fully fulfilled the law of God (1 Peter 2:21-23; John 8:46; Galatians 4: 4,5), you will realize that you are guilty before God (Romans 3: 9-23)!
The faith that saves is the one which comes from the heart when our heart is no longer ruled by sin and lust, but it is focused on the Son of God, His life, holiness. This will finally result into rivers of living water flowing from your heart, into a faith, that will make you publicly confess the Lord Jesus and God, who raised Him from the dead (Romans 10: 9,10). This leads to the next step:
III. The third step involves works we do by the virtue of our faith (James 2: 14-26).
Once you repented of your sins and put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, you will get to tell others about your life in Jesus. You will grow more and more in fellowship with the Lord, that will lead to self-denial, to following Jesus, carrying your cross daily by nailing the sinful acts of the flesh (Galatians 5: 19-23; Colossians 3: 3-5 ; Luke 9:23). All these will result into the testimony of baptism.
It is not enough for someone to say that he has faith if his faith is not made public by water baptism, following the Son of God in everything (Luke 3: 21,22).
When getting baptised, you make a prayer in the water, in which you testify your faith in Him, and publicly show that you repent of sins and fully entrust yourself unto the Lamb of God (Acts 22:16).
By being immersed into the water of baptism you submerge into Christ and become one with Him (Romans 6: 3-5; Galatians 3:27). Through baptism, you become a member of Jesus's body (1 Corinthians 12: 12,13), which is His congregation on earth. Here you'll become one with those who baptized you and who follow the Son of God (Acts 2:38 -47).
Dear reader, do you have faith in the Lord Jesus? Do you follow Him? Do you listen to His Word?
Jesus taught us that having faith in Him implies walking in the light (John 8:12; 12:46), obeying Him in everything (John 3:36; Hebrews 5: 9). Since there are only two ways and only two masters (Matthew 7: 13,14; 6:24; 12:30), once you do not follow in Jesus's footsteps, then you follow Satan, and will end up being judged forever! - John 3: 18-20.