Read John 3:16. God says *whoever* believes – there are no restrictions about age, gender, race or nationality, how good you are or how much evil you have done – anyone and everyone who believes that Jesus is God’s son and that He died for their sins will have eternal life with God. In order to accept what John 3:16 says, you must first believe that the Bible is God’s Word, or in other words, the Bible is a message from God. You must believe that it is true and there are no mistakes in it. Once you believe in Jesus, God gave the Holy Spirit to live inside of you. You will spend eternity in heaven because the Holy Spirit confirms it (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Read Hebrews 11:1. It takes faith to believe in God and that our future in heaven is secure, because we cannnot see God or talk to Him face to face. We cannot see God or our future, but we believe that He created the world and that He loves us so much that He sent Jesus, His Son, to die for our sins. Although there are lots of things that point toward God – the majesty and intricacy of creation, people whose lives have been changed, prayers that are answered, and miracles that defy explanation – there are no scientific proofs or tangible evidences that prove God’s existence. It is a matter of faith, simply believing that it is true. Faith is essential to a relationship with God. Read Hebrews 11:6. Based on this verse, we cannot have a relationship with God unless we believe He is real and we cannot please Him without faith.

These verses from the book of Romans, are sometimes known as “The Roman road to salvation” and help to explain why we need salvation and how we get it: Romans 2:1-4, 3:23, 5:1, 5:12, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13. Christianity differs from every other religion, in this one element: There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. Every other system of belief has something you should do, or some level you must attain. Only Christianity says that we are saved by grace. Grace is the undeserved love and favour that we receive from God when we ask Him to forgive us and accept His gift of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Not only are we rescued from hell, or eternal separation from God, but we are rescued from a life of meaninglessness here on earth. A life with Jesus is a life of purpose and fulfillment. Although difficult and tragic things still happen we can live with a deep sense of joy and peace, because there is true meaning in our lives.

Faith and coming closer to God involves giving up control. Many individuals like to keep tight control of their situations. When it is up to you to do the right things to bring success rather than failure, there are feelings of huge responsibility. When things go wrong, you may heap guilt on yourself. It is a difficult and lonely road. The need to be in control comes from the thinking that you are the only one who cares. Thus, to come closer to God requires a change in the way you think. A conscious decision needs to be made to let God have control, to surrender to Him. How do you do that? That is where faith comes in! You must believe that God is good and trust that His ways are best. When He gives a command, you must have confidence that He has a good reason for it – even if you don’t understand what that reason is. The more you trust God, the more you will see His work in your life and the more you will trust Him. Having faith will draw you closer to God and will inspire faith.

Read Romans 10:9. To confess that Jesus is Lord, is to admit that you have done wrong and failed to live up to His perfect standard. Believing that God raised Jesus from the dead, means you believe that God has the power to forgive your sins, that Jesus took the penalty for your sins. Read 1 John 1:9. The Bible is very clear that when we admit our sins, God forgives. There are no qualifiers, no ifs, ands, or buts. Read 1 John 2:2. Atonement is a Biblical term that most people don’t use in every day conversation. To atone simply means to make amends or to compensate for. Jesus made amends. He fulfilled the requirement of God, which was perfection, therefore satisfying God’s justice. He paid the price so that we wouldn’t have to. Why did He do it? Jesus/God loves us so much! Thus the cross is central to the good news of the Bible. It not only demonstrates God’s justice, but also reveals His incomparably great love for us.

When thinking about the source of faith, all kinds of questions come to mind. Do I just conjure up faith and believe, because it’s what I want? Is faith a gift from God? If faith is a gift, then is there anything I can do to cultivate faith? Can faith be separated from response or belief from action? Here are some verses from the Bible that point to the answers. 1) Faith comes from God (Acts 3:16, Romans 12:3) 2) Faith comes by listening to God’s Word (Romans 10:17, Colossians 1:5) 3) We can pursue or ask for faith (1 Timothy 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:10, James 2:14)