What the Bible Says About Faith

What does it mean to have faith? Faith is loyalty, trust or a belief held with a strong conviction. The word of God puts it this way: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

As followers of Christ, we seek to trust and grow in our relationship with him, even though we have never physically seen him. This guide will explore the role of faith in our Christian walk and its impact on all areas of life.

See how our faith has impacted lives by learning more about Compassion.

What Is Faith in the Bible?

Faith is an important part of our Christian walk, and it’s talked about throughout the Bible. In fact, in the New Testament, faith is mentioned over 200 times!

There are many reasons faith is so important for us. For example, salvation requires us to have faith in Jesus. And in many of Jesus’ miracles, faith played a role in miraculous healing. Before we dive deeper into Scripture, here are some answers to commonly asked questions about faith.

• What is faith according to the Bible? Faith, as described in Hebrews 11:1 (NIV), is "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” It signifies trust and belief in God and his promises, even though we can’t physically see God or how he’s working.

• How can I grow my faith? Romans 10:17 (NIV) suggests that faith comes from hearing the message of Jesus. Regularly engaging with God's Word, prayer and fellowship with other believers can help grow your faith.

• Can faith really move mountains? Matthew 17:20 (NIV) says that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains. Faith unlocks the powerful potential for us to overcome great obstacles.

• Can faith heal sickness? James 5:15 (NIV) says that prayer offered in faith will make a person who is sick well. This means that faith, combined with prayer, can lead to divine healing and restoration.

Bible Verses About Faith: The Role of Faith in Salvation

We can’t earn salvation. Instead, salvation is a gift God gives us through faith in Jesus. Read these Bible verses about faith to discover how it’s a foundational element of God’s grace and salvation.

— I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13, NIV)

— For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16, NIV)

— For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9, NIV)

— 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. (Romans 10:9, NIV)

— Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. (John 7:38, NIV)

— So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17, ESV)

— As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11, NIV)

— They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, NIV)

— For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NIV)

— For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (Romans 10:10, NIV)

— Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26, NIV)

— Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1, NIV)

— We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15–16, NIV)

— Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12, NIV)

Examples of Faith in the Bible

The Bible is full of examples of faith that serve as powerful lessons for all of us. Through faith in Jesus, there’s healing and hope.

— “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:52, NIV)

— And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. (Hebrews 11:11, NIV)

— Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” (Luke 8:50, NIV)

— The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5, NIV)

— Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. (Romans 4:20–21, NIV)

— By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. (Hebrews 11:7, NIV)

— Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment. (Matthew 15:28, NIV)

— Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2:41, NIV)

— I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong—that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. (Romans 1:11–12, NIV)

— I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. (2 Timothy 4:7–8, NIV)

— Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” (John 11:40, NIV)

Faith in the Life of the Believer

The Bible guides us in understanding that faith is more than just belief — it’s active trust and reliance on God throughout each and every day.

— I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16–19, NIV)

— For we live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

— May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13, NIV)

— Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:3, NIV)

— Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8–9, NIV)

— For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4, NIV)

— But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Timothy 6:11, NIV)

— If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2, NIV)

— I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws. (Psalm 119:30, NIV)

— Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV)

— For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17, NIV)

— So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (Galatians 3:26–27, NIV)

— Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they

— have sinned, they will be forgiven. (James 5:14–15, NIV)

— What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:14–18)

— Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2, NIV)

— Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12, NIV)

— Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12, NIV)

— For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. (2 Peter 1:5–7, NIV)

— Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29, NIV)

— We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. (2 Thessalonians 1:3, NIV)

— I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, NIV)

— Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29, NIV)

— But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. (Galatians 3:22, NIV)

— Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:5, NIV)

— For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. (Romans 12:3, NIV)

— For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:29, NIV)

— You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. (James 2:24, NIV)

— He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

— In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:16, NIV)

— So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:5, NIV)

— I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13, NIV)

— For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6, NIV)

— Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5–6, ESV)

— Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6:35, NIV)

— “‘If you can?’” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” (Mark 9:23, NIV)

— So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10, NIV)

Faith Expressed Through Prayer

Prayer is an expression of our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father. When we pray, we’re showing our faith in who he is and that we believe in his promises.

— Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, NIV)

— But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:6, NIV)

— If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer. (Matthew 21:22, NIV)

— And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

Put Your Faith Into Action. Sponsor a Child Today!

In James 2:17-18 (NIV), we read:

“In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

This verse illustrates this truth: Our lack of doing good shows that we lack faith. Healthy faith should inspire good work, so it’s up to us to put our faith into action, doing the good work our love for Jesus inspires us to do.

You can start today by caring for some of the most vulnerable people in the world: children living in poverty. Sponsor a child today!