How do I know if I have faith?

[trav0127]

I'm not sure if this belongs here, but it feels like a "new Christian" thing to ask.

I've been worrying about this for a long time. The pastors and other Christians I've spoken with have told me things like, "If you are asking this question, you have faith." or "You just have to feel like you believe." or "If you read your Bible every night, you have faith." But none of that seems right.

Jesus says I need the faith of a mustard seed, a really small seed, and I'm good. How do I know if I have even that?

 

[JohnR7]

Everyone has been given a measure of faith. Without God's divine faith, we would not be able to get saved. It's up to us to use the faith God gives us. If we use what we have, He will give us more and then we can even reach a point where we are given faith without measure.

God's divine faith is in us, because the Holy Spirit of God is in us. When we live in the Spirit and not in the flesh, then we are using the faith He has given to us. So, if we are living Holy, Sanctifed lives, set apart onto God, then we know we are yielding to Him. If we live according to the flesh, and we are out in the world to indulge the desires of the flesh, then we are not living for God.

 

[Michael-Rev12:7]

when we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Our faith becomes stronger as we continue to pursue and follow His way.

/jm

 

[MizDoulos]

Welcome to the forum ,trav0127 and Michael-Rev12:7!

I have moved this thread to the Bible Study forum as it is a more indepth question that can be answered better here.

 

[Wildfire]

Hi Trav; (to me) having faith in God is similiar to the relationship that we may have with a loved one. It is <knowing> that before you fall asleep at night and when you awake in the morning, Jesus Christ will be there with you. It is the belief that God listens to your prayers, and everything that is whispered from your lips, is heard only by him. It is looking foreward to reading the bible, so that something new can be discovered. It is a special and sacred relationship, like a child who is innocent and believing in the words of their father.

I often wonder, when I am out in the bustle of this world, how many others feel the way I do..when I see a sky painted with brilliant colors, knowing it was given to my sight by Gods hand, I am speechless.

Oh, how I am struck by his patience in all of us.

Seek the comforter, who is the holy spirit of truth. Ask to recieve this; Remember, Jesus told us he would not leave us comfortless. It is a gift. This will help guide you into the understanding of all things.
Wildfire

 

[Dave Ulchers]

Jesus said "whoever has faith in me shall do the works which I have done, yes, even greater works than these he shall do."

So, if you are doing the works which Jesus did, then you have faith.

 

[psalms 22.3]

well,
answer my question
do you believe what is written in the bible?
do you believe that jesus really is the son of god?
if you say YES. then yes, you do have faith.

the devil will play mind games with you, and get you all confused, hes very good at that twisting things around and bending truths, so that you are very confused and so he can then attack you in a weakened state.

how do i KNOW that i have faith?
well, that is a very athiestic agnostic mind teasing question, you can go around, around and around agian, maybe never finding anything that makes sense, becuase your question doesnt really make sense.
its like saying
HOW DO I KNOW THAT I KNOW? its one of those unfeasable questions that dont make sense that athiests ask becuase it is quite confusing.

change the question.
DO YOU CHOOSE BELIEVE? it is up to you.
faith is not a feeling and they do connect, you do not FEEL that you have faith.
YOU SIMPLY CHOOSE TO HAVE FAITH.

simply say to yourself
YES, I DO BELIEVE, I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE.
and forget the rest. dont talk with the devil, dont let him in your mind, hes quite intelligent and can twist things around and trick you.

you simply CHOOSE to have faith, and then it is yours.
the potentail to have faith is given to all men. it is not something that must be sought after. it is already in you.

you put your foot down and choose it, and dont worry about the feelings and dont think yourself into a hole that you cant get out of. you CANT think god away, but you can easily confuse yourself.

and when the devil attacks your faith and says "
WELL? HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE IT?"
say,
BECAUSE GOD SAID WE ALL CAN HAVE IT, AND I CHOSE IT, I DO BELIEVE. I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE.

sometimes you simply have to make em shut up.
listen to him long enough, and hell get in you.
listening to the devil is opening a door to the devil.

jesus didnt listen to the devil very long, he simply said GET THE BEHIND ME! GET THE HENCE!
LEAVE NOW!
and it is not running away from a fight. it is not being weak, it does not mean you are weak or stupid.
the devil isnt big and strong, yet he can easily confuse you and make you forget the things that clearly prove you are RIGHT!

i use to do this, and id think myself into a place where i didnt know what was true anymore.
but it was simply because the devil has a way of making you forget where you came from and what youve been through and what youve seen and know. hold on to those things very tightly! like jesus did, he didnt debate with the devil, he simply spoke the word of god, what he knew, what hed seen, what proved he was right and then told him to shut up and leave.
it is very dangerous to have long conversations with the devil.

 

[ZiSunka]

Do you believe that Christ is the Son of God who came to live among us on earth to give us a way to be reconciled to God?

That is what the Bible means when it says, "faith."

If you believe that, you have faith. If you don't believe that, then you don't have faith.

 

[heather]

Trav, thanks for posting this, faith is something I am working with and questioning myself. So what I am saying I am also saying for myself.

Heb. 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I think that we have faith, even when we think we don't. Just on the material realm we act on faith, we sit on a chair without checking to make sure it is structurally sound, we turn the key in the ignition of our car without checking that the engine is there. We asssume that the sun will rise the next day, so many things we take on faith.

Godly faith is a bit challenging, because God does not hit us over the head with a hammer. But one thing I was meditating on the other night is that when the Israelites were walking in the wilderness, they had many tangible proofs of God's existence, they had the parting of the Red Sea, the freedom from the Egyptians, manna, a pillar of fire, a pillar of cloud, the booming voice of God, lots of tangible things, and they still did not follow God's dictates.

Maybe God is smarter than we think, maybe he is way more subtle so that we are drawn to him, seeking his face, curious. Sometimes it seems hard, but when we take that first tiny step, he meets us. (Believe me when I say that I need to trust in this myself, because this is hard for me). But I think you have faith, faith enough to know that faith exists. Faith enough to pursue faith.

 

[BigEd]

You can always pray to have more faith.

 

[Martin]

If you have enough faith to believe God for your salvation, then you probably have enough faith. Jesus used the example of the smallest thing in His environment (a mustard seed) to demonstrate how much faith you need - the smallest amount you can possibly imagine....

The issue is not our faith but our doubts. Doubt comes as an attack of the enemy against our faith, doubts such as "am I good enough?", "will God really do it?", "will God heal me?"

Matt 21:21
21And Jesus answered and said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt , you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will happen.

We tend to focus on a lack of faith (which is not really the issue) rather than our doubts. In this passage Jesus warns us about our doubts.

So how do we overcome our doubts? Research the word of God... If you look closely enough you will find all the answers you need to overcome your doubts - then faith will reign!

 

[trav0127]

Psalms 22.3, thanks for your thoughts.

How do faith and belief differ? Yes, I believe what is written in the Bible, yes, I believe Jesus is really the son of God. But, my belief, what is that? I say that "I beleive this or that." I tell it to other people, I would not deny it (I hope). I truly think that Jesus Christ walked this earth and died horribly for my sins, all our sins, and wiped then clean away. I don't beleive salvation can come any other way.

My question isn't posed in an atheistic or agnostic mindset. I am a christian. I don't think this is an "unfesable" question. It is quite answerable, I think. If Jesus talked about our faith, I think he was giving us accurate direction, and not posing any "koans". He explained his parables. I just haven't found the answer yet. Though I'm closer, for having posted this and read your replies. =)

Yes, I choose to believe. Again, how does belief and faith tie together? What is this belief you ask of? Is it like what I've written above?

If faith is not a feeling, what is it? Is it just the "thought" of belief that Christ came for me?

There have been times in my life, when I needed something immediately , and I prayed to Jesus for help. He came through for me, immediately . When these things happened, it was my own personal parting of the red sea. Jesus touched my life directly. I felt at those times differently than I do now. What was that? I could call it "faith", but I don't think that is accurate. Still, those events surely deepened my faith. Why can't I capture those feelings again? Or, is that even neccessary?

Dave, I have not done any works that I know Jesus to have done. I haven't healed anyone, I float on water, if it isn't to active, and I've yet to make wine from anything but a bottle. If you don't mean his miraculous works, what did you have in mind?

Lambslove, I do believe that Christ is the son of God, and the only way to eternal life. What is that "belief" though? Are you thinking what I'm thinking when I say that I "believe"?

Big ed, I am praying now for faith, thank you. That was a wonderful suggestion, and while I feel rather less than intelegent for not thinking of it, it is now corrected.

Martin, you make an interesting point about doubts. It seems Jesus tells us to simply not doubt. It is an action we can take and are told not to.

 

[ZiSunka]

Lambslove, I do believe that Christ is the son of God, and the only way to eternal life. What is that "belief" though? Are you thinking what I'm thinking when I say that I "believe"?

I mean, do you KNOW in your heart that Christ is your savior?

 

[trav0127]

What do you mean, "Know in your heart"? Yes, I "know" Jesus is my saviour.

 

[ZiSunka]

I don't think I completely understand what you are asking. Can you rephrase your question?

 

[trav0127]

You asked me if I "know in my heart that Christ is my saviour". I am asking you what the phrase "know in my heart" means. I know that Christ is my saviour, mentally, like I know my name is Travis. What do you mean "know in my heart"?

 

[Dave Ulchers]

Originally posted by trav0127
Dave, I have not done any works that I know Jesus to have done. I haven't healed anyone, I float on water, if it isn't to active, and I've yet to make wine from anything but a bottle. If you don't mean his miraculous works, what did you have in mind?

I'm not sure I'm qualified to say what Christ had in mind. I might suggest the most important work Jesus did was to obey God.

John 3:36 --
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him."

 

[Redeemed1]

Originally posted by trav0127
How do faith and belief differ?

I offer this, based on my own experience: Belief is a "knowing", an acknowledgment that something is truth. Faith is trusting in that truth. Trust is something that is developed. We choose to believe...God gives and builds our faith. (Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith). As we walk according to what we have chosen to believe (acknowledge to be truth), our faith (trust in that truth)will be built up by God, using others in the Body of Christ, as well as by using the circumstances of our life to prove Himself faithful.

An example of the difference between belief and faith:

"I know God can...but will He?"

 

[trav0127]

Redeemed1, that was very lucid! I appreciate your comments. You have cleared this up for me nicely.

 

[psalms 22.3]

i myself dont see how BELIEF AND FAITH are 2 diffrent things.
if you believe something, then you do trust it, you dont believe something and then later trust it.

"i know god can...but will he?"
if you know god can, then you have faith that he can.
whether you have faith that god WILL is to believe for something totally diffrent and seperate. those arent the same thing or even connected with each other.
you simply go the word and read where HE SAID HE WOULD. then you choose to believe him and you have faith for that as well.
(im not attacking anyone, sorry if it seems that way, this is just my personal opinion and not a dogmatic teaching, i am not demanding anyone agree with me)

you said
Yes, I believe what is written in the Bible, yes, I believe Jesus is really the son of God. But, my belief, what is that? I say that "I beleive this or that." I tell it to other people, I would not deny it (I hope). I truly think that Jesus Christ walked this earth and died horribly for my sins, all our sins, and wiped then clean away. I don't beleive salvation can come any other way.

if you REALLY DO BELEIVE, then thats faith. if you ONLY THINK then that is not complete belief, you cannot only THINK. becuase to think is to still be unsure. like
to THINK is to consider POSSIBILITIES. not to really believe or trust what your conclusion is, or you unsure finding.

you said
"If faith is not a feeling, what is it? Is it just the "thought" of belief that Christ came for me?"

think about something very simple that you know to be true.
like, you know your mother and father are your real mother and father. you believe that.
you dont have to feel it. you simply know and believe.
feeling isnt associated with faith.
though feeling can come as a BY-PRODUCT of faith.
but feeling isnt knowing or having faith, and you dont need to fell to know or have faith.

say you are standing in the middle of a room, you see where you are, then you close your eyes, you stretch out your arms but you cant touch anything. you cant FEEL where you are. but you know where you are becuase you simply know.
but you dont need to FEEL it for it to be true or for you to have faith for that.

you can have faith in anything, faith isnt only accosiated with the spiritual.

homosexuals do not FEEL like males so they question their sexuality. but they are males nevertheless, and it can be known, if it can be known it can be believed and that is also faith.

feelings are good, they do help. i wish i could always FEEL that the word of god is true. but i dont. but i believe it anyway, because i simply choose to. and then the feelings do come later, most of the time.

you simply dont need feelings to have faith. even if i dont SEE my god, or feel him near me all the time, i still beleive he is real and that he will do what he said he would do.

i simply say that FAITH and BELIEF are the same thing.
if faith is trust, and belief is not.
then, i can believe what someone says, yet still not trust them to have told the truth, which is a paradox and isnt possible.
you cant believe someone, yet not trust that person at the same time.
you may believe someone CAN, yet not trust that they WILL.
but those are 2 SEPERATE ISSUES.

YOU CANNOT BELEIVE SOMEONE CAN YET NOT TRUST THAT THEY CAN.
YOU CANNOT BELEIVE SOMEONE WILL YET NOT TRUST THAT THEY WILL.
to beleive is to trust, and is to have faith.

if someone walked up to you, and asked.
do you really believe a man has walked on the moon?
youd probly say YES.
if they then asked
"well, how do you really know you believe that?"

becuase you are in control of yourself and you know you can do what you do, and that you have done what you have done.
they may say
"well, i dont really think you beleive"
then you should say
"oh well"

if you went to bill gates and said "
I DONT THINK YOU REALLY DO HAVE HAVE ALL THAT MONEY!"
he wouldnt cry or bother to prove it.
hed simply say
"OH WELL, HAVE A NICE DAY, I HAVE A FLIGHT TO CATCH".