When you understand the fundamentals of faith, you create endless possibilities and increase your faith. It is quintessential to pleasing God. Every Christian should know that faith comes by hearing, and hearing or understanding comes from the word of God (Romans 10:17). Christianity’s foundation is built on faith. When we properly learn faith basics, they create unlimited possibilities for the believer. Faith is a particular and necessary part of worshiping God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Whoever goes to God must first believe that He exists (Hebrews 11:6). Science cannot prove God’s existence. Therefore, the only way we know God exists is by faith. To see the attributes of God, all one has to do is observe the heavens, for they declare His glory.
What Is Faith
Faith is not a force or a feeling; faith is a spiritual substance. It is your greatest and most valuable asset in the spiritual world. Faith is the bridge that links you to the spiritual realm and makes God a touchable reality in your mind. You must be confident that God and the unseen world are real. When you believe the word of God, your faith creates endless possibilities in the spiritual realm that will manifest as reality. You cannot know God on a personal level without it.
Without faith, you cannot pray effectively, nor can you take hold of the many blessings that God has appointed for you. If you do not possess the fundamentals of faith, you are like a dead fish floating down the stream of life, and that means that you will be a victim rather than the victor of your circumstances.
Understanding the Fundamentals of Faith
It is important to learn how to increase your faith. We live in perilous times. People everywhere are discouraged. No sooner than we overcome this, we have to deal with that. The coronavirus is perhaps one of the greatest pandemics the world has ever seen. The virus has taken the lives of loved ones. Many people are jobless, and many others have lost hope. People are fearful, and some wonder, “Where is God?”
With so many denominations in Christianity, the average Christian’s view of God and their understanding of how faith works is divided. Some Christians define faith as a strong feeling. Others define it as a strong belief. Other believers define faith as having hope.
So exactly what is faith, and how do we collectively understand the fundamentals of our faith in God? Faith is a firm conviction that produces a full acknowledgment of God’s revelation of truth. Faith creates endless possibilities. It gives way to a personal surrender to God. Faith’s conduct inspires such surrender. There are two levels of faith: little faith and great faith.
Little Faith
There is a distinct difference between little faith and great faith. Little faith believes until doubt comes. Peter displayed great faith when he walked on the sea. However, when he heard the boisterous wind, he was afraid, and he began sinking (Matthew 14:22-32). One of the fundamentals of faith is to learn to keep your focus on God. Peter was distracted by the sound of the wind, and he became fearful, causing him to doubt.
Great Faith
Great faith relentlessly trusts God in every situation and under any circumstance. To develop great faith, you must learn to trust God rather than trust your emotions. Possessing the fundamentals of faith has nothing to do with the physical senses. “I will believe it when I see it” is not the attitude of faith. You must “believe it before you see it” to have supernatural results.
Salvation Is Fundamental to Believing God
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). In other words, faith comes by hearing, and hearing, and hearing, and hearing, and hearing the Word of God. The implication here is that faith does not come by having heard the Word of God, but rather by continually hearing the Word of God. The more you hear the Word of God, the greater your faith will be.
As it relates to the fundamentals of faith, it is important to know that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
No amount of work can earn salvation. We stand justified before God only by faith in Jesus Christ; nothing else can save us from the wrath of God. Every Christian must learn to possess faith. Throughout life, you will consistently use faith in your daily battle against the spiritual forces of darkness.
The Definition of Salvation
The first thing to come to my mind at the mention of salvation is deliverance from hell. That is until I researched the word salvation. We have long associated salvation with being saved from hell. In the Bible, salvation is translated as Soteria (so-tay-ree’-ah) and it covers a wide spectrum of deliverance, including healing. Salvation is the spiritual and eternal deliverance granted immediately by God to those who accept His conditions of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:12).
Having Confidence in God Creates Endless Possibilities
You say you have faith, but do you understand the fundamentals of faith just because you believe? Will the dead rise because you believe, or do they rise because you believe God said they would rise? Do not deceive yourself. Faith produces interminable results, but only when you base your faith on the word of God.
I recall the story of a young man who was addicted to crack cocaine. Before his addiction, this young man was a church-going believer. Over time, his addiction took control of his life. Eventually, he lost everything that he held dear. His wife, his children, his home; all became casualties of his crack addiction. The only thing he did not lose was his faith in God. He kept listening to the word of God, praying and believing that God would deliver him from his addiction. It took twelve years, but God visited him and gave him back his dignity. That young man was me. I had finally learned the recipe for faith.
Against all odds, I believed God would deliver me, and He did. God gave me a second chance at life. I am a living witness that faith in God produces results. Whatever you are dealing with, know that your faith in God is your greatest asset. Faith produces endless possibilities. Nothing is impossible for you when you trust God.