“What is faith in Jesus Christ?” Since trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation is the only way to eternal life (John 3:36; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:31), there is no more important question than this asked by The New City Catechism (#30).
One of the catechisms that The New City Catechism was derived from, The Westminster Shorter Catechism (#86), asks the same question and answers this way: “Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.” Here are some biblical passages to support that answer: John 1:12; 6:35; Galatians 2:15-16, 20; Philippians 3:9; Hebrews 10:39.
Here is the answer given in The New City Catechism: “Faith in Jesus Christ is acknowledging the truth of everything that God has revealed in his Word, trusting in him, and also receiving and resting on him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel.”
One of the most capable theologians that America has ever produced, the 18th century New England pastor, Jonathan Edwards, explained saving faith this way:
Upon the whole, the
best, and clearest, and most perfect definition of justifying faith, [the most
scriptural one] that I can think of, is this, faith is the soul’s [fully]
embracing the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior. The word “embrace” is
[one of the clearest ones we could use]. [I]t is called believing, because
believing is the first act of the soul in embracing a [message] or revelation:
and embracing, when [talking] about a revelation or thing declared. [It] is
more properly called believing, than loving or choosing. If it were [talking]
about a person only, it would be more properly called loving. If it were [talking]
about a gift, an inheritance, or reward, it would more properly be called
receiving or accepting.
The definition might
have been expressed in these words: faith is the soul’s entirely adhering [to] and
[complying with] the revelation of Jesus Christ as our Savior—Or thus: faith is
the soul’s embracing that truth of God, that reveals Jesus Christ as our Savior—Or
thus: faith is the soul’s entirely [complying with], and depending upon, the
truth of God, revealing Christ as our Savior.
It is the whole soul [trusting in] and assenting to the truth, and embracing of it. There is an entire yielding of the mind and heart to the revelation, and a closing with it, and adhering to it, with the belief, and with the inclination and affection.[1]
Praising God For The Gift Of Saving Faith With You,
Tom
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