What can I do to get a true faith?

What can I do to get a true faith?

What can one do to “get” faith? Indeed, the Jews of Jesus day asked a very similar question in John 6:28-30 “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? (v.29) Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (v.30) They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?” They asked what they could “do” to accomplish the work required of them by God. Jesus stated that the only “work” they do was to believe in him, the one God sent to redeem mankind. Their response is not unlike the question before us here. They said prove who you are so that we can have faith in you. And so, faith in Christ comes when we begin to understand who he is and what he has done. 

History will bear out the fact that Jesus existed. There is little to no doubt that a person by that name existed in the time frame, and the region, accepted by most. But can we believe He is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, the Redeemer of man and God in flesh? Believing Jesus existed is not difficult. One simply looks into historical documents for confirmation. That he is who he claimed to be does require faith. However, faith is not required to be blind. There is ample evidence.

In a search for faith in Christ, might I begin by suggesting we start with prayer? One must understand that finding who Christ is begins with finding God. Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. If one does not find God he will surely not find Christ. A search for God must begin on our knees; Isaiah 55:6 “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” Psalm 145:18 “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” James 4:8a “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you….” The Bible is replete with calls to prayer. Because the only one who can help us find God, and therefore a true understanding of Jesus Christ, is God Himself. And conversely, it is by Jesus that we come unto the Father (John 14:6-9). We must pray earnestly, and daily, that God will grant understanding and faith. The search for faith is not a cold academic or scientific classroom research project. Our search for faith is an attempt to come to that place in existence where we can hold on to and, in some way, relate to God. He calls us to faith (Hebrews 11:6), and has made faith the very premise of salvation (John 3:18-19). Faith gives us something to hold on to even though we cannot yet see it materially (Hebrews 11:1). Our prayer must be that God will reveal Himself to us and that He will increase our faith. 

A frequent and fervent study of the Word of God reveals Christ, and so, increases faith. Remember earlier in John 6:28-30 that Jesus was asked to verify his credentials by expressing what things he had done. I have been saved (born-again) for more than 40 years now. I have been a student of the Bible from the beginning of my walk with Jesus. My faith in God and in His Son Jesus Christ is stronger today than ever before. The faith that I have in Jesus is not built upon my church attendance, though that is important. Instead, my faith grows daily as I study God’s Word. The more I learn of the life of Christ, the plan of God for Jesus which began before this world had begun, and the many prophecies and even historical events which worked together to bring Jesus into the world the stronger my faith becomes. The more I see how Jesus lived his life here, and the way he has already begun to set in motion all of the events which will expedite his return for His Church, the greater my faith becomes; John 1:1-4, 14 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (v.2) The same was in the beginning with God. (v.3) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (v.4) In him was life; and the life was the light of men.…(v.14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” If one would have faith in Christ, one must read the Word of God because His Word reveals the Son of God. 

John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was the one for whom the world had been waiting, Luke 7:19  “And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?” His question was much the same as ours, 'is Jesus the Son of God?' The answer Jesus gave that day was priceless. He gave the only answer any of us would ever need. Essentially, Jesus was saying to John that if he had read the Scriptures he would have known. The answer to John’s question, and to ours, is in the Bible, a text available to John in the synagogue. And a text which lies upon the coffee table of most in America, a text in the bedside table of so many hotels and motels dotting the countryside of our land. In his response to John he simply said (I paraphrase), “John, you have read the Scriptures, you know what to look for. Do I fulfill those prophecies?” Look again at what Jesus actually said to Johns disciples, Luke 7:22 “Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” Amazing to me was his last statement. Jesus’ gospel was even preached to the poor. It was not elitist. Jesus’ gospel is a gospel for all the lost. Read the Bible and you will find Christ. Read the Bible and your faith in Christ will grow. 

The real problem is seldom one of not knowing what to believe. The problem is the nature of man. We do not want to believe. The gospel calls us to admit our sin, admit we are not good in any sense of the word, admit we are as bad as God says we are. Romans 1:16-32 (please read this passage) reveals that we have chosen to rebel against God after knowing who He was. We left Him. He placed within each of us a knowledge of Himself and because of our fallen nature we choose sin over righteousness, false gods over the true God, we choose not to glorify God (v.21). Finding faith in Jesus Christ is an act of our will. We already know (v.19, 20) God. But, will we choose to glorify Him as God? Can we express faith that He came to redeem us from our sinful fallen nature? 

There have been many books written in defense of Christ.  However, I believe the greatest answers to the question of faith will be found when we earnestly seek God in prayer, and when we search the Scriptures daily looking for Jesus. Jesus said in John 5:38-40, “And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. (v.39) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. (v.40) And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” Search the Scriptures in search of Jesus, and you will find him and, as a result, your faith in Him will grow.