Part 9: Faith - Receiving Christ
Grows from
Acts 20:21
“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.”
Faith is the graft — the point where we are joined to the Vine.
Romans 11:20
“Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear.”
“True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear.”
Faith is not merely a step in a sequence; it is the joining point between a wild branch (us) and the True Vine (Christ). Without faith the branch is not in the tree at all (John 15:6). With faith it stands (Rom 11:20), abides (John 15:4-5), and bears fruit (John 15:5, 8).
Key passages
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
“Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:6
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
“Without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing to him, for he who comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he is a rewarder of those who seek him.”
Ephesians 2:8
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
Romans 10:17
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
“So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 5:1
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Galatians 2:20
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
“I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.”
John 15:4
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”
“Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me.”
John 15:6
“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”
“If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
Romans 11:17-20
“And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear.”
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the root and of the richness of the olive tree, don’t boast over the branches. But if you boast, remember that it is not you who support the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in.’ True; by their unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by your faith. Don’t be conceited, but fear.”
Galatians 5:6
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.”
“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision amounts to anything, but faith working through love.”
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Romans 1:17
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
“For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, ‘But the righteous shall live by faith.”
James 2:17, 26
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. … For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”
“Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. … For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.”
1 Corinthians 13:13
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
“But now faith, hope, and love remain—these three. The greatest of these is love.”
What Scripture says
- Faith = substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1).
- Without faith, impossible to please God (Heb 11:6).
- Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17).
- Justified by faith → peace with God (Rom 5:1).
- The just shall live by faith (Rom 1:17).
- Faith works through love (Gal 5:6).
- Faith without works is dead (James 2:17, 26).
- Faith abides with hope and love — the three (1 Cor 13:13).
- We are grafted into the Vine by faith — wild branches, not natural, joined to the True Vine (Rom 11:17-20).
- We stand by faith — the root supports us, not we the root (Rom 11:18, 20).
- Faith enables abiding — the branch cannot bear fruit unless it abides in the Vine (John 15:4).
- Unbelief breaks off; faith stands — “because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith” (Rom 11:20).
Connections
- To Jesus (the Vine) — faith is the graft; we stand and abide by faith (Rom 11:20; John 15:4)
- To Grace — saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8)
- To Hope — substance of things hoped for (Heb 11:1)
- To Love — faith working through love (Gal 5:6); the three abide together (1 Cor 13:13)
- To Peace — justified by faith → peace (Rom 5:1)
- To Works — faith without works is dead (James 2:17); the branch bears fruit only by abiding (John 15:5)
- To Repentance — paired (Acts 20:21; Mark 1:15)
- To the Word — faith comes by hearing the word (Rom 10:17)
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, without faith it is impossible to please You. Thank You that faith comes by hearing Your word, and that by faith we are joined to Christ, the true vine.
Help us to live by faith and not by sight. Where our faith is weak, strengthen it. Let it be a living faith that works through love.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.