What is Your Faith In?

“[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. [17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.” – Romans 1:16-17

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” – Romans 4:5

Everyone has faith. Whether they know it or not, everyone puts their trust in something: a false god, an idol, an institution, or even themselves. Having faith isn’t enough to save someone if their faith isn’t in the right thing.

Romans 1:17 speaks to an important truth that in any age, those that are justified shall live by faith and operate according to the obedience of that faith (Acts 6:7, Romans 1:5).

Hebrews 11:1 tells us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith without a substance is not faith. “Blind faith” is no faith at all, but a false hope rooted in ignorance of the truth.

We are saved by grace through faith without works so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 4:5), but what is the substance of that faith today? What should our faith be in for us to be deemed justified and saved?

There are many substances of faith throughout the Bible, and we must understand which message we are trusting in to be saved. As God progressively revealed His will for mankind, He delivered different terms for man to be saved: Noah had faith that God would judge the Earth through a flood and would save him if he built an ark; Moses had faith that God would deliver the enslaved Israelites from bondage. While at one time something may have been the pattern for faith that justified, faith in a covenant, the law, the kingdom coming, or even the name of the Son of God is not the content of the gospel that saves today.

Through most of the Bible, the substance of faith dealt with God’s intervention through the nation of Israel. That all changed when the mystery of Christ was revealed to the Apostle Paul and Christ dispensed His grace to humanity (Acts 9, Ephesians 3:1-10). 

Now under grace, rather than faith in the law of Moses or the coming kingdom, the substance of faith is found in the finished work of Christ on your behalf, the gospel of Christ. Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross, was buried, and resurrected three days later to offer us free justification. Faith alone in what He did for you, the gospel of Christ, saves your soul from Hell and gifts you eternal life from God (Romans 6:23).

“[1] Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; [2] By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. [3] For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” – 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

“[24] But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; [25] Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” – Romans 4:24-25

We are not saved by faith in feelings, experiences, religions, popes, good works, sacraments, church-going, miracles, or even the name of Jesus. Today, there is only one faith that is acceptable to God: faith in the gospel of Christ. If your faith is not solely in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ on your behalf, then your faith is in vain.