Faith in Jesus Christ

Faith in Jesus Christ

(i) It’s Scriptural to use this term.

Example verse:

“having heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love that is to all the saints,” (Colossians 1:4)

Please notice also the word ‘your’ (of you) in front of the phrase ‘faith in Christ Jesus’.

(ii) Meaning?

It refers to a ‘believer’s faith’ in Him according to the ‘measure given’ (by God – meaning ‘our ability to believe’ is also ‘solely’ determined by ‘God Alone’ and ‘not of ourselves’ so ‘no one may boast’ or ‘think too highly of himself’):

“For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

(iii) Faith is a Gift too

A less known or less preached fact is that “faith in Christ” is a “Gift of the Spirit” too just like healing & other gifts:

“and to another faith in the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healings in the same Spirit;” (1 Corinthians 12:9)

(iv) All believers are not the same

As the quoted verses above show, each believer has a different “gift” (e.g. “faith”, “healing” etc.) and as “believers” these gifts are available to us ‘as God Wills’ (‘measure appointed or determined by God toward us’).

Conclusion

The ‘far more greater or excellent way’ than ‘all these gifts’ is echoed too:

“and desire earnestly the better gifts; and yet a far excelling way do I shew to you:” (1 Corinthians 12:31)

What is apostle Paul referring to?
His Way of ‘Agape’ (Love of God) as revealed in the subsequent verses in the next chapter as follows:

“If with the tongues of men and of messengers (angels) I speak, and have not love, I have become brass sounding, or a cymbal tinkling;

and if I have prophecy, and know all the secrets, and all the knowledge, and if I have all the faith, so as to remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing;

and if I give away to feed others all my goods, and if I give up my body that I may be burned, and have not love, I am profited nothing.

The love is long-suffering, it is kind, the love doth not envy, the love doth not vaunt itself, is not puffed up,

doth not act unseemly, doth not seek its own things, is not provoked, doth not impute evil, 6rejoiceth not over the unrighteousness, and rejoiceth with the truth;

all things it beareth, all it believeth, all it hopeth, all it endureth.

The love doth never fail; and whether [there be] prophecies, they shall become useless; whether tongues, they shall cease; whether knowledge, it shall become useless;

for in part we know, and in part we prophecy;

and when that which is perfect may come, then that which [is] in part shall become useless.

When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe;

for we see now through a mirror obscurely, and then face to face; now I know in part, and then I shall fully know, as also I was known;

and now there doth remain faith, hope, love — these three; and the greatest of these [is] love.” (1 Corinthians 13)