Do I Have Enough Faith?

Q

Is it true it only takes a small amount of faith in the Lord to become saved, or do you need a lot? The Bible talks about mustard seed sized faith, but I’ve also heard you need to believe with all of your heart. What if a person definitely wants to be saved but doesn’t think they have the faith they need?

A

When the Israelites were in the wilderness, God sent them bread from heaven, which they called manna, and sent them out to gather it. Some gathered a lot while others only gathered a little. But when they measured how much they had gathered they discovered they all had exactly as much as they needed (Exodus 16:17).

Later, Jesus said the bread from Heaven was meant to represent Him (John 6:32-35). To me, that says everyone who asks for His salvation gets exactly the right amount of faith he or she needs to believe and receive it.

Here’s how it works:

Paul said we’re saved by grace through faith, and the faith is a gift from God (Ephes. 2:8-9).

The size of the gift He gives us is determined by the amount faith we need to believe He died for our sins and rose again. Some need a little, some need a lot, but we all get just as much as we need.

That’s how Jesus could say, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks will find; and to him who knocks the door will be opened” (Matt. 7:7-8).

It’s also how Paul could say, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

It’s a promise straight from God’s word, established by the testimony of two witnesses, that no one who sincerely asks the Lord for His salvation will ever be refused for lack of faith.