13 Major Traits Of Genuine Faith [+ Wonderful Sermon].

The bible talks about many characteristics of genuine faith that will show if your faith is genuine or not and what differentiates real faith from dead faith.

And this article will focus on the 13 major traits of genuine faith that differentiate from counterfeit faith which is dead and isn’t based on God’s word which is life to the soul.

With that said, let’s dive into the 13 major characteristics of genuine faith that come from Jesus Christ alone and bring love, joy, peace, and real hope.

What Is Real Faith? Biblical Definition.

The biblical definition of real faith is simply the kind of faith based on the substances of things hoped for and the evidence of which not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1).

In short, real faith is the kind of faith and not just a belief that isn’t based on sight but is fully based and founded on God’s promises found in His word.

And this important characteristic of true faith is what separates it from dead faith which is only based on sight alone and not on God’s promises found in His word.

Must Read: 75 Christian Faith Quotes (To Strengthen You In The Lord.)

13 Major Characteristics of Real Faith.

Below are the 13 major characteristics of real faith that will help you differentiate it from dead counterfeit faith that isn’t based on Christ Jesus.

Bible-Based.
Leads To Salvation.
Christ Based.
Has Works.
Leads To The Truth.
Stands A Test Of Time.
Fails Not In Times Of Trials.
Trusts God In Uncertain Times.
Not Based On Sight.
Yield Good Fruits.
Leads To True Repentance.
Brings Real Hope.
Makes You Love God & Others.

1. Bible Based.

Genuine faith is bible-based because faith comes by hearing and hearing God’s word according to Romans 10:17-21 as Paul wonderfully puts it in that verse.

If your faith isn’t bible based, then that faith isn’t true faith and is false because any other faith other than that from God’s word in the bible is a false faith that will just lead you astray, sadly.

So, make sure your faith is bible-based if it isn’t then, you are in great danger of getting deceived as there are many faiths in this world but not all of them lead to the truth and eternal life.

2. Leads To Salvation.

We are told in Ephesians 2:8 that it’s by grace through faith we get saved and obtain salvation by fully trusting what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary.

And this is what differentiates real Christian faith from all the other false faiths out there that exist in many false religions of this world that Satan is using to lead many astray which can’t grate your salvation and eternal life that only our Lord Jesus Christ can give.

So, if you have sincere faith, then it, therefore, follows that you will be genuinely saved also and if not, then you need to examine your faith if it’s in the Lord or not, dear.

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3. Christ Based.

You can’t have genuine faith if it’s not based on Jesus Christ as He’s the only one who grants salvation and eternal life and as earlier stated in Ephesians 2:8 that it’s by grace through faith that we are saved.

Any faith that isn’t based on Jesus Christ is not sincere faith and can’t save you from sin, give you eternal life and the wrath to come. Remember, only faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is the one that will never disappoint you.

And if your faith comes from some other place other than Jesus Christ, it’s fake faith that will lead you astray from the truth and will soon let you down especially during times of hardships and fierce trials of life.

4. Has Works.

In James 2:14-26, we are told that faith without works is dead and rightfully so, dear because faith and foolishness are two different things and there is a fine line that separates those two.

You just can’t say you have faith. For your faith to be sincere, it also must have works to back it up and this is the major problem with many Christians today who this that just having faith will magically make things happen in their lives.

And this couldn’t be further from the truth as true faith is accompanied by work also and it’s this faith that moves mountains and gets things done in one’s life. In short, true faith will make you proactive and take action.

5. Leads To The Truth.

Genuine biblical faith will always lead you to the truth and not astray unlike the false faiths found in all the false religions of this world which are just leading many to eternal destruction.

And this genuine faith through the Holy Spirit leads you to God’s word and Jesus Christ in whom salvation and eternal life are only found which is why the Lord Jesus Christ said in John 14:6 that he’s the way, the truth and the life.

So, if you are seeking the truth in your life, Jesus Christ is this truth you have been looking for all this time. Stop seeking the truth in false religions of this world as you won’t find it there.

6. Stands A Test Of Time.

Real sincere faith that whose foundation is Jesus Christ will always stand the test of time and won’t fail especially when things get hard in your Christian journey.

Remember, Christ said in Matthews 24:13 that only those who endure to the end will be saved from the wrath to come and make it for heaven and sadly most Christians won’t endure to the end as their faith wasn’t genuine in the first place.

If your faith isn’t sincere, it won’t stand a test of time and it’s just a matter of time before you give up your Christian race and go back to the world.

7. Fails Not In Times Of Trials.

Not failing in times of trials and hardships of life is one of the major characteristics of genuine faith that differentiates it from counterfeit faith with fails in times of trials.

One such example of true living faith manifesting itself is in the life of Job as seen in Job 1:1-22 where Job never gave up his faith in God despite the horrific trials that came upon his life.

If his faith wasn’t genuine, he would have given up in a heartbeat and heeded his wife’s advice of cursing God and the die which thankfully he didn’t do but if it was most so-called Christians today, it would have been game over.

8. Trusts God In Uncertain Times.

The genuine saving faith that is found by hearing God’s word as Romans 10:17 wonderfully puts it trusts God in uncertain times and doesn’t waver.

If you can’t trust God when things are uncertain in your life, then your faith is indeed questionable because it’s in times of uncertainty that you should cling to God’s promises which will be so if your faith is genuine.

And if it’s not, you will certainly begin to doubt and question God if He can do what He has promised in His word forgetting that He’s not a son of man that He should lie or repent like humans do (Numbers 23:19).

9. Not Based On Sight.

Real faith isn’t based on sight and if your faith is based on sight then it’s not genuine as real faith is the substance of things hoped for but the evidence of which not yet seen as Hebrews 11:1 wonderfully put it.

And if you are a true Christen who has authentic faith based on God’s promises, you won’t be moved by sight or life circumstances and you will still trust God even when things are not looking up in your life (2 Corinthians 5:7).

It’s only dead faith that is based on sight and unfortunate that kind of faith won’t make you receive anything from the Lord at all, sadly dear.

10. Yield Good Fruits.

Sincere faith always brings forth good fruits in one’s life especially those of righteousness just as a good tree will bring good fruits and a bad tree bad fruits according to its nature (Matthews 7:17).

This means that if you have the true saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that brings salvation, you will also have a godly character dad faith that isn’t based on God just can’t produce in one’s life.

If your faith doesn’t bear good fruits in your life, then your faith is dead and in vain and this is usually the case if your faith comes from a different source other than Jesus Christ.

11. Leads To True Repentance.

Genuine faith always leads to true repentance which is responsible for genuine salvation in one’s life. Only dead faith is the one that doesn’t result in genuine repentance later on salvation and eternal life.

It’s not enough to just say that you have faith in Jesus Christ if you are still living in sin but the true living faith that you get after reading God’s word according to Romans 10:17 will always lead one to true repentance of their sins.

Many people and some fake believers lack this kind of faith only a genuine believer can have which is why they can’t come to salvation or get saved from their sins.

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12. Brings Real Hope.

The saving faith that is found in the Lord Jesus Christ always brings genuine hope to anyone who puts their trust and confidence in Christ.

And this kind of hope found in this living faith is the kind of hope that surpasses all understanding that this world or any human being on earth regardless of who they are to you simply can’t give you.

It’s the kind of hope found in John 3:16 that make your heart not be troubled when the storms of life come and most importantly gives you the hope of eternal life, in the end, the greatest hope you can ever have in this wicked world.

Must Read: 54 Christian Hope Quotes To Help You Not Give Up On God.

13. Makes You Love God & Others.

Real faith based on God always results in you selflessly loving God and others without any selfish and ulterior motives (1Corintians 13:13).

And the love that results from this true living faith found in God’s word alone empowers you with this special agape love that only comes from God which is pure and selfless.

This agape love that God gives you when you get saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ is what makes you love God and others with a pure heart without any selfish motives that come with natural human love.

Must Read: 54 Agape Love Quotes [To Remind You What True Love Is All About].

Closing Remarks.

I hope and pray that the above 13 characteristics of genuine faith will help you increase, strengthen and develop your faith in the Lord. In closing, if you found this post helpful let me know in the comments below and don’t forget to share it. Stay blessed.

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