I base my explanation of faith as a conviction that is given by God that:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One God (Bible verses that I believe support this)
That I need a
perfect payment for my sins
Hebrews 9
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.
Faith is believing this without having scientific proof. We share the truth without being able to prove it to another person.
John 6:37
All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.
Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(All have sinned. We can't earn eternal ife --- it is a gift!)
Being given the new birth is by the Holy Spirit, not by our own decision.
John 3
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
Our first birth is natural. Our second birth is spiritual.
Faith that is dead doesn't believe or do what the Bible teaches.
John 14
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. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
Those who have the second birth obey Him
because they love him!
We aren't seeking a reward.
1 John 4:19 NIV
We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:19 KJV
We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar...
(I use NIV and other versions for those who don't understand King James English, but I usually read KJV. )
True faith, to me, isn't just saying, "I believe." It's believing the Bible as well as believing the words that Jesus spoke concerning God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I'm still learning.