My Faith In Jesus and the Faith of Jesus In Me
This is the shortened version of a document by the same name I put in the ‘articles’ section of this blog. Shortened, but not short. I want everyone who reads this post to know that Jesus loves them with a love beyond words. Our proper response is to love Him back wholeheartedly, not because we have to, but because there is no better place to live than in an intimate, loving relationship with our Savior.
Many Bible translations describe one aspect of faith as “the faith I have in Jesus”. Other translations write the same verses as “the faith of Jesus in me.” It seems to me that these two sentences have entirely different meanings. In this post I examine these differences and their implications for my walk with Jesus.
Consider the comparison of these verses from the NIV, King James Version (KJV), and The Passion Translation (TPT):
Galatians 2: 16
“We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners know that a man is not justified by observing 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 observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified” (NIV).
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Jesus Christ, and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (KJV).
“We know full well that we don’t receive God’s perfect righteousness as a reward for keeping the law, but by the faith of Jesus, the Messiah! His faithfulness, not ours, has saved us, and we have received God’s perfect righteousness. Now we know that God accepts no one by the keeping of religious laws” (TPT).
Am I justified by my faith in Christ or by the faith of Christ in me?
Here is another example:
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (NIV).
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (KJV).
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of His cross crucified me with Him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives His life through me – we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that He gave himself for me, and dispenses His life into mine” (TPT).
According to the NIV, I live by my faith in Jesus; but according to the KJV and the TPT, I live empowered by the faith of Jesus in me. Looking at the original Greek, faith of Jesus looks more correct to me.
Here is another example:
Mark 11: 21 – 23
“Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered”. ‘Have faith in God’, Jesus answered. ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him” (NIV).
“Peter remembered and said to Him, “Teacher, look! That’s the fig tree you cursed. It’s now shriveled up and dead.” Jesus replied, “Let the faith of God be in you! Listen to the truth I speak to you: If anyone says to this mountain with great faith and having no doubt, ‘Mountain be lifted up and thrown into the midst of the sea’, and believes that what he says will happen, it will be done” (TPT).
Which faith do I need to throw the mountain into the sea – my faith in Jesus or the faith of God (Jesus) in me? They are two different faiths.
Galatians 3: 22
“But the Scripture declares what the whole world was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe” (NIV).
“But the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe” (KJV).
‘The faith of Jesus in me’ is remarkable. But ‘faith in Jesus’ is the only reason why a believer can also have the ‘faith of Jesus’. Scripture makes it perfectly clear: we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. The following passages are from the NIV:
“For it is by grace you have been saved through faith (pistis) – and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2: 8, 9).
“I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith (pisteuo – translated as “believeth” in KJV) in Me will do what I have been doing” (John 14: 12).
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes (pisteuo) in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3: 16).
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith (pistis) in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints” (Colossians 1: 4).
“For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in Spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith (pistis) in Christ is” (Colossians 2: 5).
I cannot have the faith of Jesus in me until I first have faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus is the beginning of life with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. Paul writes:
The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming. That if you confess with your mouth, “That Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10: 5 – 9).
By faith in Jesus and by the Spirit, I proclaim that Jesus is the Lord of my life, not me. And with these words, rooted in faith in Jesus, I am saved. When we are saved, we are ‘in Christ’, that is, living in union with Him. In Christ we are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5: 17) and in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2: 3). Here is a passage from the Passion Translation:
“In the same way you received Jesus as Lord and Messiah by faith, continue your journey of faith, progressing further into your union with Him. Your spiritual roots go deeply into His life as you are continually infused with strength, encouraged in every way. For you are established in the faith you have absorbed and enriched by your devotion to Him” (Colossians 2: 6, 7).
When we confess and receive Jesus as Lord and believe in His resurrection, we live in Christ, rooted and built up in Him! That is amazing. I am living in Christ – a intimate, spiritual living union with Jesus. Another passage from The Passion Translation:
“For He is the complete fullness of Deity living in human form. And our own completeness is now found in Him. We are completely filled with God as Christ’s fullness overflows within us. He is the Head of every kingdom and authority in the universe! (Colossians 2: 9, 10).
When I confess and receive Christ as Lord, based on my faith in Jesus, I am complete in Christ and am completely filled with God as the fullness of Jesus overflows within me!
I have an amazing inheritance. It is Christ in me, and me in Christ. “Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2: 20); “Christ in you, the hope of Glory” (Colossians 1: 27); and “Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you” (2 Corinthians 13: 5).
“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you” (John 14: 15 – 17 NIV).
“But if I do it, even through you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father” (John 10: 38 NIV).
Putting these passages together it is clear that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth lives in each believer; that Jesus is in us, the Father is in Jesus, and therefore, the Father is in us also.
The Amazing Truth About the KIngdom of God
I assume that most Christians have heard this astonishing news: Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father live in us! This is not metaphorical language. When Paul tells us that Christ lives in us, he literally believes that Jesus Christ lives and dwells within each believer. Because Jesus lives within us, all of who He is also indwells us. In fact, His fullness overflows from us. All of Him – His fullness – includes His power, faith, joy, peace, power, hope, and life. We have all of it when we have all of Him. This is Kingdom life!
That is why Jesus tells us that out of us will flow rivers of living water – referring to the Holy Spirit.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self- control (Galatians 5: 22, 23). These are the fruit of the Holy Spirit that lives within us. It is His love, His joy, and His peace etc. in us. We have all of that in us!
When Jesus entered into us, He did not leave part of His nature behind. He did not say, “Bill has confessed that I am His Lord. I am going to dwell within him now, but I am going to leave my peace and my joy behind.” He cannot. Love, peace, joy, hope, wisdom, and power are His essential nature and character. John writes, “God is love”. Not that Jesus loves; He is love. ‘Yeshua’ is the Hebrew word for salvation. Jesus does not just give salvation; He is salvation.
Do you want more peace? Do you pray, “God, send me more peace”? You already have it all – peace is a person, Jesus. What about joy? Want more joy? You already have all the joy in the universe living within you. How often have I prayed, “God give me more faith”? I have the faith of Jesus indwelling me. If Jesus is in me, I can’t have any more faith. I have it all. I have the peace of Jesus, the joy of Jesus, and the faith of Jesus living in me right now. And not just some of His peace, joy, and faith; I have all He has.
So why am I not more peaceful? Why is joy missing in some parts of my life? Why am I sometimes anxious and fearful? Why do I cry out to Jesus, “Give me more faith to pray for healing?” Why am I sometimes angry and offended? The problem is not quantity. God has given us all we will ever need; the problem is not on His end. The problem is with us. We don’t fully access all that God has given us – we don’t draw on the peace, joy, and faith ‘of Jesus in me’ in our daily lives. Many believers are living relatively powerless lives, when Jesus has died to give us lives that are supposed to be so much more powerful than most of us have ever experienced; and that power is within us.
So Why Don’t I Have More Peace, Joy, and Faith?
When we are born again, our spirit comes into union with His Spirit; we, that is, our spirit, is regenerated. When Paul writes, “We are holy and blameless in His sight (Ephesians 1: 4), he is writing about the work done in our spirit by Him. We are justified and restored by the Holy Spirit – in our spirit, we are perfect in God’s eyes. But, our soul – intellect, will, emotions, nature, personality – has been ‘running’ our life before our new birth or regeneration. In our soul, we are not perfect, far from it. Here there is still sin, demonic oppression, fear, and the effects of abuse, occult practices, etc. Our spirit, in union with the Spirit, must progressively ‘tame’ the soul and bring it under the control of the spirit. This is the journey of sanctification; the journey to become more like Jesus. That is why the author of Hebrews writes, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever (in our spirit) those who are being made (in our soul) holy” (Hebrews 10: 14). Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are involved in sanctifying our souls; but we have a role to play. Jesus tells us to “enter through the narrow gate” that leads to life; but we are free to choose the “broad gate” that leads to death.
With this spirit/soul context, I can ask the question, “Why am I not more peaceful, more joyful, and more spiritually powerful?” I can think of nine reasons:
First, have I really “confessed with my mouth that Jesus is Lord”? If I haven’t, then Christ is not in me. If Christ is not in me, then His peace, joy, and faith are not in me either.
Second, no one told me. Has anyone ever told you that you have Christ in you and therefore all His peace, joy, faith, and power is in you as well? How can you access something you didn’t know was there?
Third, unbelief and distrust. Not unbelief as in, “I don’t believe in God”. Rather, even if I have confessed Jesus is Lord, do I believe that a) He lives in me, b) that all His peace, joy, faith, and power are in me as well, and c) that I have access to these attributes of Jesus as I am becoming more like Jesus? And do I trust Him?
Fourth, pride. Pride is the overarching reason why I don’t live with all the peace, joy, and faith of Jesus – points 5 through 9 below are all variations or subsets of pride. Pride is finding my value in the things of the world – money, sex, power, accomplishments, possessions, etc. Pride is placing myself on the throne of my life; it is worship of self. Pride is a force or power; it is the source of sin and evil in the world. It arises from a covenant I make with one of these things that gives my life value. The covenant is simple: the force or power behind money (for example) says, in effect, “I will totally fulfill you, if you will totally surrender to me”. The “I” as in, “I will totally fulfill you” is really satan. Making covenants with demons is serious business and unless broken, have long-term, even generational consequences. Where pride is present, there can be no faith in Jesus. Without faith in Jesus, I can’t have the joy, peace, hope, faith, or power of Jesus.
Fifth, I have not surrendered and submitted every part of my life Jesus. I might be experiencing some of His peace and joy, but wondering why more peace and joy elude me. He cannot fill those parts of my heart He cannot reach. Usually, these places are shut off from Jesus because of some unrepented sin in my life.
Sixth, you are a customer of Jesus, not a disciple. In his powerful book ‘In God’s Underground’. Richard Wurmbrand describes his brutal years in a Soviet/Romanian prison. When Wurmbrand asked prisoners if they were Christians, they often told him stories about ‘Christians’ who betrayed their faith or worse, informed on members of their congregations to curry favor with the Communists. To these prisoners Wurmbrand answered:
“Not every man in holy order has a priestly heart nor were all who called themselves Christians disciples of Christ in the true sense of the word. A man who visits a barber to be shaved, or who orders a suit from a tailor, is not a disciple, but a customer. So one who comes to the Savior only to be saved is the Savior’s customer, not His disciple. A disciple is one who says to Christ, “How I long to do work like Yours! To go from place to place taking away fear; bringing instead joy, truth, comfort, and life eternal” (Wurmbrand, ‘In God’s Underground’, pg. 86).
If I want what Jesus can give me – salvation, as well as peace, joy, faith, power, etc. – but don’t want Him, I am a customer of Jesus, not a disciple. A disciple is one who has willingly and joyfully entered a covenant with Jesus. I enter a covenant with anything when I align my life with that thing; I separate myself from anything that can break or damage that covenant. When I enter a covenant with Jesus, I align every part of my life with His; I surrender all that I am and all that I have to Him. And I do this because I am in love with Him. It is in covenant relationship with Jesus that I can truly experience life with Him and have intimate fellowship with Him, and through Him, with others around me.
Seventh, even if I have confessed Jesus as Lord, believe that God raised Him from the dead, and believe that Jesus is in me, and therefore potentially have access to His joy, peace, and faith, there might be anger, hatred, hurt, disappointment, fear, shame, or guilt in my heart that needs to be repented of and healed. Many Christians have deeply buried unrepentant sin in their lives like an abortion, sexual sins, suicidal attempts, lying or stealing; or participation in the occult, even casual participation.
I have written in previous posts about the veil around our heart. This veil is woven from the negative emotions, fears, sins, and occult activities that have not been repented of. It is a veil that lies between my heart and God’s. It is difficult to receive and appropriate God’s life into my heart until the veil is removed. The veil is removed through emotional healing and repentance prayer and spiritual deliverance.
Eighth, I feel ‘not good enough’. Jesus might be in me, but I feel unworthy of His peace, joy, faith, and power. This is one of satan’s most powerful tools to minimize a Christian’s power in the world.
Ninth, I am not passionately pursuing holiness. Scripture tells us, “In His instructions about what the Israelites can and cannot eat, God tells Moses, “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11: 44). Peter tells us the same thing, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1: 14 –16).
Without holiness, we will not behold the Lord. “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one can see (behold) the Lord” (Hebrews 12: 14). If we are not pursuing holiness, a life becoming more like Jesus, set apart for His purposes, we will instead likely be pursuing a life trying to use Jesus for our own agendas and purposes, operating in our own power and experience – trying to do God’s work, man’s way; or worse, trying to do man’s work, man’s way and saying you are doing it for God. There is a word for this – it is called, witchcraft.
We must not pursue holiness out of fear, judgment, or eternal retribution. If these are our motivations, we will never approach a holy life. We pursue holiness because we know there is nothing better in this life than to live our lives in love with Jesus, wanting to please Him. We are imperfect, flawed people; God knows this. What God wants are passionate, sincere followers of Him.
What Are the Ways to A More Peaceful, Joyful, Faithful, and Powerful Life?
Perhaps you recognize in yourself one or more of the reasons why you are not living with more peace, joy, faith, and power in Christ. What can you do to access, receive, and appropriate all that Christ, who lives in you, has purposed for you? Here are some ideas, especially for those who are just beginning this amazing life with Jesus:
First, if you have not confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, do that now. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in that prayer. You could pray:
“Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God who came in the flesh. Forgive me for living my life in my own power, relying on my own experience, to accomplish my own agendas. Jesus, please set me free from this life of emptiness and despair. Holy Spirit direct my words and help me by your Spirit to pray, “Jesus, I confess that you are Lord; and I believe that you were raised from the dead”. I renounce my self-life and repent of putting my needs above everything and everyone else. I turn to you Jesus, as the author and giver of all life. Lord, forgive me and I forgive myself.
Second, study the Scriptures referenced in this post. Pray over them and ask the Holy Spirit to breathe the truth of these Words into your heart. Rejoice in the amazing knowledge that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit live in the believer. Fill your heart and mind with the Kingdom ways and words of Jesus recorded in the Bible. Memorize those passages God puts on your heart and live them out every day. Commit to a set-aside, daily time of prayer. How can you get to know Jesus unless you spend time with Him? Of all the things on this list, prayer is one of the most important.
Third, ask the Holy Spirit to give you more faith to believe that all the blessings of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live in you. Repent of unbelief. Ask God to forgive your unbelief and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Ask Jesus to help you trust Him more.
Fourth, pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show you any place in your heart that is not surrendered to Him. Praying Psalm 139 is very effective.
Fifth, confess and repent of pride. Ask Jesus to forgive you, circumcise your heart, and cleanse you from your iniquity. Here is a sample prayer that you could use:
“Lord Jesus Christ, I renounce my worship of self; I renounce the title to the throne in my life. I repent of making you second in my life. I shudder at the thought of what I have done. From now on, I confess that you are the Lord of my life. I want you at the center of all I do, all I am, and all I have. You alone are worthy of worship. Forgive my selfish, self-centered idolatry. There is only one God – His name is Jesus Christ. Set me free from living for myself; lead me into a life of surrender and submission to You.
Jesus, circumcise my heart. Cut away my sinful flesh – my pride. Now fill me with a Spirit of humility. Jesus, come into my heart to rule and reign as my King. Please wash me in Your blood, cleanse me from all iniquity and unrighteousness, make me white as snow. It is in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray.”
Sixth, ask Jesus if you are a customer or a disciple. If you are a customer, renounce and repent of your consumer mentality. Turn to Jesus as the only source of true life. Here is a prayer that you could pray:
“Jesus, for too long I have lived my Christian life as a customer, not a disciple. Forgive me for wanting what you could give me and do for me more than wanting You. I renounce my customer, consumer mentality. I repent of looking for my value in the things you offer, rather than the life of Christ in me. Jesus, forgive me and cleanse me by Your blood. Jesus, I ask by the power of your Holy Spirit, within me and upon me, lead me into a discipleship relationship with you. I yearn to know You more, to have an intimate relationship with You. Teach me what a disciple looks like and remove my sin of consumerism as far as the east is from the west. It is in the mighty name of Jesus Christ that I boldly pray.”
Seventh, seek out and receive prayer for emotional healing and spiritual deliverance. During this process you will confess and repent of all your sins, including sins in the past. But if you don’t get this healing, don’t wait – confess and repent of your sins.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1: 9)
Eighth, after removing the veil around our heart with the healing/repentance prayer, which may take several sessions, ask Jesus this question: “Lord, is it true that I am not good enough? What do you want me to know? Listen for His answer.
Ninth, generally we are not pursuing holiness because we are pursuing our own agenda – we are doing what is best for ‘self’. As I wrote in the fifth and sixth steps above, we are not pursuing holiness because we are filled with pride. The solution is to confess to Jesus and renounce our pride. Ask Him for forgiveness and mercy. Ask Him to circumcise our heart. Then repent of pride and turn to Him for your life. Pray the prayer written in the fifth step above.
The pursuit of holiness can lead into a trap. Andrew Murray, in his wonderful book ‘Humility — The Journey Toward Holiness’ writes:
“Beware, lest we make a profession of holiness, delighting in beautiful thoughts and feelings, in solemn acts of consecration and faith, while the mark of the presence of God — the disappearance of self — is obviously missing. Flee to Jesus and hide yourselves in Him until you are clothed this His humility. That alone is holiness” (pg. 65).
The life Jesus died to give us is intended to be more beautiful and glorious now than most of us can imagine. It is not a perfect life without trials, disappointments, and even griefs. Jesus said in this life we will suffer. But He has overcome the world – we can know peace, joy, faith, love, and power even in the midst of suffering because they are not outside ourselves. They are within us. They are not emotions, nor are they rooted in our circumstances – they are a person. And that person is Jesus, who indwells each believer, and who will never leave or forsake us. We walk by faith, not by sight. And for those who follow Jesus, that faith is the faith of Jesus in us. Who could ask for anything more?
Hallelujah!
John