7 Biblical Assurances Your Faith Is Real

Jesus is the only way to be saved. Our faith is real when based on the person of Christ. As outlined in Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ serves as a concrete marker of genuine faith. And what we believe about Jesus matters, distinguishing him from any other gods. First, it necessitates a personal acknowledgment and confession of Jesus as Lord, his sovereignty, and power over all things.

His authority allows us to be secure he has the ability to do all he promises, including our salvation. This declaration involves an active commitment, humility, and submission of our life to the lordship of Jesus Christ, signifying a genuine surrender of self.

Secondly, genuine faith in Jesus is characterized by a sincere belief in his resurrection. The death and resurrection of Jesus occurred in history and had impact in this world and eternity.

This Jesus beat death and sin through the resurrection, and by extension, his life from the dead paves the way for us to live eternally in the Kingdom resurrection. Jesus declared himself as the resurrection and life (John 11:24), so believing in Jesus requires belief he rose again.

Faith in Jesus is not based on human wisdom or merit but on the grace of God. Romans 10:9 affirms that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross, highlighting the foundational truth that our faith is a gift from God.

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Upon repentance to Christ and submitting our will to His Lordship, we receive the indwelling Holy Spirit. His Spirit communicates the reality of faith.

As the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13-14, “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession — to the praise of his glory.”

The witness of the indwelling Spirit provides concrete evidence of the reality of our faith. Firstly, the indwelling Spirit serves as a divine seal upon believers.

This seal signifies ownership and authenticity, confirming that believers belong to God and are recipients of his salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, the indwelling Spirit is described as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. This deposit symbolizes the down payment or earnestness of our future redemption and eternal inheritance in Christ.

The indwelling Spirit empowers us to obey and walk with Christ, working in our hearts and producing the fruit of righteousness. Further, the Spirit speaks to us, comforting us regarding the reality of faith.

This intimacy with God through his Spirit provides guidance and leads us into all truth. Through the Spirit’s witness, we experience a deepening relationship with God and a growing awareness of his presence and work in our lives.

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In Christ, we’ve been translated from death to life. The Bible calls this the New Creation, reborn from heaven with a new nature in the Spirit of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Being a new creation in Christ provides concrete evidence of the authenticity of our faith. Becoming a new creation entails a radical transformation.

It involves a profound change in our identity, desires, attitudes, and behaviors as a result of encountering the saving grace of Jesus Christ. This transformation is not merely superficial but penetrates to the core of our being, producing genuine and lasting change.

In the new creation, our old and sinful self is removed. The new, reborn person emerges. This signifies a decisive break from the power and influence of sin and the flesh, and a renewed allegiance to Christ as Lord and Savior.

The old patterns of living marked by selfishness, rebellion, and disobedience are replaced by new patterns of righteousness, obedience, and holiness.

Along with our actions, the new creation results in a renewed purpose and mission in life. We are called to live as ambassadors for Christ, proclaiming the message of reconciliation and participating in God’s redemptive work in the world.

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As the inward Spirit transforms us from within, we no longer treat others selfishly or transactionally. We genuinely love others, and our love for others affirms the reality of our faith. 1 John 4:7 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”

The love of God differs from the love of this world, which Paul describes in the famous 1 Corinthians 13. God’s love seeks the eternal best for all creation, including humans, which entails reconciliation back to himself through his Son. For us to truly love others, we also seek the same. We don’t love to get something in return but for the eternal good of others.

Our faith proves real through genuine love for others, a reflection of God’s character and nature. This love originates from the Spirit and flows through us to those around us.

When we embody the selfless and sacrificial nature of God’s love, which is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional, we reveal the transformative power of the gospel.

According to 1 John 4:7, everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. This genuine love is an outgrowth of a personal encounter with God and a deepening relationship with him. Loving as Christ was the new command of Jesus in John 13:34-35, to love one another as he has loved us. This proves we are his disciples.

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As we enter the reality of the unseen realm through faith, we encounter an enemy. We live in a broken, corrupt world. The Devil resists us however he can. Our old nature struggles with these forces. Through repentance, we become aware of the spiritual battle we face. Thank God, we endure through belief in God.

Enduring through trials affirms the authenticity of our faith, as articulated in James 1:2-4: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Facing trials with joy and perseverance demonstrates a deep-rooted trust in God’s sovereignty and faithfulness. Rather than succumbing to despair or bitterness, we maintain our hope and confidence in God’s promises, knowing that he is working all things together for their good.

Enduring trials strengthens and refines our faith. As we persevere through difficulties, we experience firsthand the sustaining power of God’s grace and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.

The testing of faith leads to spiritual maturity and growth. As others witness us navigating trials with faithfulness and grace, they are drawn to the miraculous power of the gospel.

Our faithfulness through hardships fosters a deeper intimacy with God as we lean on him for strength and guidance.

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Participating in the life of God through faith, we experience change from within. This inner change results in a change of mind and heart, and our actions flow from the Spirit. The Bible symbolizes the organic nature of this inner change and resulting outward actions as the fruit of the Spirit. 

Evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, as described in Galatians 5:22-23, serves as tangible evidence our faith is real. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The Bible talks about the works of the flesh, which are sin, only a couple verses before the fruit (Galatians 5:19). We can’t be saved by works, our own strength. Paul contrasts this work based on our own ability with a more natural outward flow of the Spirit within us. 

The fruit of the Spirit is a supernatural work of God in our lives. As we yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit, he produces these qualities in our character. Looking through the list, the fruit of the Spirit reflects the character of God. 

Each represents an aspect of his nature, and as we live transformed, these aspects become expressions of God’s presence and work in the life of the believer. 

This character distinguishes us from the world, as Jesus notes we are known by our fruits (Matthew 7:16). The fruit defines the tree — an apple tree, a fig tree, etc. Our fruit speaks to us and others what we are at the root. 

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“Faith is the perception and the pursuit of the heavenly, unseen realm,” as my mentor used to say. With faith, we now seek the things of eternity more than anything in this life. We now look to the unseen because our lives are hidden in the right hand of God in Christ (Colossians 3:1-3). 

From the perspective of faith, the things of this world prove temporary and insufficient for any safety or security. Hopeless. In Christ, we have hope to survive the coming judgment. 

This hope for eternity proves the reality of our faith. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 

In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. 

This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:3-5).

This hope for eternity is grounded in God’s promises. We are assured of an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for them by God’s power. Our eternal hope provides us with strength and an anchor in the midst of life’s uncertainties as we fix our eyes on his promises.

As we live in the reality of our future hope, we become living testimonies of God’s faithfulness and love, drawing others to the transformative power of the gospel.

Real faith changes how we think, how we make decisions, and our motivations. Faith does the work the Law could not, changing us from the inside out to align our whole lives with the Father who loves us and gave his life so we could be reconciled back to him.

As we gain wisdom from the eternal perspective, we can love others sacrificially and unconditionally, knowing God is faithful to reward us. This hope serves as the anchor for our souls, giving us strength today to arrive at heaven to come.

More than anything, God’s presence in our lives comforts us and speaks to us, bearing witness through a relationship of how he is faithful to work all things for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Peace.

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This article originally appeared on Christianity.com. For more faith-building resources, visit Christianity.com.