Q. It has not been very long since I began attending church. I learned that the 'treasure of treasures' is faith. I would like to know about faith in Christianity in detail.
A. There are many 'churchgoers' who go to church only on Sunday. They live as they please for six days and go to church for a while on Sunday. They lead perfunctory Christian lives. There are others who visit many churches and just listen to the messages.
Even though such people attend church on Sunday, they still have problems with diseases, finances, and family matters. Why is it? This is because they do not possess true faith worthy to be recognized by God. Let's look into what 'true faith' is in Christianity.
Faith: Believing God the Creator and Jesus Christ our Savior
Hebrews 11:3 reads, "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." That is, it is faith that God created the heavens and the earth and all things in them with His Word.
God created all things in the whole universe and us human beings. He revealed Himself by showing the proofs of His creation in all that was made as written in Romans 1:20. When we open our hearts and see this natural world, we can feel the touch of God the Creator. We can also feel God is alive through the Bible, His Word. We can, not just believe in, but we can truly believe the living God through the powerful works that have been manifested yesterday and today through men of God.
Christians have to believe Jesus Christ as their Savior and receive the Holy Spirit as gift. When we believe from the bottom of our hearts that Jesus opened the way of salvation and redeemed mankind from sins and gave us eternal life and hope for Heaven, we will receive the Holy Spirit, become God's children, and enter Heaven.
As explained above, in Christianity 'faith' is to accept Jesus Christ as the Savior and to become children of God the Creator. If we live according to the Word in the Bible we can receive answers to whatever we ask. Moreover, we come to try hard to become God's true children who accomplish the heart of the Lord. It results in salvation as written in 1 Peter 1:9, leading us to enjoy eternal life and blessings and joy in Heaven.
Faith: Attaining the right to become God's children and changing through the truth
Many people go to church and manage their Christian lives, but from the beginning not all of them have true faith. Of course, if we repent of our sins, accept Jesus Christ, and receive the Spirit, we gain the right to become God's children. When we understand who God is and why Jesus Christ is our Savior, and believe the existence of Heaven and Hell, this is the beginning of faith. Then, we have to practice the Word of God such as things God tells us to do, not to do, to keep, and to throw away recorded in the Bible. When we are able to do so, then we have come to have true faith recognizable to God.
Suppose there is a person who has been a Christian for a long time. If he still does not keep the whole Sabbath holy, does not give whole tithes and he hates and argues with others he can't be said to have true faith yet. By finding sins and evil in him and praying earnestly, he has to cast away every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Being changed by the truth in the Bible is the shortcut to possessing true faith, which is the treasure of treasures.
Faith: The assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen
No matter how much science and medicine have developed today, a number of problems beyond human ability and limit, many kinds of newly-discovered diseases, and tremendous disasters inflict great pain upon mankind. All those problems can be resolved with God's power, and it is by true faith. The Bible explains about faith in Hebrews 11:1-2, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval." That is, the things that people are not able to even hope for are realized through faith in God the Creator. The things that men can't see are made visible through seeing them with faith. How exciting it is for those who experience such things! With the power of God the Almighty, we can accomplish things that seem impossible in reality.
Those who have true faith recognized by God do not lose heart or feel disheartened as the result of the reality of any situation. They rather ponder upon the love of God they can feel through it and give thanks to Him understanding the deep love of God who wants to give them answers and blessings. Consequently, they can receive answers to whatever they ask for as they confess with faith.
Faith: The measurement of love for and heartfelt trust in God
Matthew 7:21 reads, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." People say, "Lord, I believe in You", but many of them lead their Christian lives one-sidedly for their convenience and benefit. They haven't thought about how much God recognizes and trusts them. But true faith is the measurement of love for and confidence in God.
A true trust is the trust relation that never corrupts in any kind of circumstance. We must not establish limits in trust saying, "I accept it to a point, but I can't if things go beyond it." Only when we go over those limits, can we show perfect deeds of obedience. Only when we love God with our hearts and accumulate innumerable deeds of obedience with understanding His heart, can we have faith that pleases Him. Thus, 'faith' is the basis of a Christian life, the shortcut to salvation, and the requisite for answers and blessings.
We hope that you will possess faith pleasing to God, enjoy authorities and blessings as children of God the Creator, and dwell in the shining glory like the sun in everlasting Heaven.
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