What Does it Mean to Have Faith?

I have often wrestled with what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ. How can you tell you have enough faith? I’ve come to the conclusion that this wrestling is more wrestling with myself than with God. It is that gnawing feeling inside that causes me to question if I’m doing enough, if my faith is strong enough for God to accept me into His Kingdom. 

I know that is not good theology. As Paul reminded us in Romans 3:28: “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” It is our faith that justifies us. Romans 10:9 tells us: “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Could it really be that simple?

The struggle I have about if I’m good enough to be saved, if my faith is deep enough, is one born out of the flesh. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please (Galatians 5:17).” Self doubt is born of the flesh. It tries to coax us into thinking we need more than Jesus and tempts us with things we don’t need. 

Faith in Jesus is just that—trusting that He is all you need. Focusing on Him to meet all your needs may seem like a difficult task, but Jesus encourages us to learn from Him, that we can find rest in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Jesus wants us to invest our whole self in Him; to see our identity in Him, not in what we do in this world; to pursue Him with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:29). Faith is a process of releasing our self to Him.

© 2026, Chris G. Thelen

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. – 1 John 5:4