Top 20 Inspiring Lessons And Examples Of Faith In The Bible

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Christianity relies heavily on faith, which is defined as “absolute trust or confidence in something or someone.” Belief in God and submission to his revealed will in the Bible are at the heart of this concept. The Bible is an excellent resource for learning about people who had great faith in the Almighty God.

It would be impossible to exaggerate the significance of faith in Christianity [1]. Faith is necessary for a Christian’s maturation in their connection with God and their development as a spiritual person. Hebrews 11:6 reads, “You cannot please him without faith. For he who comes to God must believe that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him.

Top 20 Inspiring Examples Of Faith In The Bible

There are many Bible stories that exemplify faith. These stories are an inspiration and an encouragement because they show how faith can change people’s lives.

The Unwavering Faith Of Mary

In the first chapter of Matthew, the angel Gabriel visits the Virgin Mary and tells her, “Fear not, Mary, for you have gained favor with God. You shall conceive and bear a son and name him Jesus.”

A lifetime of suspicion and disgrace would follow her and her family if she accepted God’s plan. The Lord Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, would endure a brutal and unrighteous death for our salvation and eternal life, causing her heart unfathomable anguish and sorrow.

Mary’s submission to God is a model for all believers who would obey the Lord. Regardless of the difficulty, the cost, or the risk, we would all do well to adopt Mary’s words of faith: “I am the Lord’s servant. Everything you’ve said about me should come true.”

The Faithful Surrender Of Mary And Joseph

Joseph was called to partake in God’s mission by marrying Mary. Mary believed and trusted in God’s promise and submitted herself completely to God’s will. Joseph, like Mary, is a paradigm of devotion for us.

Joseph was a kind man who was receptive to God’s guidance his whole life. Joseph accepted God’s plan when he learned that Mary’s pregnancy was conceived by the Holy Spirit. He welcomed Mary into his home.

Faith Of Abraham: A Foundation Of Trust

“By faith, Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place from which he should afterward receive an inheritance, obeyed. He went out, not knowing where to go. By faith, he went to the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with his heirs Isaac and Jacob. He looked for a city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:8–10).”

Abraham trusted God and took a chance. His agreement was not based on blind faith. A sincere belief in God. Abraham’s faith was so strong that he pursued a course without knowing where it would lead. This is a huge boost for us.

Moses’ Journey Of Faith And Deliverance

Another example of faith is Moses, who is portrayed in the book of Exodus as a leader of the Israelites who was summoned by God to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. Despite his initial reluctance, Moses finally accepted God’s summons and submitted to his will for his life. He became the finest leader of men in history, second only to Jesus Christ. Through him, God delivered millions of Jewish captives out of Egypt.

David: Faith In The Face Of Giants

David’s life illustrates the peaks and declines of faith. From being a shepherd boy who defeated Goliath, he achieved the impossible, endured the excruciating, did the unimaginable, and trusted God throughout. The Book of Psalms provides a glimpse into the essence of faith. David’s faith is described in 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 Chronicles.

The Faithful Resolve Of Job

Job’s faith in God’s kindness demonstrates the depth of his conviction. Job trusted in God’s goodness and character despite his suffering and questions about why he was being punished. Job declares in Job 13:15, “Though he slays me, yet will I trust him.” This passage demonstrates Job’s strong faith and confidence in God despite his circumstances.

illustration of man alone in the forest

Paul’s Transformation: From Persecutor To Apostle

Paul (or Saul, as he was then called) was a wickedly powerful and influential man in his culture before meeting the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus and persecuting Christ’s followers. The love of God’s Son had a profound impact on his life. Paul evolved from a man who sought power and fortune to one who put his faith in God as an Apostle of Christ Jesus.

The Faithful Woman With The Issue Of Blood

The woman named Veronica, who suffered from a bleeding disorder, heard about Christ and sought to see him, hoping to be cured by simply touching his robe. The Lord Jesus Christ felt a surge of strength leave him at that moment. He turned to the crowd and demanded to know who had touched His robe.

The question baffled his followers, who were pressed in on all sides by crowds of people. Saint Veronica stepped forward, dropped to the ground before Jesus, and confessed her sins. Jesus told the woman, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction (Mark 5:34).”

Doubting Thomas: From Skepticism To Unwavering Belief

John 20:24–29 tells the account of Doubting Thomas. Jesus appeared to his followers after his resurrection, but Thomas was not among them. Thomas voiced skepticism when the other disciples reported seeing Jesus and insisted he see and touch Jesus’ wounds before he would believe. A while later, Jesus showed up and let Thomas feel his wounds. After that, Thomas acknowledged Jesus as Lord and God.

Faith and confidence in Jesus are emphasized in spite of the lack of tangible proof in the narrative of Doubting Thomas. It’s proof that Jesus is merciful to our uncertainties and willing to work with us through our difficulties.

The Centurion’s Remarkable Faith

According to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, one of the miracles Jesus of Nazareth accomplished was the healing of the centurion’s servant. According to these testimonies, a Roman centurion comes to Jesus seeking treatment for his sick servant.

The centurion hesitates when Jesus offers to come to his house to treat him but eventually agrees that Jesus’ word of authority is enough. In response to the soldier’s plea, Jesus affirms the soldier’s great faith (despite not being a Jew) and heals the servant that very day.

The centurion’s faith was remarkable because, despite his upbringing as a Gentile who knew nothing about God, he understood Jesus’ authority in a manner that not even the disciples did. He realized that Jesus was God’s Son and that, as the Son, Jesus had dominion over disease since he was immediately subordinate to his Father.

The Faithful Acts Of Rahab

“By faith, the harlot Rahab perished with those who believed when she had received the spies with peace (Hebrews 11:31).”

Rahab worked as a harlot. She was a shady woman who sold her body for money. But in an instant, she let faith steer her life and legacy in a new direction.

According to Joshua, chapter 2, she gave up her family’s life to aid the Israeli spies in their escape. Her family’s future was altered because of her faith. Her religious beliefs have become more well-known than in her previous career.

The Faith Of Noah: Building The Ark

“By faith, Noah, as warned by God of things not yet seen, moved with fear. He prepared an ark to save his house; by the means of which he condemned the world, he became heir of the righteousness of faith (Hebrews 11:7).”

To save himself, his family, and the animals from the great flood, God commanded Noah to construct an ark. A strong faith, like Noah’s, is needed to follow such a seemingly absurd command.

The Courageous Faith Of Esther

All the Jews in the Persian Empire were spared from annihilation thanks to Esther, a queen whose faith rescued them. Everything was looking up for Esther after King Xerxes made her queen. But behind the scenes, a jealous man called Haman was hatching a diabolical plan. Haman was insulted by Mordecai (Esther’s protector), prompting him to push for a rule that would have all Jews in the Persian Empire killed.

Both Queen Esther and Mordecai were born Jews. Therefore, this rule posed a direct threat to their lives. She had such a strong belief in God that she went up to the King without an invitation. This was a risky move, as it was illegal to approach the king without permission. But Esther trusted God and spoke up for her people before the King. The Jews of Persia were spared annihilation because Haman’s scheme to have them killed was uncovered.

The Persistent Faith Of The Syrophoenician Woman

Unlike any other character in the gospels, the Syrophoenician Woman is praised by Jesus after successfully challenging him (Mark 7:24–30). The typical format of New Testament accounts is to focus on one of Jesus’ sayings and have Jesus have the final word.

Most people believe that Jesus’ first refusal to help the Syrophoenician lady heal her demon-possessed daughter was because of the mother’s gentile status. He told her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

The woman responds to Jesus with her own argument, which is unusual for the gospels: “Sir, even the dogs eat the children’s crumbs.” “Because you have said this, the demon has gone out of your daughter,” Jesus reassured her. The woman’s own teaching appears to have swung the balance and prompted Jesus to cure her daughter.

According to Mark’s gospel, Jesus attributed the healing of the woman’s daughter to her “word” (logos). The account of the lady with the flow of blood in Mark 5:25–34 has inspired some interpreters to use it as an illustration of the woman’s faith. This shift first emerges in Matthew’s account of the narrative (Matthew 15:21–28), when the lady is referred to as a Canaanite and commended for her faith.

The Faithful Witness Of Stephen

Stephen is the earliest and most influential witness for Jesus Christ. Acts 6 through 7 tell his tale. He was singled out for his commitment to prayer and teaching the Word, and he is described as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. Even in death, Stephen did not renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. While being stoned, he prayed to God.

In his final moments, he begged God, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” Stephen prayed for those who would later kill him. His last words were, “Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit,” and “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

The Faith Of The Samaritan Leper

Ten men, all of whom were lepers, watched Jesus’ entry into a town from a distance. They begged Jesus for forgiveness in the same way as Bartimaeus did (Luke 17:12–13).

Jesus told them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests,” when he encountered them. This is what was expected of people in accordance with Leviticus’ leprosy regulations. Not only might priests declare someone unclean, but they could also attest to a person’s healing. As the ten lepers approached the priests, miraculous healing occurred, and they were completely cured (Luke 17:14).

At this moment, “one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God” (verse 15). A Samaritan was the one who went back and expressed gratitude. Samaritans were looked down upon by most Jews, and they themselves were not particularly likely to adhere to Moses’s regulations, notably regarding visiting the priests.

God loves a grateful, faithful person, regardless of who they are or where they came from. Only one of the ten lepers from the first group returned to praise God.

Faith Of The Thessalonians

When it came to religion, ancient Thessalonians mostly honored deities from Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Since Paul says they “turned to God from idols” (1 Thessalonians 1:9), it’s safe to assume that they were Gentiles who enjoyed idol worship.

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 1:6 that the Thessalonians followed the example of the apostles. How? To do this, one must receive the word “in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). Faith is not demonstrated by merely having a positive emotional reaction to the gospel but by true happiness that stays put even in the face of hardship.

Through their acceptance of the gospel in the face of adversity, the Thessalonians’ election was revealed to the world. The Holy Spirit transformed their lives after hearing the gospel, and they exhibited the faith, hope, and love described in 1:3.

Their acceptance of the gospel and their contentment under trials made them models for other Christians in Macedonia and Achaia (1 Thessalonians 1:8). The churches of Philippi, Berea, and Corinth were all part of these two Roman provinces, which spanned hundreds of miles and comprised all of Greece.

The Faith Of Shadrach, Meshach, And Abednego

The three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were kidnapped and forced to serve the Babylonian empire. Despite adapting to a foreign empire’s culture, their faith in God remained unshaken. Nonetheless, their faith was tested, as it would be for God-fearing individuals.

When King Nebuchadnezzar had a golden statue erected and ordered that everyone worship it, they refused to do as the rest of the people did and instead stood tall and proud. They were punished for their defiance by being put into a fiery furnace heated to seven times its regular level. The fire was so intense that it burned the skin off the outside guards, yet when the King peered inside, he saw not three but four men.

Shockingly, he instantly gave the order to get the boys out of the flames. God met the three in their trial because of their trust in him. The King declared once more that his subjects would honor Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s God. Just as Elijah stood boldly for Christ, so did these three, and it was because of their example that others began to worship the genuine and living God.

The Faithful Commitment Of Ruth

God redeemed Ruth and Naomi’s conditions through the faithfulness of Boaz, just as Ruth had redeemed Naomi’s through her own. Boaz faithfully fulfilled God’s commandment when Ruth courageously pleaded for his care.

To begin with, he did something as simple as leaving grain in the field for gleaners. Then he showed his appreciation for Ruth’s loyalty to her mother-in-law by providing an abundance of grain and food (Ruth 2). Finally, he accepted Ruth’s daring proposal (of marriage, as it were) to be her and Naomi’s kinsman redeemer (Ruth 3).

The Faith Of Joseph: From Dreams To Deliverance

“By faith, Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. In the same vein, by faith, Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph. By faith, Joseph, when he died, spoke of the departing of the children of Israel. He then gave commandment concerning his bones (Hebrews 11:20–22).”

Just before he passed away, Joseph assured the Israelites that God would rescue them and bring them back to the promised land. He instructed them to transport his remains there for burial. Joseph was a man of unwavering faith. Through his trust in God, he was delivered from perilous situations.

This may be the most endearing demonstration of faith. As such, he declined an Egyptian burial. He had faith in God’s ability to save his people and longed to return home.

illustration of a young man reading the bible

Conclusion

God has provided us with multiple examples of faith in the Bible. These Bible stories are powerful illustrations of the transformative power of faith in the lives of others and are a testament to the omnipotence of God the Father in the lives of his children.

They show us our own lack of faith and push us to trust God even more. Studying the lives of biblical figures who demonstrated strong faith can help you appreciate its value in a Christian’s daily life.

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