Quotes on faith
Astonishing Claims
The Bible makes astonishing claims about faith –
Faith can move mountains (Matt 17:20).
Faith extinguishes every flaming dart from the Evil One (Eph 6:16)
Faith enables us to overcome the sinful pull of the world (I John 5:4)
But to experience these we must understand what faith really is.
Because if we think faith means looking on the bright side, being positive, or believing in ourselves — we might feel good for a little while –
But we won’t move mountains, extinguish Satan’s flaming darts, or overcome the sinful pull of the world — because looking on the bright side, being positive, or believing in ourselves isn’t what the Bible means by faith.
In the Bible — faith means trusting all that God promises to be to us in Christ Jesus.
So on this page I’m including quotes which have helped me grow in understanding and experiencing biblical faith. I hope you find them helpful.
Quotes showing that faith focuses on Jesus Christ
Faith is “being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus.” (John Piper, Future Grace, p.367.)
“This is the distinguishing property … of saving faith: it beholds the glory of God in the face of Christ.” (John Owen, Works, Vol 1, p.243.)
“Faith is that by which the soul comes to Christ, and receives him.” (Jonathan Edwards, Works, 2:625f.)
“The terms of reconciliation are … to believe in Jesus Christ with faith that purifies the heart, and enables thy soul to feed on him effectually, and be saved from this sad state.” (John Bunyan, Bunyan’s Complete Works, p.792.)
“For [Charles Simeon] Christ was the Gospel; and personal faith in Him, a living Person, was the Gospel secret.” (H. C. G. Moule, Charles Simeon, p.52.)
“The promise is but the cabinet, Christ is the jewel in it which faith embraces; the promise is but the dish, Christ is the food in it which faith feeds on.” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p.216)
Quotes showing that we always are trusting something to satisfy us
“You will always desire, love, trust, believe, fear, obey, long for, value, pursue, hope, and serve something.” (David Powlison, Journal of Biblical Counseling, Spring 2005, p.11.)
“That which a man trusts to he makes his god.” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p.106.)
“Man is a creature of faith … he does not and cannot live in a faith vacuum. The decisive question is not whether faith is a necessary condition of human life but rather in whom or in what that faith reposes.” (Carl Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority, Vol.1, p.156.)
“… man believed Satan above God — that is, placed his faith and confidence in him, as unto the way of attaining blessedness and true happiness.” (John Owen, Works, Vol 1, p.187.)
Quotes showing that faith focuses on God’s promises
“If we would have our hearts satisfied with the love and delight the Father and the Son have for each other, we should be careful to let the Spirit … keep us filled with all joy and peace as we trust God’s promises.” (Daniel Fuller, The Unity of the Bible, p.147)
“God-glorifying faith is a future-oriented confidence in God’s integrity and power and wisdom to follow through on all His promises.” (John Piper, Future Grace , p.190.)
“Faith believes the promise; but that which faith rests upon in the promise is the person of Christ.” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p.216.)
Quotes on faith and obedience
“It has often been observed that what people hope in for a happy future, that they worship; and what they worship, that they inevitably serve.” Daniel Fuller, The Unity of the Bible, p.150.
“And in whom we place our trust and confidence, them do we obey, whatever we profess.” (John Owen, Works, Vol.1, p.187.)
“God’s commands are all promises of God’s enablings.” (paraphrased from Charles Spurgeon, 12 Sermons on Prayer, p.9.)
“It is impossible to sin with lively thoughts and hopes of the glory of heaven. It’s when the thoughts of heaven are long out of the Christian’s sight that he begins to set up some idol. But let heaven come in sight, and the Christian’s heart will be well warmed with thoughts of it. It is easier to persuade a king to throw his crown into a gutter, than to persuade a heaven-focused saint to sin.” (William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armor)
“The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.” (Matthew Henry, quoted in John Piper’s Desiring God, p.13)
“Do any of us find decays of grace prevailing in us; deadness, coldness, lukewarmness, a kind of spiritual stupidity and senselessness coming upon us? There is no better way for our healing and deliverance, but this alone, namely, the obtaining a fresh view of the glory of Christ by faith, and a steady abiding therein. Constant contemplation of Christ and his glory putting forth its transforming power unto revival of all grace, is the only relief in this case.” (John Owen, Works, 12: 501-502.)
“This power [to conquer sin] is accessible in our experience through faith, not through simple striving of the will.” (Richard Lovelace, in Bryan Chapell’s Holiness by Grace, p.60.)
“Faith has influence upon all the graces, and sets them to work; not a grace stirs till faith sets it to work.” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p.217)
Quotes on fighting the fight of faith
“Let us above all things labour for faith.” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p.218)
“A weak faith can receive a strong Christ.” (Thomas Watson, A Body of Divinity, p.220)
Quotes showing that faith is not just agreeing to truth, it’s trusting Jesus Christ
“Faith is more than recognition that something is true. In the Bible, faith characteristically involves trust in God and his Word, trust in God’s Son.” (D. A. Carson, Christ and Culture , p.109.)
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